4. And Then The Two Glowy Faces

Monday, 22nd May 2023

Reopening After The Summer Break

"Tanish?" Naira's puzzled smile met me as I opened the door, her eyes shifting from Rushika to me.

The energy from the summer break still lingered, evident in Naira and Rushika's unusual choice of seating at the fourth last bench instead of their usual spot at the front. I exchanged a helpless smile with Naira before navigating through the crowded rows to find a seat. With none available at the front, I reluctantly made my way to the back, where Sunny sir caught sight of me. I explained that I had just arrived from my native place and missed the earlier chemistry lecture due to my late arrival.

"Since there's only half an hour left in the lecture, you could have rested instead," Sir suggested, noting the sweat dripping from my chin.

The final chapter of conic sections was being covered. Despite my strong grasp on hyperbolas until that point, I found myself struggling to follow the lecture. My headache intensified as I tried to make sense of the black marker scribbles on the board.

When the lecture ended, I noticed Kavya rising from the third bench. She glanced at me, her eyebrows raised, her face still covered by a disposable mask. The seat behind her was empty, as many students had left after the previous lecture.

I placed my bag beside her and headed out for the break. It was the last time I had chhole bhature from Neelkanth; it tasted far worse than the ones I had taken as a parcel last time.

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Saturday, May 27, 2023

I knew it was going to be tough to enter the class, with everyone likely waiting for me. The Mumbai Indians had been knocked out of the Indian Premier League, and the cricket world was abuzz with the news. Shubman Gill, the Prince of Indian cricket, had scored a century that both led Mumbai into the playoffs and ultimately knocked them out.

As I quietly entered the classroom, the boys at the front noticed me and began to tease me loudly as I placed my bag on the bench. Their shouts drew the attention of the girls sitting in the middle of the room. I gave them a bland smile, choosing to remain silent.

Piyush mentioned he hadn't watched the match where Mumbai was knocked out, while Tejas recounted the entire game, including Suryakumar's heartbreaking dismissal, describing how he had stood there, visibly shattered by the loss.

During Sunny sir's lecture, the teasing continued as they announced, "Tanish bhai ki Mumbai haar gayi," to which Sunny sir responded,

"Koi baat nahi. Agle saal phir mauka milega."

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Tuesday, 30th May 2023

A prank

I woke up to find it was three in the morning. The alarm I'd set for 2 o'clock had gone off a while ago. Checking Cricbuzz, I saw our biggest rivals, the Chennai Super Kings, had won by 5 wickets. 'Abe yaar…' The result spoiled my entire mood. Further details revealed that MS Dhoni had been dismissed for a golden duck, and it was Jadeja who secured the win for CSK, hitting a six and then a four to achieve the ten runs needed in the final two balls.

Entering the academy, Piyush was the first to tease me, followed by Karan. The whole class was buzzing about it, and the realization that Mumbai Indians were no longer the only five-time champions hit hard.

Even in Satyam sir's lecture, the gossip about the match was clearly audible. Karan and Piyush, sitting in front of me, continued discussing the game.

"Tanish?" Naira's voice drew me out of my thoughts.

I turned around. "Who won yesterday's final match?" she asked.

"Chennai jeet gayi yaar…" I replied, my emotions clearly showing.

"So is it not a good thing?" She looked from the board to the bench, puzzled.

"No, not at all. Chennai is our rival team, and they won the finals. It's definitely not a good thing. Why? Are you a Chennai fan?"

"Nahi…meko Mumbai pasand hai," she said in her typical Maharashtrian tone.

"Oh, wow! I'm a Mumbai fan too. Is she also a Mumbai fan?" I asked, turning to Sanjana J. She slowly shook her head without looking at me, making it hard to gauge her interest in cricket due to the black mask covering her face.

"So it's bad that our rivals Chennai won. It would have been better if Gujarat had won," I continued chatting with Aarna.

"No, but it's good that Chennai won. Gujarat defeated us, so they didn't deserve to win the final," she argued.

"But Chennai is a bigger rival of ours, and now they've won five trophies, equaling Mumbai's legacy," I countered.

I sat in discomfort with Achintya and Ramesh. Naira and Sanjana J, seated behind me, noticed how we were adjusting. "Three people cannot be seated here," Naira said.

After a few more minutes, almost falling from the bench, I turned to Naira and asked, "Yaha pe jagah hai kya?"

"Yes," she replied.

"Can I sit with the two of you?" I asked respectfully.

I knew Naira would be kind enough to allow me to sit, but I was concerned about Sanjana J's response. "Yeah," Naira said, shifting to make space. Sanjana J also moved further towards the wall without any signs of denial. We were seated much more comfortably than before.

Sitting with both of them, I noticed that Naira and Sanjana didn't take notes in Satyam sir's class. They would pretend to write while he walked between the rows, then continue sleeping once he passed by.

"It's Sameer sir's lecture after Sunny sir's math," Naira whispered to me.

"But it's Kashyap sir's physics lecture today, right?" I questioned.

"Haa… but the timetable has changed. It's Sameer sir's physics now, not Kashyap sir's," Naira explained.

"Really?" I found it hard to believe.

"Yes, abhi message aya group pe," she said. Since my phone was with them under the desk, I had to trust them. I lamented that I'd have to write notes on the last pages of Kashyap sir's book and then copy them into Sameer sir's notebook.

"But he said everyone needs to bring their physics notebooks from home, or he won't let anyone into the class," Naira added.

Her words didn't reassure me. There was no way I could get home to Tulsar and back within half an hour. Plus, I couldn't risk being late, as Sameerl sir had strictly enforced the rule of arriving fifteen minutes before class.

In between Satyam sir's organic lecture and the rescheduled Sameer sir's physics lecture, Sunny sir's math class was sure to bring up the IPL final again. As he entered and picked up his blue marker, he called out, "CSK jeet gayi!!" The class erupted with cheers from the CSK fans. Tejas and Shubh added to the excitement, shouting about Mumbai's failure to make it to the finals. Ramesh retorted, saying Mumbai had never been banned for fixing matches. This sparked a heated debate between the Mumbai and Chennai supporters. I stayed quiet, still reeling from Mumbai's exit. The argument ended when Sunny sir pointed out that Chennai had won five titles in 14 years compared to Mumbai's five in 16 years, suggesting Chennai was the better team.

When the time came for Sameer sir's rescheduled lecture, I checked my phone and saw no message about the schedule change. Realizing that no one else knew about it either, I approached Naira, who was leaving the class with the crowd.

"Hey, I thought the next lecture was not Mohit sir's?" I asked.

"Aah, woh ham mazak kar rahe the," she said, laughing as she turned around.

"She was the one who told me to do this," Naira pointed at SanjanaJ, who gave a sheepish smile through her mask.

I felt a mix of frustration and amusement. Both girls had played a prank on me. I later suggested they should have tricked Ramesh instead, who would have definitely gone home to fetch his physics notebook.

