It was almost time for lunch to end.
Ms Anki had announced that she would be assigning work in our classroom this afternoon. "I wonder what it will be," Rina said to the others.
"It might be one of her own wishes. Knowing her, it's probably something she wants." Vansh replied confidently.
The three of them speculated about what it could be. Srujan even hoped she might bring some treats for everyone or give an early holiday today. Vansh checked the time and stood up.
He finished his lunch and walked over to the fenced area. Srujan and Rina watched him. "I wonder what he's up to?" Rina mused.
"Yeah, does he really enjoy things right now?" Rina asked Srujan politely.
"If he doesn't, I have to make sure he does. He deserves to have a good time, doesn't he?"
"It's not just me; it's us. Remember, I've been with him this whole time."
"True, but I never focused on him before. Now that there's a chance, I can't let it go." Srujan closed the lid of his lunchbox. "I've made mistakes in the past, but not anymore."
Vansh rested his arms against the fence quietly.
From the rooftop, he could see students gathered around the ground-floor courtyard below. Some were laughing loudly in groups while others walked together beneath the sunlight, carrying unfinished lunchboxes and drinks in their hands.
The noise reached even up there. He glanced back at Srujan and Rina, who were arguing over something once again.
"Shall we go? Otherwise, the teacher will be making rounds again," Rina called to Vansh. He turned back and joined them. As they walked down from the second floor, they made sure no teachers were watching.
As soon as the three of them entered the classroom together, all eyes were on them. Some students began to buzz with excitement. "Did those three have lunch together?" or "Wait, are those three friends now?"
Srujan's friends gathered around him as he walked to his seat. One guy stepped forward and asked, "Were you with Vansh this whole time?" Another inquired, "You had lunch with him?" Everyone was curious about this trio's entry. Srujan noticed that Vansh had already settled into his desk and was asleep.
Srujan's friends were eyeing Vansh. "Wasn't he strange from the start?" one of them remarked. Srujan sighed and asked, "Tell me, guys, why are we all friends?" One of his friends answered, "Because it's fun to be with others, to enjoy the moment, and to create memories." Various responses followed.
"The same goes for Vansh. He is my friend, whether you like that idea or not," Srujan stated while staring at Vansh, who remained asleep. "I am his knight," he thought to himself, aware that this idea would likely be rejected by others. If Vansh were more social, he would be sitting here smiling with everyone else.
"If you're happy being his friend, why are these guys objecting?" one boy said. He was sitting next to Srujan and was not part of the main group. His name was Karan, and he was the class prefect.
The other boys paused to consider his words. Karan leaned back slightly in his chair before continuing. "You all said friendship is about enjoying time together, right? Then why are you acting like he's betraying you for spending time with someone else?"
The boys fell silent, reflecting on Karan's words. He continued, "A friendship isn't supposed to feel like a cage. If someone having another friend threatens your bond that much, maybe your connection wasn't strong to begin with."
That statement silenced nearly every objection.
One boy scratched his cheek awkwardly. "We're not saying that… It's just weird seeing you with him all the time now."
Srujan looked over at Vansh, who was still resting his head on the desk, arms folded beneath it, completely asleep.
Srujan managed a faint smile before looking back at the others. "I'm not leaving you guys," he said honestly. "I'm just not leaving him alone either."
The atmosphere softened a little after hearing that. One of the boys sighed dramatically before laughing.
"Man… you're seriously acting like his bodyguard now."
Srujan immediately grinned. "Too late; I accepted the role already." Laughter spread through the group.
Another boy shrugged helplessly. "Fine then. Just don't stop joining football after class."
"Yeah," another added while glancing at Vansh, "and don't become gloomy like him, too."
Srujan placed a hand on his chest dramatically. "Too late for that, too."
This time, loud laughter erupted among them, and the tension that had built earlier slowly dissolved into their usual lively atmosphere.
Meanwhile, near the windowsill, Vansh remained still. However, beneath his folded arms, his fingers tightened slightly; he had heard every single word.
Rina sat down just as one of her friends pulled a chair closer to her. "So?" her friend asked curiously. "How was he? Was he good?"
Rina immediately understood who she meant and smiled slightly as she nodded.
Her friend blinked in surprise. "Wait, seriously?"
Rina shrugged casually before teasing back, "Aren't you going to interrogate me like those guys were interrogating that idiot?"
