The air inside the classroom had grown heavy.
Even amidst the rhythmic rattling of the old ceiling fan.
Asha could feel the biting cold from the bag beneath her desk seeping into her skin.
Nisha leaned closer to Asha, a suppressed tremor of anxiety in her voice.
"Asha, be honest... did you finish all of yesterday's homework?"
Without waiting for an answer, Nisha flipped through her notebook frantically.
"The next period is Hindi. Mr. Visham is coming."
"And you know how rigid he is about discipline."
"If the homework isn't finished today, he won't hesitate to make us stand outside. You're done, right?"
Asha's fingers gripped the edge of her desk.
She tried to muster the courage to glance back at the strange girl in the corner once more.
But her resolve failed her.
Her neck felt as if it had turned to stone.
"Yes, Nisha. Mine is complete," Asha said, her voice flat.
"Let me see it, then. My grammar section is still incomplete," Nisha said, reaching out.
But as Nisha's hand drew near, Asha quickly clamped her hand over the book.
Her palms were icy.
Nisha flinched, looking at Asha in surprise.
"I... I can't give it to you right now," Asha said, her voice low yet firm.
Her attention was focused on the heavy bag.
Which had just given a slight slide against the floor.
It was as if whatever was trapped inside had recognized Nisha's voice.
Or perhaps it was desperate to escape.
Suddenly, the rhythmic thud-thud of a wooden cane and steady footsteps echoed from the corridor.
The classroom chatter died down instantly.
Mr. Visham stood at the door.
His deep, piercing gaze darting straight toward the back bench.
The teacher's steps hadn't fully crossed the threshold yet.
Taking advantage of the lingering silence.
Asha reached beneath her desk and slid the backpack's zipper just an inch.
A small, black, furry snout poked out.
The tiny puppy—the creature Asha called 'Shadow'—began to peer at the world with glinting eyes.
Nisha's eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
She pressed her palm over her mouth to stifle a gasp.
"Asha! You... you brought him here?"
"This is the one that went missing, right? You were so worried about him!"
Asha stroked the pup's head.
But her gaze remained anchored to the strange girl on the back bench.
"I found him two or three days ago," Asha whispered.
A strange coldness settling in her voice.
"I wasn't getting any time to spend with him at home, so I brought him along."
Nisha's face lit up with excitement.
Captivated by the pup's apparent innocence, she couldn't restrain herself.
"He's so cute! Asha, can I just touch him? Just once..."
As Nisha extended her fingers toward the pup's soft fur, Asha's entire frame turned to stone.
For a fleeting second, that same crimson glow flickered in the creature's eyes.
"No! Absolutely not!"
Asha's voice ripped through the classroom like a sharp blade.
She jerked Nisha's hand back with force and zipped the bag shut in one swift motion.
"Stay away from my dog, Nisha."
"Don't you dare try to touch him again."
The entire class was now staring at Asha's desk.
Nisha sat frozen, her fingers trembling in mid-air.
A newfound fear for her best friend reflected in her eyes.
Meanwhile, on the back bench, the stranger continued to wear that same unsettling smile.
As if she had been waiting for this exact moment of chaos.
Nisha snapped her head away.
Her face flushed with a mixture of anger and hurt.
She crossed her arms tightly.
Fixing her gaze on the scratched wooden surface of the desk.
Asha took a shallow breath and leaned in.
Her voice softening into a mask of regret.
"Please... forgive me," she whispered.
"I didn't mean to shout at you, Nisha."
"It's just... Shadow is a little sick."
"I was terrified the infection might spread to you."
"I was only trying to protect you."
The rigid lines of Nisha's posture relaxed slightly.
She turned back, her eyes now clouded with concern.
"If he's that sick, why on earth did you bring him here?"
"Mom and Dad said the injection would make him better," Asha said.
Her voice laced with a carefully crafted sorrow.
"But I felt that if I left him alone and something happened while I was at school..."
"I'd never be able to live with myself. That's why I brought him."
Nisha placed a sympathetic hand on Asha's shoulder.
"Alright, don't worry. Just take care of him—and yourself."
Time crawled by.
The final bell rang, but there was no escape yet.
Today was cleaning duty for Asha and her group.
Gradually, the classroom emptied.
The sound of dragging chairs and fading laughter disappeared into the corridors.
Asha wiped down the last desk and shouldered her bag.
Suddenly, a cold shiver raced down her spine.
She realized she wasn't alone.
In that dark corner of the back bench, the stranger was still sitting.
Her lashes remained frozen, that unsettling smile still etched onto her face.
Asha's hand trembled.
'Everyone else is gone... why is she still here?'
Without looking back, Asha hurried out of the classroom.
Her footsteps echoed hollowly in the empty hallway.
But as she cast a quick glance over her shoulder, the air caught in her throat.
The girl had emerged from the room.
She was only a few paces behind.
Following Asha with a slow, deliberate stride.
Her movements were eerily silent, like a shadow gliding across the floor.
To be continue...