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Monday, 5th June 2023

"Tanish, how did you do that one?" Rushika asked from the back.

The hyperbola section was finally done, and with that, the conic sections were also complete. We were working on previous year's questions (PYQs) during the remaining time in the lecture. Rushika and Naira were sitting behind me. I explained the entire solution for the third question from our module to Rushika.

As I was explaining and turning back, I heard Naira say, "Look, I knew he would know the answer," which made me turn around to her. It was rare to see her wearing spectacles; usually, she had her hair open and her eyes on her notebook when she spoke.

"I know you're good at math," she said, still focused on her notebook.

"But how?" I was genuinely curious.

"Because you like math, right?" she replied with a devilish smile.

"Abe, tujhe kaise pata?" I repeated my question, confident that no one from the elite batch would know about my interest in math.

"I stalk everyone's Instagram account," she said, her smile turning into laughter.

I wished I had known earlier what stalking someone's Instagram account meant. I ended up just nodding and turned back to the front.

"Arre, I saw it on your profile when I checked your account for the first time," she clarified, perhaps thinking that I believed she actually stalked people's accounts.

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Sunday, 11th June 2023

The test that would determine the top scorers for the apex batch, which would be prepared for JEE Advanced lectures, had finally arrived. Feeling confident that no one would be well-prepared, I decided to relax. I didn't 'practice' for the test and only glanced through my notes once before entering the classroom.

The atmosphere in the classroom was reminiscent of April 23rd. Students were directing others where to sit, arranging themselves for cheating. Ramesh was seated in front of me, revising his notes. I taunted him, saying that I hadn't prepared well. Naira was sitting ahead of him, her hair styled in a high, wavy ponytail. Her eyes glittered as she blinked and looked around, and her smile suggested she was enjoying the situation.

Feeling the urge to talk to her, I called out,

"Aye… Maamu… tu udhar aage jaake beth."

I didn't point at her, but she still turned around, looked at me, and burst into laughter, raising her eyebrows in surprise. Signaling with her hands, she exclaimed, "Maamu?"

"Just go and sit there," I instructed her.

When she didn't seem inclined to move as I'd asked, I tried again,

"Aye Maamu… tu udhar beth."

"Maamu kyun bol raha hai?" she asked, laughing for the second time, but still not moving from her seat.

The test didn't go well. Whether it was my performance or the final of The World Test Championship, which Australia won comfortably, breaking a billion Indian hearts once again.

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Tuesday, 27th June 2023

This was one of those rare days when I arrived very late to class. Geeta, Vansh, and Sushila had also been promoted to Batch 1, and they were now seated on the third bench, which was my usual spot. As a result, I had to sit with Paresh on the second-last bench at the back.

The unit on electricity was complete, and it was now time for magnetism. As soon as Sameer Sir arrived, he asked some students, including Geeta, Sushila, and Vansh, to teach the previous chapters to the class.

My vision had always been poor, but my family never allowed me to wear glasses. Sitting at the back of the classroom made it incredibly difficult for me to see the board or follow the lecture properly. Although I wanted to move closer to the front for a better view, all the seats nearer to the board were already taken. This left me struggling to make out what was being taught, adding to my frustration and making it challenging to stay engaged with the tough physics of Class 12.

In the rows closer to the front, there was space for two people on each bench, though some benches were already crowded with three students squeezed in. The only bench that seemed to have a clear spot, despite Sanjana and Naira already occupying it, was theirs. I briefly considered approaching Sanjana to ask if I could join them. However, interrupting Sameer Sir's focused lecture by walking across the room felt uncomfortable. It was a moment filled with hesitation, weighing the discomfort of potentially disrupting the class against the need to find a better seat.

Even though I knew Paresh liked Sanjana, I discussed my discomfort with him about asking Sanjana if I could sit with her. "Come on, Tanish, you can do this," he encouraged. His words gave me the boost I needed, and I finally got up from my bench, carrying my book, and made my way to the fifth bench. I tapped Sanjana on the shoulder and asked,

"Can I sit here for a while? Just for a bit?"

"Sit," she replied in a calm, senior-like tone.

I carefully positioned myself perpendicular to her. When Sameer Sir turned to face the class, he didn't comment on my move. Noticing all the benches were occupied, he informed us that anyone who didn't perform well in the board-level test in two days would be moved to Batch 2. This would reduce the number of students in Batch 1, making it more comfortable for everyone.

Hearing this, I felt anxious because I knew I wasn't performing well in the tests. I quickly spoke to Piyush and Karan, who were nearby, about my concerns. I adjusted my position every ten minutes to avoid disturbing Sanjana and Aarna, trying to ensure I occupied as little space as possible.

On one hand, I continued discussing the upcoming test with Piyush. On the other hand, I was trying hard to understand magnetism. My approach to asking questions was correct, but I still ended up making mistakes in my answers. Piyush whispered that there were still weaker students in our batch who would likely be moved first. Only after them would it be our turn, if necessary.

"Hila mat," Sanjana interrupted. Like Naira, she couldn't tolerate my habit of shaking my feet. I paused but then resumed. She glanced at me again and said, "Don't shake the table." "Is there enough space?" I asked as I moved a bit further away from both of them.

My focus was on discussing with Piyush whether we'd stay in this batch or be moved to Batch 2. Sanjana glanced at me again and said, "Yes, it's fine." With about thirty minutes left in the lecture, Sanjana called me. "Tuh-nish," she said, her focus still on her notes. The way she pronounced my name always gave me goosebumps.

"Hmm?" I responded.

"Will you be sitting here in the math lecture as well?"

"No," I replied. "After this lecture ends, Sushila and Geeta will leave, and then I'll move to their bench." She said something I didn't catch as she continued writing. I moved closer and asked her to repeat.

"Oki," she said again.

"Why though? Is there not enough space?" I asked, moving further away.

"No, I mean, there is enough space, but I enjoy spreading out," she answered. Her last sentence surprised me a little.

With about twenty minutes remaining in the lecture, a question about colleges was raised. The discussion shifted to government colleges, noting their lower fees compared to private institutions, which often require education loans. The advice was to avoid becoming a financial burden on one's parents. It was also announced that any student who achieved a top rank in the JEE would be rewarded with a visit to the Apple store to choose a product, a gesture from Rahul Sir to encourage excellence.

Hearing this, I felt a surge of motivation. "I'm going to do something like that too," I thought to myself. "What?" Sanjana asked, still focused on her notes but having heard my words. I explained that my goal was to become an IAS officer. I shared my plan to celebrate by throwing a party for everyone once I cracked the UPSC and secured a prestigious position. She laughed at the idea, but her attention remained on her notebook.

