8 hours ago
(This post was last modified: 7 hours ago by lee.jae.han. Edited 2 times in total. Edited 2 times in total.)
## Update 34: The Study Session and the Broken Ruler
I reached Neha Bua's house, and the front gate was opened by Kavita, Komal's younger sister. She was genuinely happy to see me. I went inside and sat on the sofa.
"What is it, bhaiyya? You've come after so many days," Kavita said, her excitement clear.
"What can I do, Kavita? I don't get time because of my studies and tuition," I said, repeating the standard excuse.
"You can come on Sunday, at least," she pressed.
"Not just Sunday, I'll come every day from now on," I promised, securing my daily excuse for leaving the house.
"Really?" she asked, her eyes wide with excitement and disbelief.
"Really," I affirmed.
"You'll come home every single day?" she asked again, wanting full confirmation.
"Yes, to study with Komal," I clarified.
"So you're coming to meet didi (elder sister)? Not me?" she asked, her expression falling slightly.
"No, it's not like that at all. Studying is just an excuse for the adults. I came to meet you," I said quickly, trying to make her feel special and secure her cooperation.
"You'll come at this time every day?" she asked, her brow furrowed in thought.
"Yes, why?" I asked.
"I go to Leena's house to study at this time. But I'll change my time so I can spend time with you," she said, showing her loyalty.
"That's sweet of you. Okay. Where are Komal and Neha bua?" I asked.
"Maa is sleeping, and didi is in her room," Kavita replied.
"Tell Komal that I've come. And then you go to Leena's house to study. Don't worry about me," I instructed.
Kavita rushed down the hall. "Didi, didi, look, Avi bhaiyya has come," she shouted.
Komal came out of her room, smiling. Kavita talked to her for a while, making sure she acknowledged me. Then Kavita went off to Leena's house as planned. Komal took me to her room, which doubled as her study space.
"Your room is nice," I said, looking around, a clean and calm space unlike the chaotic storehouse or the intimate bedroom of Madam.
"Where is it nice? My friend's room is much better than this," she dismissed the compliment.
"I haven't seen her room. I liked your room," I insisted.
"Thanks. Sit down," she said.
I sat next to Komal at the study table. After talking about schoool and other trivial things for a while, we finally opened the books and started studying. Komal's math wasn't as bad as I had thought. In fact, Komal was the topper of our class in every subject except the tricky new math sections. We studied hard for about two hours.
Just then, Neha Bua came quietly into the room. It was the first time I had ever seen a genuine, soft smile on her face. She was clearly pleased to see me helping her daughter. I talked to Bua respectfully for a while. Then Bua went to the kitchen to make tea for us. We also stopped studying, resting on the accomplishment. Komal looked genuinely happy and relaxed.
"I just found out today that math is so easy when someone explains it properly," Komal said, amazed.
"Once you understand a subject well, you don't have to study it again and again, just practice," I said, quoting Madam's old lessons.
"Yes, you're right. I think you'll top in math now," she said, complimenting my skills.
"Math is a subject where even a smart student can fail sometimes if they lose focus," I warned, thinking of my own recent distractions.
"My fear of math has reduced a little just from this one session," she confessed.
"In a few days, all your fear will disappear. Maybe you'll even get more marks than me. You're a fast learner," I said, trying to motivate her further.
"If the teacher is good, the student also learns quickly," she said, giving the credit to me.
"You've become a philosopher," I said, laughing easily with her.
Bua came back with the tea tray. She put the tray on the study table and quickly left again, giving us space. I picked up a cup and went to sit on the edge of the bed to drink it. As I sat down on the bed, I heard a sharp snap beneath me. I instantly got up and looked down, seeing that Komal's plastic ruler was broken into two pieces.
"What did you do, Avi? I just bought that yesterday. You broke it! Now mummy will scold me badly," she said, her face instantly filling with frustration and panic.
"I didn't know the ruler was under the cushion on the bed," I apologized, genuinely feeling bad.
"But how will I study without a ruler tomorrow?" she asked, already picturing the difficulty.
I thought for a moment. I knew exactly where my ruler was—under my bed, right next to Madam's book. "I have two rulers. I'll give you one of mine," I said, realizing this would be the perfect, innocent excuse to retrieve the item I was hiding.
"How can I take it from you? You need it for schoool," she asked, reluctant to accept a favor.
"You're my sister. It's nothing. I'll bring it for you tomorrow," I said. "Now, I should leave. I'm worried Bua will come back soon."
"Okay, I'm leaving now. See you tomorrow," I said, determined to leave Bua's house quickly before she found the broken ruler and turned furious. What if Bua found out I was the one who broke it? I couldn't even imagine what she would do to me.
"Bye, Avi," Komal said.
