Just then, Raha came across a girl.
"What happened to you?" the girl asked.
But Raha couldn't speak.
She tried to explain everything through gestures, but the girl couldn't understand anything.
Then Raha tried to force a sound out of her mouth.
Seeing this, the girl realized that Raha couldn't speak.
At that moment, someone nearby said loudly,
"Hey! What is this girl doing?"
and started laughing.
Slowly, other students around them joined in, laughing and recording videos of Raha.
Raha looked at the girl in shock.
The girl immediately held Raha's hand and led her to a quieter place, patiently trying to understand her.
Finally, Raha took out her diary and wrote:
"Do you know where Grade 12, Class 9 is?"
As the girl tried to reply using gestures, Raha quickly wrote again:
"I can hear everything, but I can't speak."
The girl smiled softly and replied through gestures,
"My name is Meena. I'm in your class."
Hearing this, Raha felt genuinely happy.
She wrote in her diary:
"My name is Raha!"
They both extended their hands toward each other in friendship.
Meena then asked through gestures,
"Why did you take admission in this school?"
Raha fell silent. She remained quiet for a while.
Finally, she wrote:
"I had no friends in my previous school. No one ever came to talk to me."
Meena paused and then said,
"Be careful in this school."
Raha wrote:
"Why?"
Meena was about to say something, but just then the bell rang for class.
Meena grabbed Raha's hand and ran toward the classroom.
Raha didn't ask anything more.
As soon as they entered the classroom, Meena nervously looked around.
Just then, a boy named Subin spoke up,
"Don't worry. They didn't come today. They've gone on a one-week tour."
Meena let out a deep breath.
Raha tried asking Meena through gestures, but Meena didn't respond.
Meanwhile, Subin looked at Meena and asked,
"Who is this girl?"
Meena replied,
"She's a new transfer student. Her name is Raha."
Subin looked a little surprised.
"Oh…"
He walked up to Raha and asked,
"Do you wear contact lenses?"
Raha shook her head no.
Subin smiled and said,
"Wow! Your eyes are really beautiful. And you look just like a princess."
Raha gave a small smile.
Subin added,
"Aren't you going to ask my name?"
At that moment, Meena quickly said,
"Subin, actually, Raha can't speak—but she can hear everything."
Subin froze for a moment.
"Oh… I'm really sorry, Raha."
Raha simply smiled and shook her head gently, showing that it was okay.
They all went to their seats.
Raha's seat was right next to Subin's.
Subin asked softly,
"Have you been unable to speak since childhood?"
Raha looked at him.
Subin quickly added,
"Don't take it the wrong way. Many people who can't speak also can't hear. Since you can hear, I asked."
Raha wrote in her diary:
"Because of an accident."
Subin replied quietly,
"Sorry… again."
Raha just nodded.
Subin felt a deep sense of sadness but said nothing. He just kept looking at Raha.
At that moment, the teacher entered the classroom.
He announced that a new transfer student had joined their class.
Then he called Raha to the front and asked her to introduce herself.
Extremely nervous, Raha walked toward the blackboard.
Suddenly, a few students shouted,
"So this is the mute girl! What will she say?"
The classroom burst into laughter.
Some students started recording videos again.
Raha stood there silently, stunned.
Both Subin and Meena tried to quiet everyone down.
Just then, a girl named Aisha spoke loudly,
"Meena, shut up. Have you thought about what will happen to you when Rabinara comes back?"
Meena was left speechless.
Raha stood there silently.
Slowly, the strange reality of this school began to clear in her mind.
She realized how wrong she had been about this place.
Once again, laughter echoed, and phones were raised to record her.
Subin felt terrible, yet he remained silent.
Raha understood that if she stayed quiet like this, she would leave without even introducing herself.
Just then, Aisha shouted again,
"What? Introduce yourself! I'm waiting to hear your voice!"
The laughter grew louder.
Gradually, the sound of that laughter began to fade in Raha's ears.
Her eyes slowly filled with tears.....