"How are you studying for the board exams?" I asked her out of curiosity. She mentioned that she hadn't started studying yet. She always believed that derivations were never asked in exams and had skipped the physics board test in April. I explained that derivations were actually very important. Her reaction was a mix of confusion and annoyance, as if questioning why derivations were even included in exams.

The lecture finally ended, and as Sameer Sir was about to leave his chair, I shared my dream with him, the same one I had told Sanjana about. Hearing this, he was very pleased and said, "Wow, don't forget us when you get there!" Everyone around us laughed along with him.

I also got up from my seat and turned to Sanjana, who was already rising from her seat. "Thank you very much for letting me sit here," I said. She nodded and blinked her eyes in acknowledgment.

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Thursday, 29th June 2023

I got off the bus and paused just to adjust my earphones. When I looked up, I saw a vehicle—whether it was white, black, or another color, I couldn't quite remember. What mattered more was that she was on it: the spectacled girl.

That parrot green color I had been searching for since December 2022 or January 2023 was finally in sight.

Some things hadn't changed with time, and her golden spectacles were one of them.

Seeing her ride past me on the road, calling out her name felt too foolish. Yet, the thought of chasing after her on her scooter or bike lingered in my mind. As soon as she turned off at the Azad Chowk circle and headed towards our academy , I ran to the academy and shared the entire story with Sushant.

I had spoken to Geeta, who was the topper in the previous physics board-level test. She mentioned that she hadn't worked on derivations. On the other hand, I had prepared 7 out of 12 derivations. Thankfully, the HSC board exam only covered the second half of electrostatics, which included Gauss's law, potential, dielectrics, and capacitors. This part seemed relatively easier to me, and the derivations weren't too tough either.

Leave alone JEE, students didn't always come prepared for board-level tests. State board students were busy cramming the multiple-choice questions from the chapters. I sat with Ved, who often claimed he hadn't studied anything, yet consistently managed to score well or at least respectable marks in every test.

My test went reasonably well. I had to guess on two multiple-choice questions, and I was asked to write out a derivation, which I managed to do correctly. However, there were a few numericals that I couldn't solve properly, and some problems were beyond my understanding.

After the test, I came out, and witnessed Sameer sir asking Sushila how it went. Lea, who was rarely seen at the academy, was sitting on the sofa. I considered asking her how her test went, but she replied with a hint of disappointment that she had written something, though she couldn't remember much.

Next to her was Sanjana J. When asked about her test, she said it went well. However, when she inquired about my test, she widened her eyes and pointed at her shoes, giving me a warning. She made it clear that if I said my test had gone very well, she would take off her shoe and hit me.

"Tu bol ki tera test acha gaya. Mai joota nikaalungi."

I remember those words of hers very well.

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Friday, 7th July 2023

On Friday, I often liked to eat out. That day, after class, I went to the samosa shop opposite Neelkanth, away from my usual bus stop. I was eagerly anticipating the next day, which was the first day of my second game. This time, Amit was the captain against me, and Sammy was in my team.

My team looked exceptionally strong on paper—Ananya, Sachin, Sammy (the vice-captain), Karan, Vansh, Sushila, Geeta, Sanjana J, Arjun, and Neil, among others. To be honest, I saw my team as an army of the kauravas. Each member was exceptional in their own right, and I had even more confidence this time than before that our team was going to win. But there was also a fear: like the army of the Kauravas, what if our team ended up losing the game?

Whenever I would return from that shop towards my bus stop, I would pass by the Azad Chowk bus stop where Sanjana J would catch the bus to Belsar. That day, as I passed by, I saw her sitting at the edge of the bench of the bus stop.

She was also one of the key players. Her mind was sharp, and while her attendance was an issue, it never really bothered me because, in April, when she was in my team for the first game, she was always present in Shashank Sir's lectures. However, after the summer vacations, she started missing classes frequently, and I was concerned she might be absent on game days.

"Hey, are you coming tomorrow?" I saw it as an opportunity to find out in advance if she would be attending the lecture the next day. She nodded slowly.

"Please make sure to do the homework and prepare for the oral test," I told her.

Upon hearing my request, her expression changed. Her eyebrows raised, and she might have even smiled behind her mask. Her eyes seemed to convey that I had made a mistake by asking her to come prepared.

After a moment, she adjusted her expression back to normal and nodded her head again. Then, I left from there.

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Saturday, 8th July 2023

The previous evening, I had sent a message to every player on my team, instructing them to complete their homework and review the oral exam material. I didn't want any issues on the first day of the game and wanted the team to have a good start. Despite reminding Sanjana at the bus stop, I forwarded the same message to her as well.

About two hours before the lecture, I received a message from Sanjana with a crying emoji. I had an idea of what might be wrong, but I still asked her what happened. She replied, "I won't be able to complete the homework, but I'll come prepared for the oral exam."

I didn't taunt her about not doing the homework. Instead, I jokingly pointed out that she had only found the time to read my message after 19 hours. In her defense, she mentioned that she had always contributed more to the game than others, which I knew well and agreed with.

"mai hw karne bethi thi, but my night was terrible due to personal reasons, toh mai so gayi," she wrote.

I was a bit surprised by this message, not because I doubted that her night could be difficult due to personal issues. I understood that someone like Sanjana, with a large social circle and many relationships, might experience a lot of stress—perhaps a fight with a friend or a boyfriend.

What surprised me was why she was sharing details about her night with me, considering we weren't that close at the time. I told her it wasn't any of my business, and I felt proud of that stance. I didn't want to be the guy intruding into her personal life and forcing her to explain what happened the previous night, especially since she had mentioned it was due to personal reasons.

Perhaps I was too focused on the game and wanted my team to sit in the right row. I had won both my games in that row in B2. I had texted Naira, asking her to save the right side row if she arrived early since I would be late. But when she didn't respond, I had to ask Sanjana to check with Naira. When I thanked her for helping, she replied with a hint of cleverness,

"Thanks mat bol ham ek hi team me hai."

Before Naira arrived, Amit's team had already claimed the right row. So, I had to settle for the left one. During the game, our team truly resembled the army of the Kauravas; all the answers to the questions kept coming from their side. Fortunately, they got the last question wrong, which cost them two points. By the end of the day, they had a lead of 4 points.

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Friday, 21st July 2023

"Tujhe kya hua?" Sanjana asked me.

I told her how every July, without fail, I would catch a cold. It had become a sort of annual ritual for me, this persistent cold that seemed to arrive right on cue. 

My Lenovo laptop was about 10 years old, and it had seen better days. Despite the advances of Windows 10 and 11, I was still stuck with Windows 7. This time, I had accidentally deleted its network drivers. I tried every solution I could think of, including a Windows restore, but nothing worked. So, I decided to take it to a shop for repairs without telling my parents. I planned to pick it up after class.

I asked Sanjana and Naira about their homework. Naira had completed hers, but Sanjana hadn't solved the DPPs, which I scolded her about. She kept saying that she would finish the remaining homework during the break between math and chemistry.

