Khyati

The second period of class is always quite unbearable. The reason is simple: it was geography class. Reading paragraphs about rocks is a tedious task in itself, and our wonderful geography teacher who's more like a merit biased robot and less like a teacher doesn't help. But I endured it, knowing that language class follows, and I got to see my best friend, Isha.

As the teacher left the room, she turned to me and Aaryan. “You two, mind the class while I’m gone. Make sure everyone stays focused.”

I sighed, glancing at Aaryan. “Great, just what I needed,” I muttered under my breath. I had hoped for a few minutes of peace, not babysitting the class with Aaryan.

The classroom buzzed with chatter as soon as the teacher stepped out. I took her place at the front, trying to look authoritative. Aaryan, on the other hand, moved around the room, gently reminding students to stay on task.

“Hey, Khyati,” he said, approaching my desk. “Which section were you in 8th grade?”

I raised an eyebrow, surprised. “B,” I said in a cold, stark tone. Why would I talk to someone as arrogant as him?

“B section, huh? We had language classes with B section in 7th grade, but I’ve never seen you before,” he replied with a mild smile.

“Oh, I was originally in D section, so I had to go through shuffling twice,” I said as bluntly as I could, because this was something I could go on and on about.

“Oh, well, I was in A section since 1st grade, and I got shuffled now, and now... I’m in C section.”

I could understand the pain of being in C section. I thought of asking why he didn’t go back to A section when he had the chance, but I remembered it was none of my business. So, we continued minding the class.

As we worked together, I couldn’t help but notice how kind Aaryan was to everyone. He patiently helped a student who was struggling with a geography question, his tone encouraging and warm. He broke up a minor argument between two classmates with a joke that had them both laughing.

“Wow, he’s not just a teacher’s pet. He seems… nice.” I thought. My initial annoyance was starting to fade.

After a while, Sana approached him hesitantly. “Aaryan, can you help me with the map? I don’t get it.”

Aaryan smiled and nodded. “Of course, Sana.” He explained the concept clearly, ensuring she understood before moving on. I watched this interaction, feeling a strange warmth. I had never seen this side of him before.

During a quieter moment, I found myself standing next to Aaryan. “You’re really good at this,” I said, my voice softened

He glanced at me, a hint of surprise in his eyes. “Thanks”

I felt a pang of guilt for how I had judged him.

Aaryan shrugged modestly. “We all have our strengths. Yours is staying on top of things, making sure everything is in order.”

I couldn’t help but smile.

As we continued to manage the class together, I found myself warming up to Aaryan. His kindness, patience, and dedication were hard to ignore. By the time the teacher returned, I had a newfound respect for him.

“Thank you, both of you,” the teacher said, resuming her place at the front of the class. “It seems everything went smoothly.”

I glanced at Aaryan, and he gave me a friendly smile.

As the day went on, I couldn’t help but reflect on how different Aaryan was from the image I had in my mind. Maybe, just maybe, there was more to him than I had ever realised.

Next was language class. I had so much to tell Isha about today. As I reached the classroom, I noticed Aaryan and that pale guy, Shivansh, sitting parallel to our seats. They used to be the so-called 'power duo' of 8th grade until they had a fight because Aaryan got one mark more than Shivansh and secured first rank overall in 8th grade.

I sat down and started talking to Isha as she fidgeted with my fingers. God, I hate physical touch. How do I tell her? So I let it be. Then I heard a voice from behind. Sana was asking me for a pen and added “darling” before she did so.

My friends are quite a contrast to me. I hate expressing love and physical touch with anyone, but they seem to enjoy it. It’s quite amusing really, I suppose I don’t completely ‘hate’ it as long as it’s from my friends.

Isha doesn’t hide what she’s feeling. I could see the utter disgust on her face when I was talking to Sana.

Our Hindi teacher sushed us and proceeded with a new chapter. We returned to our books. It felt like the period was way too short; it flew by in a fraction of a second. I couldn't wait to tell Isha all about today, but we weren't supposed to talk outside class and Isha seemed to be pretty shaken after seeing her ex again, so I left it at that. I saved the talk for auto later that day.