07-04-2025, 02:56 AM
Episode 4: Lines and Looks
It was Thursday morning, and Arjun was sitting under the neem tree near the back of the college ground, poking at his half-eaten idli while Rahul and Vikram were deep in conversation about the upcoming inter-college fest.
"You’re not even listening, are you?" Vikram asked, tossing a biscuit at Arjun.
"Huh? No, I heard you. college fest, yeah. You going to do that dumb skit again?"
Rahul narrowed his eyes. "You’ve been zoned out all week, man. Since... what? Last Friday?"
Arjun stayed quiet. Rahul didn’t need to say it. They all knew.
"You think she’s married?" Vikram asked suddenly, lowering his voice.
"Who?" Arjun asked, feigning ignorance.
Rahul smirked. "Come on. Meera Ma’am. Don’t pretend like you don’t track her every move."
Arjun didn’t smile back. "Don't know. But why should we care"
"She doesn’t wear much jewelry at all," Vikram added. "Just that tiny nose pin and a couple of bangles. Traditional, but clean. Elegant."
They all went quiet for a moment, like they'd stepped over an unspoken line.
"I just like the way she teaches," Arjun said finally, but it didn’t sound convincing, even to himself.
---
In Class: Later That Day
The last period was Math. Arjun took his usual seat—third row, left side, perfect angle. He told himself he was there for the blackboard view, but the truth was in the curve of Meera Ma’am’s hip when she turned to write.
She walked in wearing a muted beige saree with a thin red border. Her hair was tied back in a loose bun today, a few strands falling around her face. She looked slightly tired, maybe from the heat, or from dealing with the more difficult classes. But to Arjun, she looked more real like that. Less polished. More... his type.
“Settle down,” Meera said, setting her books on the desk. “Let’s finish this chapter today so you’re not panicking before the test next week.”
As she started explaining a problem, Arjun raised his hand.
“Yes, Arjun?”
“I didn’t get this part—why do we multiply by the conjugate here?”
She walked over to his desk and leaned slightly to glance at his notebook. The scent of sandalwood and jasmine drifted in again, and Arjun sat perfectly still, afraid even to breathe wrong.
“It’s to remove the irrational part from the denominator,” she explained. “See here?”
She pointed at a line on his page. Her bangles clinked softly as she adjusted the pen in his hand.
“Oh,” he said, not really following. Her voice was closer now. Soft. Clear.
“There,” she said, straightening up. “Got it?”
“Yeah... I think so,” he lied.
She gave him a brief smile—polite, professional—and moved back to the board.
Rahul, two seats over, raised an eyebrow at Arjun and mouthed: You’re done for.
---
After Class: A Brief Crossing
The last bell rang. Students spilled out of the classroom, eager to leave. Arjun packed slowly, as usual. Meera was stacking her papers when she noticed him still lingering.
“Everything alright, Arjun?”
“Yeah... just didn’t want to forget my compass again,” he said, pretending to check his bag.
She gave a soft laugh. “You're more organized than you think. You always stay behind. Trying to absorb the formulas through osmosis?”
He shrugged, half smiling. “It’s just quieter when everyone leaves.”
“That’s true,” she said, leaning against the desk. “Sometimes the silence helps things make more sense.”
“You’ve improved,” she added, her tone genuinely kind. “I’ve noticed you’re more engaged. Keep it up.”
“Thanks, ma’am,” he said, meeting her eyes just for a second longer than he should have.
She looked at him for a second, then glanced away. “Alright. Go before the gate closes on you.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. As he walked out, he felt a strange lightness. Her compliment, the casual banter—it wasn’t much. But it was something.
He didn’t just like her anymore. He was starting to crave the moments. Even the small ones.
To be continued…
It was Thursday morning, and Arjun was sitting under the neem tree near the back of the college ground, poking at his half-eaten idli while Rahul and Vikram were deep in conversation about the upcoming inter-college fest.
"You’re not even listening, are you?" Vikram asked, tossing a biscuit at Arjun.
"Huh? No, I heard you. college fest, yeah. You going to do that dumb skit again?"
Rahul narrowed his eyes. "You’ve been zoned out all week, man. Since... what? Last Friday?"
Arjun stayed quiet. Rahul didn’t need to say it. They all knew.
"You think she’s married?" Vikram asked suddenly, lowering his voice.
"Who?" Arjun asked, feigning ignorance.
Rahul smirked. "Come on. Meera Ma’am. Don’t pretend like you don’t track her every move."
Arjun didn’t smile back. "Don't know. But why should we care"
"She doesn’t wear much jewelry at all," Vikram added. "Just that tiny nose pin and a couple of bangles. Traditional, but clean. Elegant."
They all went quiet for a moment, like they'd stepped over an unspoken line.
"I just like the way she teaches," Arjun said finally, but it didn’t sound convincing, even to himself.
---
In Class: Later That Day
The last period was Math. Arjun took his usual seat—third row, left side, perfect angle. He told himself he was there for the blackboard view, but the truth was in the curve of Meera Ma’am’s hip when she turned to write.
She walked in wearing a muted beige saree with a thin red border. Her hair was tied back in a loose bun today, a few strands falling around her face. She looked slightly tired, maybe from the heat, or from dealing with the more difficult classes. But to Arjun, she looked more real like that. Less polished. More... his type.
“Settle down,” Meera said, setting her books on the desk. “Let’s finish this chapter today so you’re not panicking before the test next week.”
As she started explaining a problem, Arjun raised his hand.
“Yes, Arjun?”
“I didn’t get this part—why do we multiply by the conjugate here?”
She walked over to his desk and leaned slightly to glance at his notebook. The scent of sandalwood and jasmine drifted in again, and Arjun sat perfectly still, afraid even to breathe wrong.
“It’s to remove the irrational part from the denominator,” she explained. “See here?”
She pointed at a line on his page. Her bangles clinked softly as she adjusted the pen in his hand.
“Oh,” he said, not really following. Her voice was closer now. Soft. Clear.
“There,” she said, straightening up. “Got it?”
“Yeah... I think so,” he lied.
She gave him a brief smile—polite, professional—and moved back to the board.
Rahul, two seats over, raised an eyebrow at Arjun and mouthed: You’re done for.
---
After Class: A Brief Crossing
The last bell rang. Students spilled out of the classroom, eager to leave. Arjun packed slowly, as usual. Meera was stacking her papers when she noticed him still lingering.
“Everything alright, Arjun?”
“Yeah... just didn’t want to forget my compass again,” he said, pretending to check his bag.
She gave a soft laugh. “You're more organized than you think. You always stay behind. Trying to absorb the formulas through osmosis?”
He shrugged, half smiling. “It’s just quieter when everyone leaves.”
“That’s true,” she said, leaning against the desk. “Sometimes the silence helps things make more sense.”
“You’ve improved,” she added, her tone genuinely kind. “I’ve noticed you’re more engaged. Keep it up.”
“Thanks, ma’am,” he said, meeting her eyes just for a second longer than he should have.
She looked at him for a second, then glanced away. “Alright. Go before the gate closes on you.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. As he walked out, he felt a strange lightness. Her compliment, the casual banter—it wasn’t much. But it was something.
He didn’t just like her anymore. He was starting to crave the moments. Even the small ones.
To be continued…
![[+]](https://xossipy.com/themes/sharepoint/collapse_collapsed.png)