"Ittu si toh DPPs hoti hai. Jaldi ho jayengi.", she said, gesturing with her fingers. 

As we moved on to the math lecture, Sunny Sir asked about the math worksheets. Very few people had solved them. Integration had everyone stumped, and I often had to seek help from Sanjana on it. That day, we used a method of assuming a function to perform the integration, which turned out to be quite effective.

"Tanish," I heard Sanjana's voice from behind.

"Did it hit you?" she asked, leaning forward.

"Laga kya tereko?" she repeated, using her typical "tereko" when I didn't catch her the first time.

Sanjana often sat with her legs crossed, and her shoe had hit me at the back. I was actually waiting for her to apologize, and she did not let me down.

"Yeah, I did feel something behind me," I replied.

When someone accidentally touched or bumped into another person with their foot, it was common to make a gesture of apology by lightly touching their feet. Sanjana did the same when her foot accidentally hit me. When she lightly touched my feet as a gesture of apology, I decided to make a light-hearted joke. I raised my hand as if to bless her and said, "Are bas bas khush raho," which means "Just stay happy." Naira and Sanjana both burst out laughing at my playful gesture.

The class soon moved on to the break. The rain was pouring down heavily, and I went to get my laptop back from the shop, getting drenched under my tiny umbrella. Sometimes my bag would get wet, other times it was me. On the way back, I was very cautious, as the footpaths were quite slippery. Before reaching the staircase, I saw Sanjana, who was on a phone call. She gave me a friendly wink as I passed by, and I continued my ascent.

And that was when the events of that day made their way into this chapter….

I don't remember everything clearly, but Prashant came to me in class, very excited, and showed me a video. In the video, Sanjana wasn't just doing her homework; she was copying the solutions to the DPP. Seeing the video infuriated me. My temper flared as I realized Sanjana was copying the answers. Without wasting a moment, I dashed over to her bench. I leaned in, looking closely at her work, and saw for myself that she had indeed been copying the answers.

"Are pagal saali kutti kameeni madarchod hai kya tu??...WHY THE HELL ARE YOU COPYING THE HOMEWORK!!??..." I usually avoided using such harsh language towards girls, but in that moment, I was completely overwhelmed and lost control of my emotions. "'I am not copying the answers...'" she lied to me, which only made me more furious. I shouted at her, saying that Prashant had recorded a video showing her clearly copying the solutions directly from the DPP.

Even after I confronted her, she insisted it wasn't a big deal. Sanjana explained that she wasn't actually copying the answers. Instead, she claimed she was just checking her own solutions against the DPP solutions to ensure they were correct. She tried to downplay the situation by suggesting that reviewing her work this way wasn't problematic. She also said she would explain the same thing to the teacher, trying to justify her actions by claiming that she was merely checking her solutions against the DPP answers.

Her words didn't sit right with me. I could never condone dishonesty, and the fact that she was trying to justify copying answers by saying she was only checking her solutions against the DPP answers felt deeply unsettling. I felt a strong urge to uphold the truth and stand against any form of dishonesty, even if it meant confronting her.

 Just as I was dealing with Sanjana, another video of another boy surfaced. He was also hurling abuses at me when I told him that I wouldn't support him in lying. Then I found out that Paresh, who was sitting on the back bench, was also copying homework. So, Sammy and I stood around him, trying to keep him out of the opponent team's sight. I was really confused by then, wondering if my team was actually going to end up losing like the Kauravas. But thankfully, we were successful in preventing Paresh from being caught.

When Shashank Sir arrived, Prashant quickly showed him the videos he had recorded. These videos revealed that Sanjana, along with Arjun and Ramesh, had been copying their homework. The one abusing me was also caught in another video, engaged in the same activity. Despite being caught, Sanjana continued to justify herself, insisting that she wasn't copying but merely checking her answers against the solutions.

Yash, on the other hand, made additional mistakes while answering questions later on, which further contributed to our downfall. As a result, our team faced heavy penalties, losing several points, and we were pushed to the brink of losing Round 2 of the game.

I always remained embarrassed for abusing Sanjana so badly in the break.

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Friday, 4th August 2023

"You don't have any passwords on your phone?" Naira asked with a surprised smile as I handed her my phone to text Sanjana and ask if she was coming for the lecture. My hands were dirty from eating, and Naira had called Sanjana several times, but she didn't answer.

"You haven't saved any numbers either," Naira noted.

Not saving people's numbers might have been one of my bad habits. With Naira, Sanjana, and Shubh, our conversations were always about Physical Chemistry, so I never felt the need to save their numbers. I only saved the numbers of those who had saved mine. Without saving their numbers, I had texted them so many times that I remembered their numbers by heart. So, I would just search for parts of their numbers to remind them about homework.

"So, you've saved my number?" I asked Naira.

"Yes, of course. I saved it the same day you texted me for the first time," she replied.

"And what about Sanjana?" I asked. I didn't want to save anyone's number who does not save my number in return.

"She would have saved your number," Aarna said.

"Fine... but Sanjana often sees texts very late," I casually remarked.

Naira explained that Sanjana tends to ignore texts like 'yes,' 'okay,' and similar simple replies.

That was when I saved Naira's number under her name and Sanjana's number as 'Sanjana 3' since I already had two other Sanjanas' in my contacts, saved as Sanjana and Sanjana 2.

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Wednesday, 9th August 2023 

Now that I had saved Naira's number, I thought it would be easy to capture her attention towards something I loved to write. I swiftly crafted a random paragraph in my mind and shared it on my whatsapp status. 

As I had anticipated, I received a reply from her almost immediately:

"Oh bhai."

I then told her about the number of books I had written. Her response was simply a thumbs-up emoji.

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On the onset of Sawan's Mondays, our family had long been planning a trip to Bhimashankar. However, I was always so committed to my classes that I wouldn't miss even one. As a result, every time we tried to finalize the plan, it would end up getting canceled because of me.

Finally, against my wishes, my family made a plan to visit Bhimashankar. They decided that on August 25th, right after my classes ended, they would pick me up from coaching and head straight to Pune. The plan was to visit Bhimashankar on Saturday and return on Sunday.

So, my Saturday classes and the board level test on Sunday were set to be missed. The main issue was that Saturdays usually had Shashank Sir's class, where our game was at an exciting stage. We had already lost Round 2 of the game in the previous session, and now the game was at a critical juncture, tied at a crucial point. 

Throughout the week, I kept hoping that Shashank Sir's class wouldn't fall on Saturday. Unfortunately, he had a lecture scheduled from 2:30 to 4:00 PM. I tried my best to convince my parents that I shouldn't miss the class, but since the lecture was only 90 minutes long, Papa firmly insisted that I would have to miss it.