"Bye," I replied, quickly exiting the room and the house, now with a solid, innocent reason to retrieve the ruler and the book.
-----
I reached Neha Bua's house, and the front gate was opened by Kavita, Komal's younger sister. She was genuinely happy to see me. I went inside and sat on the sofa.
"What is it, bhaiyya? You've come after so many days," Kavita said, her excitement clear.
"What can I do, Kavita? I don't get time because of my studies and tuition," I said, repeating the standard excuse.
"You can come on Sunday, at least," she pressed.
"Not just Sunday, I'll come every day from now on," I promised, securing my daily excuse for leaving the house.
"Really?" she asked, her eyes wide with excitement and disbelief.
"Really," I affirmed.
"You'll come home every single day?" she asked again, wanting full confirmation.
"Yes, to study with Komal," I clarified.
"So you're coming to meet didi (elder sister)? Not me?" she asked, her expression falling slightly.
"No, it's not like that at all. Studying is just an excuse for the adults. I came to meet you," I said quickly, trying to make her feel special and secure her cooperation.
"You'll come at this time every day?" she asked, her brow furrowed in thought.
"Yes, why?" I asked.
"I go to Leena's house to study at this time. But I'll change my time so I can spend time with you," she said, showing her loyalty.
"That's sweet of you. Okay. Where are Komal and Neha bua?" I asked.
"Maa is sleeping, and didi is in her room," Kavita replied.
"Tell Komal that I've come. And then you go to Leena's house to study. Don't worry about me," I instructed.
Kavita rushed down the hall. "Didi, didi, look, Avi bhaiyya has come," she shouted.
Komal came out of her room, smiling. Kavita talked to her for a while, making sure she acknowledged me. Then Kavita went off to Leena's house as planned. Komal took me to her room, which doubled as her study space.
"Your room is nice," I said, looking around, a clean and calm space unlike the chaotic storehouse or the intimate bedroom of Madam.
"Where is it nice? My friend's room is much better than this," she dismissed the compliment.
"I haven't seen her room. I liked your room," I insisted.
"Thanks. Sit down," she said.
I sat next to Komal at the study table. After talking about schoool and other trivial things for a while, we finally opened the books and started studying. Komal's math wasn't as bad as I had thought. In fact, Komal was the topper of our class in every subject except the tricky new math sections. We studied hard for about two hours.
Just then, Neha Bua came quietly into the room. It was the first time I had ever seen a genuine, soft smile on her face. She was clearly pleased to see me helping her daughter. I talked to Bua respectfully for a while. Then Bua went to the kitchen to make tea for us. We also stopped studying, resting on the accomplishment. Komal looked genuinely happy and relaxed.
"I just found out today that math is so easy when someone explains it properly," Komal said, amazed.
"Once you understand a subject well, you don't have to study it again and again, just practice," I said, quoting Madam's old lessons.
"Yes, you're right. I think you'll top in math now," she said, complimenting my skills.
"Math is a subject where even a smart student can fail sometimes if they lose focus," I warned, thinking of my own recent distractions.
"My fear of math has reduced a little just from this one session," she confessed.
"In a few days, all your fear will disappear. Maybe you'll even get more marks than me. You're a fast learner," I said, trying to motivate her further.
"If the teacher is good, the student also learns quickly," she said, giving the credit to me.
"You've become a philosopher," I said, laughing easily with her.
Bua came back with the tea tray. She put the tray on the study table and quickly left again, giving us space. I picked up a cup and went to sit on the edge of the bed to drink it. As I sat down on the bed, I heard a sharp snap beneath me. I instantly got up and looked down, seeing that Komal's plastic ruler was broken into two pieces.
"What did you do, Avi? I just bought that yesterday. You broke it! Now mummy will scold me badly," she said, her face instantly filling with frustration and panic.
"I didn't know the ruler was under the cushion on the bed," I apologized, genuinely feeling bad.
"But how will I study without a ruler tomorrow?" she asked, already picturing the difficulty.
I thought for a moment. I knew exactly where my ruler was—under my bed, right next to Madam's book. "I have two rulers. I'll give you one of mine," I said, realizing this would be the perfect, innocent excuse to retrieve the item I was hiding.
"How can I take it from you? You need it for schoool," she asked, reluctant to accept a favor.
"You're my sister. It's nothing. I'll bring it for you tomorrow," I said. "Now, I should leave. I'm worried Bua will come back soon."
"Okay, I'm leaving now. See you tomorrow," I said, determined to leave Bua's house quickly before she found the broken ruler and turned furious. What if Bua found out I was the one who broke it? I couldn't even imagine what she would do to me.
"Bye, Avi," Komal said.
"Bye," I replied, quickly exiting the room and the house, now with a solid, innocent reason to retrieve the ruler and the book.
-----
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