Present
---
In Medha's Room
In the stillness of the night, Medha lay by the window in her room. Outside, the moonlight had spread like a gentle mist, while inside, her heart was filled with only one face-Anirban Sir's. Even with her eyes closed, she could vividly see his smile, the way he wrote on the board in class, the tone of his voice.
Medha was extremely stubborn-once she made up her mind, she would follow through no matter what. She never hesitated to push beyond her limits if needed.
She made a firm vow to herself-
"No matter what happens in my life, I will marry Sir and no one else. I will never let anyone else have him."
That promise from her teenage heart was both deep and adamant. She didn't know what the future held, but her love was pure, unconditional, and unwavering-driven by the burning fire of her determination.
---
Meanwhile, in Sneha's Room
Lying in bed, Sneha was silently hurt by Riyad's behavior in class that day. With her eyes closed, her voice trembled within as she whispered to herself,
"What did I do wrong? This is just how I am. Why does everyone treat me this way?"
But her thoughts slowly drifted in a different direction. She found herself remembering Anirban Sir again-his voice, the depth in his eyes, the graceful movement of his hand while writing on the board. Suddenly, she wondered, how could a man be this handsome? So well-groomed, so composed, so serene! How could his voice be so captivating? And how could the look in his eyes stir up such a storm inside her?
A strange warmth began to spread through her chest. She could feel that the way she looked at Sir was starting to change-no longer with fear, but with a hidden attraction.
In that night filled with jealousy, pain, and an eerie mixture of admiration, Sneha realized that this man had cast a deep shadow over her life-one she could no longer ignore, even if she tried.
So, had she too begun to like Anirban Sir, just like the other girls? No, no, how could that be? Sneha had never liked any boy before.
Well, that wasn't exactly true. She had liked characters from stories, movies, or series. But she had never liked anyone in real life.
Sneha suddenly began to wonder-when Sir looked at her, what was he thinking?
Was it really true, what everyone said? Was she actually attractive?
Did that mean someone could love her-just like in romantic stories or movies or series?
Or... was that attraction purely physical?
The kind her aunt often warned her about?
---
Four Hours Ago
At Anurag Sir's Flat
Anurag Bandyopadhyay, the new Chemistry teacher, returned home after finishing his first day at school. His roommate, Anirban Sir-the Physics teacher-had decorated the entire flat. Today was a special day: Anurag's 25th birthday. Even his friends had gathered to celebrate their beloved friend's birthday.
Anurag Sir arrived home in the evening. After school, he had gone out for an important task. Calm and soft-spoken, Anurag looked a bit tired, but there was no trace of anger or irritation on his face.
As he stood in front of the door and pressed the doorbell, the door suddenly swung open. On the other side stood Rahul, his exuberant friend, grinning ear to ear as he shouted:
"Surprise!"
Instead of reacting with astonishment, Anurag stood still for a moment. Then, slowly, he stepped inside.
The room was beautifully decorated-with colorful balloons, twinkling fairy lights, and a big chocolate cake on the table. Though the arrangements for the celebration were simple, the cake was undeniably large. The friends had quietly planned a small gathering to mark the occasion.
Rahul, jumping with excitement, asked, "So, how was your first day? Tell us!"
Anurag, in a calm voice and with an almost expressionless face, replied, "It was good."
Rahul paused for a moment. He thought to himself, It's his birthday, his first day as a teacher, and yet there's not a trace of excitement on his face! This guy really is something else. Even with a surprise like this, he doesn't look surprised at all.
Inside the flat, the rest of Anurag's friends were already chatting and laughing. Rishikesh burst out laughing and said,
"Of course it went well! You joined a girls' school!"
By then, Anirban-the roommate and Physics teacher at another school-had arrived. Taking the bag off Anurag's shoulder, he said,
"It wasn't too exhausting, was it? You're not used to this yet. Teaching all day isn't as easy as we first thought. It takes a lot of energy. I've already figured that out in just a month."
Anurag didn't respond. He just remained silent.
Another friend, Subhradeep, laughed and added,
"You guys are lucky! Got jobs on the first try-and that too at girls' schools!"
Anirban looked at him and replied,
"I don't get why you're all so hung up on the fact that it's a girls' school. A school is a school. A student is a student-doesn't matter if they're girls or boys."
Subhradeep smirked and said,
"Come on, man, I was just joking!"
Then Swarnendu stood up and said,
"Come on, let's cut the cake!"
Anirban said,
"Hey, give him a moment! Anurag hasn't even freshened up yet. He's been working all day! At least let him change his clothes first."
But at that moment, Rahul, Rishikesh, Jitendra, Subhradeep, and Swarnendu all surrounded Anurag.
"No, no! First, the cake!" - they all shouted together.
In that whirlwind of excitement and affection, a faint smile finally appeared on Anurag's lips. Subtle, but clear.
Standing beside him, Anirban said,
"Uff! You guys never change... Still such kids!"
The cake was cut. There was food, laughter. Some smeared cream on each other's faces, others clicked photos while laughing heartily. The flat seemed to come alive in that small but precious moment of friendship.
Just then, Jitendra said,
"Anurag, it's your birthday and your first day as a teacher! We deserve a treat!"
Rahul immediately shouted,
"Yes! A treat is a must!"
Anirban scolded them lightly,
"God! What kind of friends are you guys? The poor guy just came home after a whole day of work-you didn't even let him freshen up, and now you're demanding a treat?"
Swarnendu laughed and said,
"Hey, what did we do? We're just celebrating his birthday. Look, we even got this big cake for him. We've done all this for him!"
Jitendra teased,
"Yeah, and you've already ruined half the cake-and eaten the other half yourself!"
Swarnendu, getting annoyed, said,
"Wait! I'll deal with you!"
He started chasing Jitendra around the room while the others burst into uncontrollable laughter. Rahul was almost rolling on the floor laughing.
At that moment, Anirban gently placed a hand on Anurag's shoulder and said,
"Come on, go freshen up. Then we'll all sit and chat for a bit."
---
To be continued...