Friday, 25th August 2023

I arrived a bit late to class that day. The first test was a weekly exam on Organic Chemistry, specifically on the topic of GOC (General Organic Chemistry), which I understood reasonably well. I was hopeful that I would perform better on this test.

Entering the class, I could see that quite a few students had already arrived. Sanjana J had come to class after several days, and my usual spot on the third bench was taken. I ended up sitting behind Naira, Sanjana, and Rushika for a few minutes.

Sanjana J hadn't attended any organic chemistry classes for a long time, but the way she was studying and demonstrating a practical example of cis-trans arrangement showed that she was well-prepared. She suggested I speak with the CS teacher. However, I explained that although the teacher had taken my number, I never received any messages from her. It felt like I had been scammed.

When the test started, I was a bit anxious but hopeful. It had all types of questions, and the ones at the beginning of the test were straightforward, but soon enough, the later questions turned into bouncers for me. Despite my initial confidence, I struggled with the more challenging problems. As a result, I felt my performance on the test wasn't as good as I had hoped.

After the test, I handed my 11th-grade textbooks to Sanjana D, who needed them for her brother. Once that was done, I headed to Sajit Sir's class. Since Naira and Sanjana J were seated on the front bench, I took a spot behind them with Rushika. 

Sajit Sir was known for his good humor. About 20 minutes into the lecture, some students were still outside. To keep them from entering, Sir had placed a bench at the entrance as a makeshift barrier. It was only removed when Vishaka Mam intervened and spoke to Sir.

During the class, I used to play with my bottle, pretending it was a gear for an imaginary truck, and borrowed Naira's pouch to use as a steering wheel. Sanjana J's pouch would have been better for the steering wheel since it was larger and had a slightly bigger chain. However, till the time Sanjana J wore her mask, I always remained intimidated. I rarely interacted with her, let alone ask for her pouch to play.

Among the chapters, AOD was one of my favorites, featuring a sequence of new concepts that kept appearing one after another. At that moment, my bottle, which I was spinning around on the table as if it were a gear, perfectly complemented the excitement of the class. While I was engrossed in playing with my bottle, pretending it was truck gear, it accidentally ended up on Sanjana's hair, which was resting on my table. Naira noticed this and gave me a strange, almost amused look. Sanjana, engrossed in her own world, hadn't realized that her hair was caught under my bottle. I tried to move the bottle back carefully, but Naira subtly signaled that this might pull Sanjana's hair, potentially making her angry. I paused for a few seconds, waiting for Sanjana to shift forward slightly before gently moving the bottle away from her hair.

"Eraser."

I quickly grabbed an eraser from my bag and handed it to either Naira or Sanjana. Every time either of them asked for an eraser, I noticed that Naira had a charming pouch but no eraser, while Sanjana's pouch was large but also lacked an eraser.

For me, this was actually a good thing. Whenever Naira needed an eraser, she would ask me for one, and I was always happy to oblige. On the other hand, Sanjana not having an eraser meant that Naira had to come to me for it, which worked out well for me.

I got my eraser back from Sanjana, along with a comment from her that I couldn't quite catch the first time, and not even on the second try. "Maine teri eraser saaf karne ki bhot koshish ki," she said. When I finally understood her on the third attempt, I smiled, and she smiled back through her mask, which always made her eyes a sight to watch.

I appreciated this quality of hers—she didn't smile at her joke until I had correctly understood it. It showed her thoughtful and considerate nature, valuing clear communication and patience in sharing her humor. 

As we delved into more complex concepts of AOD, I began to feel the weight of the material, especially when it came to finding the roots of a cubic equation. I had just written down the last property and, recognizing its importance, I intended to draw a box around it to highlight it. However, in my haste, I forgot to leave enough space for the box. Now, I was worried that drawing a box too close could potentially spoil what I had carefully written.

The lecture had ended, and I was still left with the task of drawing the box. I turned to the three girls sitting around me and asked which of them had the best drawing skills. Rushika and Sanjana quickly surrendered, admitting that their drawing skills were not up to par. Naira, on the other hand, was confident that she could draw the box for me and agreed to help.

Just then, Sir entered the classroom and called all the CBSE students to come forward. Unfortunately, this meant that Naira, who had agreed to help me, had to leave. Rushika, being a CBSE student as well, had to go too. Sanjana was still sitting there, and I honestly can't recall whether I gave her my book to draw the box or if she volunteered to do it herself.

She carefully drew a box around the property I had written, and I kept an eye on her to ensure that the lines were straight and even. Once she had completed the task neatly, she returned my pen and then handed my book back to me, for which I thanked her.

____________________________________________________________________________

Friday, 1st September 2023

I had been informed two days earlier that it was Sanjana's birthday that day— or rather, I had heard it from Naira. Although I woke up at 4 a.m., I had no intention of wishing her at that early hour; I planned to do it later.

Around forty minutes past nine, as I sat at the bus stop, I felt it was time to send her my wishes. I first greeted her respectfully with a "Namaste" and then wished her a happy birthday.

Namaste🙏🏼

Wish you a very happy birthday 🎂🎁💥🎇🎉🎊

While I was sitting on the bus, watching highlights of the 2018 Asia Cup final between India and Bangladesh, I arrived at class. I wasn't even sure if Sanjana would be coming that day, as her attendance had been quite unstable. However, to my surprise, she was there in a black outfit.

Without wishing her, I sat down with Karan and enjoyed the last over of the match. There was also an organic chemistry weekly test that day, but it didn't concern me much since I had decided to leave organic chemistry for the January attempt. 

We had to sit in a one-student-per-bench arrangement. I quickly went to sit behind Naira and was about to take out my pen and water bottle from my bag and keep it at the front when Naira asked me to keep her bag as well. Happily, I took her bag, but then I also had to take Rushika's bag.

"Tanish... my bag too," Sanjana was the next one. Seeing the number of bags in my hands, Sanjana smiled and, with the same smile, handed me her bag as well. I took her bag and wished her a happy birthday. She thanked me in return.

I quickly marked whatever I could on my OMR sheet, not paying too much attention to precision. Before the test time was up, I returned my bag to its place on the third bench, right in front of Sanjana.

"Tanish... what's the time?" Sanjana asked.

"9 minutes are left," I replied.

Taking my phone out of my bag, I noticed a reply from Sanjana. 

thank you💗

The math lecture was uneventful. I had hoped that Sajit Sir might comment on Sanjana's civil dress since she was her favorite student as I had heard from others., but he didn't. After the lecture, we had a break. During this time, Sanjana and Naira tied rakhi on Aaryan in front of me and Ramesh

The trio of Sanjana, Naira, and Aaryan was something special; always full of mischief and laughter. Sanjana, with her quick wit, Naira, always talking, and Aaryan, with his never-ending sense of humor, made for a dynamic mix. He'd constantly tease the other two and play pranks by hiding Naira's bottle or taking Sanjana's pouch. It was a delight to watch them interact, as their genuine affection and friendship shone through their playful banter. 