"Idiot…?" her friend repeated, slightly confused. Rina was trying to figure out who her friend was talking about before realising she meant Srujan. Instead of reacting strongly, the girl simply smiled softly.
"No," she said honestly. "It's your choice who you want to spend time with."
Rina paused for a moment after hearing this, then narrowed her eyes playfully.
"That's because you already have your boyfriend to spend time with."
Her friend immediately sat up dramatically.
"And do you know what happened while coming with him today—"
Rina let out a tired sigh.
"Not this again…"
But the girl completely ignored her and continued anyway.
"So first, this idiot wanted to act cool and jump the last three stairs at once—"
"I did not jump."
"You literally slipped."
"That was intentional."
"You screamed."
"I DID NOT SCREAM."
Rina rested her cheek against her palm as she listened to the two bicker once again. Although she appeared tired of it, a small laugh escaped her lips quietly.
The classroom slowly filled with noise once more. Some students were talking about lunch, some about teachers, and some about couples. Meanwhile, near the window, Vansh remained asleep at his desk while the world around him continued to move normally.
The door opened with a loud "THUD!"
Everyone startled and turned slowly towards the door. Ms Anki entered with a distressing expression, frowning as if overwhelmed by something. The attendance file struck the podium sharply, making a few students flinch in their seats.
As she passed by, Vansh moved his hands slowly and looked up. He felt intimidated by her expression, so she began moving around the classroom to prepare for the class. She came near his seat. "Ma'am, is everything alright?" he asked.
Ms Anki spotted Vansh and began to smile, puzzling the entire class. What was going on with her? She ordered everyone to take out their books, and as the class progressed, her voice remained harsh.
"I wonder what happened to her," Vansh thought to himself. Time passed, and most of the students soon seemed indifferent to her demeanour. When the bell rang, Ms Anki snapped a piece of chalk in half and dropped it onto the board.
She exited the room, asking the prefect to submit the attendance. Karan began working on it while Vansh stood up. He walked over to Karan, tapping him on the shoulder. "Mark my attendance."
Karan glanced up but left through the door. Srujan and Rina exchanged confused looks, and Srujan simply shrugged.
Meanwhile, Ms Anki arrived at her cabin and almost collapsed into her seat. "Damn these files. They're driving me crazy." A pile of work loomed on her desk. Her cabin was spacious, and she was alone.
"Aagh! This headache!" she groaned, holding her forehead. Ms Anki stood up to get some coffee, but her headache intensified, forcing her to sit back down.
Suddenly, there was a knock on her door. "Now, who could that be?" she frowned. After granting permission to enter, the door opened slowly, revealing a familiar face.
"Hey, Ma'am, are you okay?" Vansh peeked in. Ms Anki was taken aback by his presence.
"It's fine. Just got an unexpected pile of work," she said, still pressing her forehead.
"If I had to guess, is it a headache?" he inquired.
"Yeah, kind of," she replied, surprised by his accurate guess.
I mean, who wouldn't figure it out? Her frowning face and the way she held her forehead were pretty obvious signs.
Vansh stepped closer to her. "If you're trying to mess with me, not today, Vansh," she said, attempting to shoo him away.
Vansh rummaged through his pocket, pulled out a sachet, and handed it to her. "What are these, drugs?" she asked, sceptical.
"No, these aren't drugs!" he replied.
"Now you're smuggling drugs? Vansh, are you insane?"
"Hey, just check it out. These will help with your headache."
"My headache? Don't joke around. It can't be easily cured with this."
Vansh glanced around the cabin, picked up a cup from her desk, and checked the temperature of her coffee flask. Satisfied, he tore open the sachet and poured its contents slowly into the cup. The air filled with the rich smell of coffee. Once he felt it was right, he offered the cup to her.
Ms Anki, still stressed with her papers, hesitated but eventually accepted the cup from him. He wore a poker face, not smiling. After taking a sip, she felt the fog lifting from her mind, and the tension started to dissipate.
"If you're offering something, at least wear a smile," she remarked.
"Be grateful I helped with your headache," he replied.
"You—"
"Okay, I have to go now. My next class is starting soon."
He left the cabin, and she watched him walk away. "That boy really doesn't know how to act honestly, does he…?" she mused.
The hallway felt quieter after leaving the staff cabin.
Vansh slipped his hands back into his pockets before returning to class as if nothing had happened.
Everyone stood up, ready to go home.
"Going home already, students?" Ms Anki asked with a smile that felt somewhat sinister. "Everyone, please settle down; this will take just a few minutes."
