Chapter - 1

I was in my school time when this story started. I had a very selective friend circle. Oh! Sorry, it could only be said a friend squarely. My friend square had Vaishak, Rahul, and Dharam. Vaishak and Rahul had a dream of doing a big start-up, while Dharam wanted to be a NEWS reporter.

One day we were talking when I asked Dharam.

“Dharam, how come you do all the homework and assignments on time?”

“Brother, you don’t know but in my previous school, my mother was my class teacher for one year and subject teacher for two years,” he replied.

“What?” we all said together.

“Yes.”

“So you had your PTM daily”, I said.

“Sort of”, he replied.

“I can’t even imagine having the PTM daily,” Vaishak said.

“Yes, we can’t handle once in four months.” Rahul prompted.

“If we don’t do our homework or assignment we get another chance but, you…” I said.

“Can’t even think of.”

“I have my sympathy with your brother.”

* * * * *

It was the admission season in our school. Every person entering was like a man of God for us who gave us 5 minutes break from studies, and I keenly waited for the door to be knocked, I wasn’t a bright student that’s why. Our school had its normal morning assembly only on Mondays and we, like the responsible students of our school never attended it.

But that day when my heart found some special was not Monday, it was a Tuesday. We had our regular Mathematics class but for 80 minutes (2 periods for 40 minutes each), with none other than our own Swarnlata ma’am. She was a good teacher, no doubts at all, but we were not good students. I mean we never paid attention in her class. But after that day I started paying attention to her.

The first 20 minutes passed and then there was a knock at the door. I and Rahul were sitting on the second bench of the first row. As soon as the door was knocked, we looked at each other and said,” At last we got 5 minutes break.”

There was a new student in our class. Swarnlata ma’am took 5 minutes and in between this time she asked us to keep quiet thrice. This was a reward to our dedication towards using our free time, and we were very dedicated to not wasting even a single second our free time. Swarnlata ma’am entered the class and asked the new girl for the introduction to the class.

“Ma’am my name is Laxmi and I was previously studying in Modern Public School at Kolkata”, she said. These words declared the end of our break and for me as if they were saying, “STUDY”.

Again the busy schedule of ours started but I think that day god was with me, he might have understood our problem. He also might have faced a strict teacher. The door was knocked again after 20 minutes, giving us a sign of relief. There was another new student in our class. Our teacher again went to attend the parents of the new admission and a few moments later she entered, a short heightened girl with a short pony, a bag full of books, pink water bottle in the bag. She turned towards our row, passed me, and sat on the last bench.

After a few minutes, I turned back and saw her. She was noting what was written on the blackboard. She had put her notebook on her legs, which were overlapped on each other. Her eyes were peeping out of the black frame of her specks. I turned back again. This was the first time I had ever turned for someone unknown. After 40-45 seconds our teacher entered the class again.

“Too many new admissions. Is the school planning to fill the whole class?” she said. Our teacher tried her best to crack the best joke of her life, but jokes and Mathematics can’t go hand in hand.

“Yes dear, introduce yourself to the class”, ma’am said pointing the new girl sitting behind me.

“Good morning ma’am, my name is Itachi Surta. I come from New Era Public School,” she replied.

And with this, we got back to the studies. After 5 minutes, ma’am asked us a question and none of the old students knew the answer (including me) and we all were pretending as we were working hard to find the answer.

“Only one hand up. Only one person out of fifty. Okay, Itachi, tell me”, ma’am said. Itachi gave the correct answer, and her answer forced me to turn back towards her again. My words kept quite but eyes spoke,” you have just come to the class, take a breath, have some water. Do you want some tea or coffee, but at least don’t insult us. We too have a reputation in the class.”

“Learn something from her. You can’t even understand such a method. Look here, divide this…” ma’am explained the answer again. But I was still watching Itachi.

I turned around to note the solution and found that it was not just me shocked by the new person’s answer, but the whole class was in shock. Everyone was looking at Itachi and maybe was thinking the same as I was thinking.

After that day the whole class entered a race in which Dharam and Itachi were in the same position but the first position, and I was somewhere lost in the crowd.

I and Itachi rarely talked but we often smiled whenever we had eye contact. I still remember that day when we both banged our heads into each other.

That day I was talking to my friend of the other section in the corridor. She was handed over a job to carry a set of assignment notebooks to the staff room. That day I had done my assignment and submitted it. After the talk, I turned back, and my hand hit the bundle of assignment notebooks, that she was carrying.

“Oh! I am sorry. I’ll just pick them up for you”, I said,

We both bent at the same time and banged our heads.

“Ouch!” she said in pain.

“Oh! I am sorry”

“No-No it’s okay”

“No I am sorry, wait I let me pick them up”, I said and started picking up the notebook.

“Nice cover,” I said picking up her notebook.

“Thank you,” she replied with a smile.

I handed her the half of the notebooks and said,” If you permit, Can I help you in this.”

“Okay, as you wish, “she replied.

We walked through the corridor talking.

“So this is your first time?” she said.

“For what.”

“Talking to a girl.”

“How do you know?”

She looked at me, smiled, and said,” It’s magic.”

“Yes first time, talking to a girl and also submitting the assignment for the first time because of her,” I replied.

“Stop flirting,” she said

“I am just saying the truth,” I said opening the door of the staff room for her.

I stopped.

“What you won’t come in,” she said seeing me standing at the door.

“Ma’am might get a heart attack, seeing me as a sincere student,” I replied giving her the notebooks.

“Too caring,” she replied and went in.

* * * * *

“Thank you so much,” Itachi said after we submitted the notebooks in the staffroom.

“You are always welcome,” I replied

“By the way, Itachi Surta,” she extended her hand.

“Abhimanyu Verma,” I said giving a soft hand-shake.

“Nice name.”

“Thank you.”

And then a friend of her interrupted our talk and took her.