A small voice inside me wondered, "Don't you want to have a rakhi tied by Sanjana too?"

I mused to myself, "It would have been really nice if she had tied one for me as well." I had always viewed Sanjana as a senior figure, both in terms of her appearance and her demeanor.

Talking to her always felt like interacting with an older sister. In many ways, she reminded me of Nidhi from Venkatesh school, evoking memories of that comforting bond.

As Sanjana was tying the rakhi, Ramesh joked, "You should have tied a rakhi to every boy in our class."

Sanjana replied with a smile, "Aree, my dad suggested the same thing."

I hadn't realized she had brought rakhi for Aaryan. I hesitated to voice my own wish to have her tie one for me. I didn't want it to come across as odd, a boy asking directly for a rakhi from her.

As the day came to an end, I considered wishing Sanjana a happy birthday once more. However, she was engaged in conversation with someone else and didn't notice me, so I decided not to interrupt.

____________________________________________________________________________

In Shashank Sir's game, our situation was dire. We had managed to win Round 1, but things took a turn for the worse in Round 2, where we ended up losing. By Round 3, we were trailing by 6 points, and the pressure was mounting. I was particularly tense, feeling the weight of potentially losing my second consecutive game. The fear of defeat was intense, and I could sense the anxiety among my team members.

To add to my stress, I had texted everyone about the homework two days before the lecture, whereas I usually sent such messages the evening before. This added sense of urgency and the fear of repeating a loss had me on edge. Desperate to turn things around, I urged my team to complete their homework, hoping it would help us recover in the game.

"Parso lec hai. Mai tumhare aage haath jodta hu pls yaar hw karke aa jana pls pls pls.

Score is 6-0 unka 6 hai 😭😭.

Mujhe haarna bilkul bhi manzoor nahi hai isliye plss no negative marks.

Plsss kar lena 🙏🏼🙏🏼. It will probably be the last lecture of electrochem so pls jeetna hai."

The message reflected my desperation and hope for their support, emphasizing how crucial it was for us to win and finish strong.

Sanjana hadn't attended the last class, so I was a bit skeptical when she quickly responded to my text:

"hogaya hw chill kar."

I couldn't help but wonder how she could have completed the homework if she wasn't there. Was she being truthful, or was there a chance she was just saying that to avoid further questions? My mind raced with concerns—was she planning to skip the next lecture as well?

I couldn't afford her absence because she had delivered an impressive performance in the previous lecture, actively participating by raising her hand. Her engagement was crucial, and I worried that if she skipped this class, it might impact our game.

Wednesday, 20th September 2023

"You should message yourself as well. "Maamu, homework karke aaya kar'," Naira said, teasing me as she seldom got a chance to do so. Before settling into the bus, I had already texted Naira to ask if Sanjana would be coming. Naira's response in class was laced with her usual taunts, but she assured me that if Sanjana said she had completed the homework, it was certainly true and there was no reason to doubt it.

All the team members arrived one by one, and Sanjana, surprisingly, showed up for the lecture about 10 minutes before it started. Seeing her at the 8 AM lecture was quite a shock; her swollen eyes hinted at a late night.

"Who schedules a lecture at 8 in the morning?" she complained to Naira.

Everyone in the team had completed their homework. 

As soon as Sir arrived, the game continued. Our team was under immense pressure as we had already accumulated two incorrect answers, making it critical to perform well in the remaining rounds. The situation was tense, but fortune seemed to favor us when we scored two points, alleviating some of the pressure.

When the time came for the homework round, the tension in the room was palpable. Sanjana and Naira were called up first to have their homework checked. It was a small but significant moment of validation for me, seeing my prediction come true.The focus then shifted to how well their homework was done, adding to the suspense of whether our team would manage to come out on top despite the earlier mistakes. 

When Neil was called up to present his homework, it became clear that we had lost two more points because he hadn't completed it. This was a critical blow, especially considering the pressure we were already under. At that moment, Amit, their captain, let out a jubilant cheer.

"Now the score is 6-0!" he shouted with glee. Hearing this, my heart sank, but I maintained my composure, reminding myself to stay focused. Despite the setback, I kept my cool, drawing strength from my practice of memorizing every score in the game.

The scoreboard showed a 10-0 score, indicating that their team should have had ten points, but Amit had forgotten the exact tally. He only counted his team's six points, which turned out to be a bonus for us. This oversight provided us with an unexpected advantage, lifting our spirits and giving us a renewed hope in the game.

My sixth sense gave another correct prediction when I quickly grabbed Aarav and asked him to present his homework for checking. When it turned out that he hadn't completed it, we gained two more points. 

Then came the toughest part of the round. Our team had one final chance to check the opponent's homework. I was determined to avoid any risks; I didn't want to call someone whose homework was complete and waste our chance.

I stood in the middle of my row, torn between conflicting calls. On one side, my teammates at the back were urging me to pick Dikshant. On the other side, Sanjana and Naira, sitting at the front, repeatedly insisted that I check Rushika's homework. Meanwhile, my own focus was on Achintya, whose demeanor made it difficult to tell whether he had completed his homework or not.

"Tanish, Rushika ko utha,"

"Tanish Bhai, Dikshant ko uthao,"

"Tanish, Rushika!"

The conflicting calls echoed in my mind. Ignoring the others, I decided to focus on Achintya. My choice proved to be the right one as I prioritized my own judgment, and it turned out to be a successful decision. He had not completed the homework and thus the final score was tied on 0-0, thanks to Amit that he had forgotten the actual score. I was thankful to god because I believed it was majorly luck that got us to an equal score between the two teams. 

As I returned to my seat after the lecture, Naira remarked, "Even Rushika had not completed the homework." I justified my decision, explaining that I didn't want to take any risks and had to choose Achintya. Besides, by then, we had already secured two points, so it hardly mattered.

"And by the way, I didn't understand another thing," I said as I leaned toward the two girls, gesturing for them to come closer. I whispered to them, "The score was 10-0; how did it turn into 6-0?"

"Yeah, we were wondering about that too," Naira replied. I explained that Amit had forgotten the actual scores, which turned out to be a significant advantage for us, almost like a stroke of luck that helped us secure the win.

We were wrapping up, I turned to Sanjana and reminded her about the absentee fine for missing the previous lecture. She took out her purse and, after checking, told me she only had a 500-rupee note and just 20 rupees in change. Handing me the 20-rupee coin, she said quietly, "Now I won't be able to get home." Hearing this, I quickly returned the coin to her saying,"le tu bhi kya yaad karegi."

"Why would she remember you?" Naira questioned with a playful tone, pointing at Sanjana.

"Uh, whatever it is," I replied.

"Yeah, why would she miss you?" Naira took the opportunity to taunt me once again.