Curiosity rippled through the room as the students wondered what she was up to. Vansh recalled Rina's words from lunchtime. "I think her headache is finally gone."
"Okay, you all need to change your seats. The starting seats were random, but now they will be assigned in slots. The more exposure you have, the more people you will get to know," she explained.
"But we're already comfortable in our seats, right, guys?" Vansh protested, and others nodded in agreement.
Ms Anki smiled, but then fixed them with a stern stare. "Are you objecting to my decision?" One student gulped, feeling intimidated. "It's true; we need more exposure, right, guys?" he quickly added, and the others echoed his sentiment. Srujan chimed in, saying it would be fun to meet new people. One student hesitated but then agreed with her plan.
"Look around you, guys. There are mostly boys here and fewer girls," he pointed out. "Think about it; you might end up sitting next to someone special." The boys began to see the merit in the idea.
"The class changed sides surprisingly fast. Maybe people only needed the right motivation to agree with anything." Vansh said to himself.
"Geez, you boys know we can hear you, right?" Rina thought to herself. A girl whispered to her friend, "I hope I can sit next to Srujan; he's a total hottie. We can be friends, right?"
Her friend smiled, agreeing. With that, the majority of the class began to warm up to Ms Anki's idea. She pulled out a box of seating slots like a magician.
"So, who would like to go first?" Ms Anki called out. "And it's Vansh!"
Vansh, who had been minding his own business with his bag in hand, rolled his eyes. "Don't just randomly choose me like this."
He approached the slot box, feeling everyone's eyes on him. Ms Anki had drawn the boxes and numbers, visualising the seating arrangements. Standing in front of the box, he reached out to pull a slot, but Ms Anki slapped his hand away. "I will choose your seat for you; let's see how lucky I am."
"What? You choose me and then decide to pick the seat yourself? Why bother me?" he exclaimed.
"Any problem?" she asked, smiling while clenching her fist.
She pulled out a chit, opened it, and announced, "Oh! Number 17." She turned to the board and examined the seating chart. "It's the window side, third seat from the front."
"More like bad luck for me," Vansh complained to her face. She simply clenched her fist in response. He grabbed his bag and headed to the designated seat, where another guy was already sitting. "Excuse me, but this seat is mine now," he said, and the guy moved away.
As the seat changes continued, only Srujan and Rina's seats were left. They exchanged glances; Rina didn't approach the slot box; instead, she grabbed her bag. Just as Srujan rushed forward to claim a seat, Rina threw her bag at him. It hit him hard, causing him to stumble.
"What the—" Rina's friend gasped.
"Don't try to outmanoeuvre me," Rina smirked at him.
"Who am I?" Srujan replied, standing up. He noticed the empty seat behind Vansh. "This one looks good, right, Rina?" he smiled.
"Yes, it is," she replied.
The entire class seemed bewildered by how the situation had unfolded. With two seats now empty—one beside Rina and another beside Vansh—Chairs scraped loudly across the floor as students grabbed their bags and crowded toward the classroom exit. As they said their goodbyes, Srujan remained lost in thought, clearly dazed from the bag hit.
"Remember the days when Vansh used to push me away?" he mused, lost in his own world, with only Vansh and Rina left to hear him.
"I pushed you away?" Vansh asked, surprised.
Rina, not wanting to miss the moment, hit Srujan again with her bag, sending him tumbling. "I'm back," she declared.
"What was that?" Vansh asked, confused. Rina just shrugged it off. "Nothing; this idiot is in his own world."
Srujan jumped back into the conversation. "Let's go, guys!"
Rina encouraged him, pulling Vansh along, reminding him that he would be late going home. The three of them walked together to the cycle parking area. There, they found an upside-down bicycle which they managed to pull out.
"HUH! Who did this to my cycle?" a boy shrieked, staring at his bike.
"Let's get out of here," Srujan urged.
Srujan hopped on first, and Vansh took the back seat. They pedalled as fast as they could, with Rina rushing after them. They sped down the same route together.
Cool evening air brushed past them while the cycle wheels rattled across the road.
As they reached a lane, Srujan smiled and panted. "That was fun, wasn't it?" he said to Vansh, who nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it was," he said as he turned to face the other side.
Eventually, the trio reached a point where their paths diverged. Vansh watched as they both waved goodbye—Srujan turning back with an enthusiastic wave, while Rina gave a small, friendly wave.
And so, Vansh headed home.