"Exactly," Sanajna chimed in, supporting Naira's teasing.

"Mai kal bhi aaungi, parso bhi aaungi, uske baad bhi aaungi." so you can collect my fine anytime. 

Her words caught me off guard. I was surprised to hear her commit to coming for the next three days straight. It was unusual for her to make such a long-term promise about her attendance. I hadn't anticipated this level of certainty from her, and it made me wonder about the reasons behind her commitment.

I looked at Sanjana and said, "You mean narso bhi aayegi??"

She nodded her head in agreement.

Naira jumped in, correcting, "It's tarso' not narso.'"

I chuckled and replied, "Nah, 'Parso' comes first, and then 'Narso.'"

This led to a light-hearted banter between us, in which I said something, though I don't quite remember what. Hearing it, Sanjana remarked to Naira, "He sounded exactly like Prashant."

I caught that and quickly reacted, "I don't like being compared to Prashant in any sense."

When I checked my phone, I saw a message from my dad. He informed me about the announcement of the dates for both sessions of JEE Main 2024. I already knew about it but hadn't mentioned it to him.

As I was reading my dad's message about the JEE Main 2024 dates, I noticed that Naira had her eyes fixed on my phone screen. She was trying to catch a glimpse of what I was looking at, her curiosity evident. It felt a bit intrusive, but I shrugged it off, focusing on the details of the message.

"Aur tab maine socha ki bhai meko bhi IIT jaana hai.", Sanjana said, reflecting on her own ambitions. It had been months since I sat in front of Sanjana and Naira, overhearing their conversations and gossip. This time, Sanjana had expressed it with renewed enthusiasm.

"If you don't attend classes, how will you complete your syllabus? And if your syllabus isn't complete, how will you crack the examination?" I asked her.

Sanjana raised her eyebrows and eyes in a clever manner, "How did you know my syllabus isn't complete?"

"Because you regularly miss classes."

"So?"

"Well," I realized, turning back to the front. At that time, I didn't understand the importance of self-preparation at home. I always assumed that Sanjana might not be serious about JEE, which is why she skipped classes so often.

As I was pondering over our conversation, the next moment Sunny Sir walked in, shifting the focus of our discussion. His presence signaled the start of the next session. While everyone else stood up as he entered, I remained seated, as I rarely stood up for a teacher's arrival.

"Uth na re…uth," Sanjana said, her voice laced with amusement. It was her turn to taunt me. She chuckled and gave my shoulder a gentle push, nudging me to join the others.

Feeling unwell and on the verge of vomiting, Naira shared her discomfort. In a rather unexpected twist, Sanjana, with a hint of humor, said to Naira, "Aise diagonal me kar vomit," implying she should vomit in a way that might spill over to me. I wasn't quite sure how to react to Sanjana's suggestion, and the thought of Naira actually vomiting on me made me uneasy.

____________________________________________________________________________

Saturday,23rd September, 2023

The Thought Of A Picture Marred by Tears

Time flies so fast that it feels like we just moved from the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations of 2022 to those of 2023. Every kurta I owned had been worn at least once. I was hesitant about wearing my white kurta, wondering if it might look awkward. But I eventually decided to wear it and arrived for Saurav Sir's math lecture from 12 to 3. 

As I walked into the classroom, I spotted Nira in a beautiful blue saree. The color was vibrant and really suited her. She was wearing heels and walking very carefully, taking each step with great poise. The saree draped perfectly, and she looked incredibly elegant. I couldn't help but admire how great she looked in it, and the entire moment felt special.

As I looked at her walking towards her bench and sitting, I remembered a small fight we had during the previous Ganesh celebration. It had been a moment when we both stared at each other with wide, surprised eyes. That memory made me reflect on how things had changed between us since then.

"I would surely ask her for a picture today." I couldn't help but think that I definitely wanted to ask her for a picture that day. Her outfit and the way she carried herself made it clear that she looked absolutely stunning.

"Tanish….", She called me, clearly trying to frame in her mind what she wanted to ask. However, instead of asking directly, she opened WhatsApp on her phone saying "ek min" and started searching for my status. Before she could find it, I told her that I had deleted it.

I understood that she wanted to ask me about the status I had posted that morning, which had a paragraph from Part 1, Chapter 5 of my book, which had "The Elite Batch," and I had termed it as "one of the best paragraphs I could ever carve out." I had deleted it because I usually kept statuses only until Naira had seen them. Despite posting numerous paragraphs, none of them had ever caught Naira's attention. And I knew why this one in particular caught her attention.

"Achaa, that paragraph?" I realized that the paragraph must have caught Naira's attention. It contained a line that was likely intriguing.

"And you want to know about those 'four girls who always stayed together'?" I asked. She quickly nodded, clearly interested and happy to hear more.

"Yes, it's about the four of you—Sanjana, Lea, Rushika, and You," I explained. Naira looked at her phone and smiled genuinely, revealing her teeth. "That's exactly how it is," she said. "We always stay together."

"Wait, there's more to show," I said, opening the entire draft I had written. Then, instead of chapters, it was a collection of all the memorable incidents from 11th grade. I scrolled to the paragraph titled 'My First Encounter with Naira' and showed it to her, pointing out that she was a part of my book.

She looked at it and laughed, but I had hoped she'd show more interest. Instead, she only laughed.

When the lecture began, Sanjana arrived in class. Last year's lehenga girl was dressed in a beautiful Maharashtrian green saree, worn in the traditional Nauvari style. To complement her outfit, she had adorned a nathni, a decorative piece of jewelry worn in the nose, adding a traditional touch to her look. Seeing her in her traditional attire brought back memories of our first encounter from the previous year.

Sir taught for about 20 minutes that day, after which the real fun of the lecture began. It was also Paresh's birthday. In Sunny Sir's lecture, there was a tradition where the birthday person was sent out of the class for 5 minutes. During this time, "Happy Birthday" was written on the whiteboard, and then the birthday person was called back inside. 

On that day, in the celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi, marigold flower garlands were hung outside all the classrooms. When Parth went outside with two other boys, I jokingly suggested that they should put one of the garlands on Paresh.

When Paresh went outside, I jokingly suggested to the others, "Let's put one of the garlands on him." Sanjana, noticing the two garlands hanging outside, asked, "But what about the second one?" I quickly replied, "We'll put that one on him too." Sanjana burst into laughter and added, "No, no, let's put the other garland on Mayanti instead!"

However, when Sanjana suggested putting the second garland on Mayanti, I couldn't help but think that since Paresh had a crush on Sanjana, he might have actually preferred to place the second garland on Shreya since no one was actually sure about Paresh and Mayanti's relationship. But I didn't have the courage to tease Sanjana about it. There were ongoing rumors about Paresh and Mayanti, though they both referred to each other as just best friends. Despite the gossip, their bond remained strong, and their friendship was often the subject of lighthearted teasing among the backbenchers.

After the break, Tejas was called up. He shared a few of his own shayaris from his diary. Everyone liked them, but the last one was especially popular, earning him a lot of praise. Unfortunately, due to my bad luck, I missed hearing his last poem. Then it was Yash's turn. He began revealing some funny secrets about various classmates. His stories were amusing and surprised everyone, making the class laugh and enjoy the moment.

Afterwards, at the request of the class, I was called up. I walked to the front with confidence, ready to speak. When Sunny Sir advised, "Tanish, try not to get too emotional," it was the first time I realized that I might indeed be quite emotional. Whenever I was called upon, I would always entertain everyone by mimicking the faculties. However, seeing the same act repeatedly, it seemed Sunny Sir had grown tired of it. He asked me if I could do something different this time.

"Can you recite a shayari?" he asked. It appeared that he wasn't fully satisfied with Tejas's shayari and wanted me to try my hand at it as well. 

I had always been passionate about writing, but I was somewhat weak in composing poems or shayari, as I struggled with creating a rhyming scheme. All of my verses were from three years ago when I was working on my first book.I recited my shayari with full confidence and voice modulation in front of the class:

"Wo neend hi kya?

Jo poori raat na aaye?

Kasoor hai tumhare chehre ka

Jo baar baar saamne aaye.

Agar zamaane ke liye

Wo zara si kam khoobsurat hoti

Toh bhi hamare liye

Wo bohot khoobsurat hoti."

It was hard to gauge from the class's reactions whether they liked it or not. Tejas asked if my love story was also sad, while on the other hand, Ramesh and Achintya were whispering something about me to Sir.

After I sat back down, Karan suggested I request Sunny Sir to have Sanjana, Naira, and Mayanti to perform Lavni. However, all three of them clearly declined. Although Mayanti sang a song in front of everyone, I, along with Shubh and Sammy, also performed a song later. My special performance came when Sir asked me to walk from here to there in a wavy manner, while Sammy and Shubh sang "Aami Je Tomar" as background music. This added a unique touch to the moment and made it stand out.

After that, we moved on to the game of Dumb Charades, where we were divided into two teams. The game was a blast, with neither team willing to give up easily. Paresh, who was on my team, suggested that I call Sanjana from the other team. Mayanti teased him, saying that he wanted to see Shreya perform. Later both Naira and Sanjana went outside the classroom and the game went on till the lecture was done. 

After the celebration, those who didn't want to stay for the festivities went home. I was sitting on the sofa, preparing for the next day's chemistry board-level test.

"Tanish... are you doing something?" Naira's voice broke my concentration. She asked if I could take some pictures of her. Even though I was deeply engrossed in my studies, I set aside my book and highlighter and took her phone. Naira posed in various ways, and I clicked her photos from different angles, much like how my dad used to take pictures of my mom.

I was somewhat glad that Aaryan was absent that day. Had he been present, Naira would have likely asked him to take her pictures instead, considering their good friendship. Even Sanjana, who was around, wasn't present when I was taking Naira's photos. When Sanjana arrived, she also took some photos with Naira, in which she thought both of them looked a bit plump. I cheekily commented, "No one can hide the truth." To this, Sanjana told me to "shut up."

A little while later, I felt hungry and was heading towards Neelkanth in the heavy rain. On the way, I spotted Naira along with the others at a Seven Eleven. When I returned, they had all made it back to class. Ramesh was busy drawing on the whiteboard, while Tejas was distressed because Sir had shared the video of his shayari on our WhatsApp group, which his mother had already seen. Sanjana was suggesting excuses for him to avoid the embarrassment.

When Rushika arrived, Arjun suggested a game for everyone, and we split into two teams once again to play. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits. Naira had Sanjana and Rushika with her, while Arjun was surrounded by Sammy, Ramesh, and Sai. It felt like everyone was in their own little group, and they all seemed to have someone by their side.

I, on the other hand, was left feeling isolated. Even though everyone was kind and included me in the activities, the sense of being alone in a crowd became overwhelming. I felt like an outsider among close friends who were all connected with each other.

This growing sense of loneliness hit me hard, and I couldn't hold back my emotions. I ended up crying, and that unexpected sadness spoiled the rest of the day for me, despite everyone's efforts to make me feel included.

My negative thoughts started to take over, making me feel even more disconnected. The more I thought about how I didn't have anyone to share these moments with, the sadder I became. Soon, the emotions became too overwhelming, and I began to cry. My tears turned into loud sobs as I struggled with the feeling of loneliness, which overshadowed the enjoyment of the day.

I could see that my distress was affecting everyone's mood, and I didn't want that at all. Abhishek sir took me aside, and we encountered Sanjana, Naira, and Rusnika outside the academy. One of them stopped me to ask what was wrong, and in a lighthearted manner, sir joked that I was crying because no girl was talking to me.

When I finally calmed down and returned, Sameerl sir spoke to me as well. His straightforward question was, "Are you feeling alone?"

He had pinpointed the exact issue. I admitted that I did feel alone, despite no one ignoring me in the classroom. I tried to explain that even though everyone was kind and included me, I still felt isolated.

Sameer sir, sensing the depth of my feelings, offered some comforting words. He motivated me by emphasizing that despite the feelings of isolation I was experiencing, it was important to find joy and contentment in life. He encouraged me to focus on the positives and reminded me that everyone goes through tough times, but it's essential to stay resilient and happy.

I picked up my bag and was about to head home when I ran into Naira again. She stopped me and asked what had happened. I couldn't quite recall if I gave her a proper answer.

"Are you leaving now?" Sanjana, who was standing behind Naira, inquired.

"Why, what happened?" Even in my state, I couldn't break my habit of questioning back before answering.

"We're going out for dinner," Sanjana said.

"No, you all go ahead…" I replied.

"What happened to you, Tanish?" Rushika asked next, her voice reflecting genuine concern.

"But what has happened to you, Tanish?" Aarna asked again.

"Come on," Sanjana said, trying to encourage me to join them.

"Are nahi.", I declined Sanjana's dinner invite, feeling that even their company wouldn't change the emptiness I felt inside.

I told Naira I was fine.

"Tu theek hai?" Sanjana asked again, her concern evident.

"Are you okay?" Sanjana asked the second time.

"Tu pakka theek hai na??" she asked once more. I kept replying to Sanjana positively, but my focus was entirely on Naira.

I wanted to tell Naira, "Oh, you look so stunning today. I badly wanted to get a picture with you, but my tears ruined everything. My entire evening was spoiled." But I kept it to myself and bid goodbye to the three of them before leaving.

When I returned to grab my umbrella, I heard the faint sound of music coming from inside.

In a sea of smiles, I wept alone,

While joy surrounded me, I mourned my own.

Naira's charm shone brightly, a sight so sweet,

I wept for missing the photo, a memory incomplete.