Koushik, who was busy unpacking his books, froze when the words fell on his ears. His head whipped towards Ankita, who was saying something to the teacher but he heard nothing. His mind was buzzing and only one sentence echoed in his head, I want to change my seat.
He stared at her face, desperate to catch one glimpse, where she would turn to him with a laugh and say it was all a prank. After coming back from her house, he was not in himself. He prayed to the Goddess to let it all be a bad dream. He wanted it all to be a hallucination but Ankita's words just then proved how real everything was.
'Is that really is then? You don't even want to sit beside me? I get that I mistook your actions and maybe overstepped your boundaries. I also understand that you hate me now. But is it really impossible to give me just one chance to correct myself? Am I so unworthy of becoming your friend?' Koushik's eyes followed Ankita till she reached her new seat.
He was still holding a glimmer of hope that maybe all was not lost. He still had a chance of making friends like any other person his age. He still had a chance to live the life of an ordinary student where he could be among those who would accept his flaws and goods alike. Where he need not worry about his popularity dropping because of a single tiny mistake. But that too died down, when Ankita did not even look back at him for once.
He lowered his head and sighed a self depreciating smile. Then ever so slowly, opened his NB and started going through the notes for the Economics and Bengali revision tests scheduled that day. The teacher who was supposed to take the first class was absent and the substitution teacher permitted them to revise on their own for the upcoming periodic test.
On any other day, Koushik would have used this time to the fullest to do any last-minute revision but today happened to differ. No matter how many times he went through the text, underlined or reframed the answers, his brain did not register anything. His mind was clogged with so many emotions and questions. To himself and to Ankita. They all twisted and tangled with each other like the jata of a sanyasi. But the more he tried to untangle them the more matted they got.
Miss Dutta was there for substitution. As the class teacher, she knew quite well how her students got along with each other, so Ankita's request felt very odd to her. She had also noticed the tension between Koushik and Ankita. Her mind drifted back to what happened some time back.
"Why do you want to change seats?" She asked.
Usually, it was the teacher who changed the seats of students who disturbed the class during lessons. Students never wanted to change seats unless they had some serious issue with their deskmates. But so far, Koushik and Ankita were pretty harmonious with each other. What could have happened for Ankita to make such a request?
"Miss I cannot see the Class Board clearly from here. May I sit somewhere at the front?" Ankita asked.
Her brows furrowed in confusion. The projection of the screen on which the teacher wrote was pretty big, and if students at the back had trouble seeing there was always the option of increasing the screen and text size. And Ankita's personal information did not say anything about her having visual defects. Moreover, the way she spoke was weird, like she was reciting a script.
"Then please get your eyes checked okay? If you're having trouble seeing you shouldn't leave it like that, it might worsen the condition." She said with concern.
"Uh... yes. I... uh... my father booked an appointment with the opthalmologist but it's on the weekend. So, would you please let me change my seats for the time being?" Ankita said fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.
She nodded and asked where Ankita would like to sit.
"There." Ankita pointed to Deepa's place.
"Deepa, would you be so kind as to help your classmate, please? Don't worry. It won't be permanent. Just for a few days." She turned to Deepa with an apologetic smile.
"No problem, Miss. It's only a matter of a few days. And I'm always ready to help my friends." Deepa flashed an understanding smile.
Miss Dutta sighed 'Thank goodness Deepa was such a sweet child. But I hope whatever is happening between these two gets resolved soon.'
Finally getting to be Koushik's deskmate Deepa smiled shyly and said, "Hi Koushik. I'll be your new deskmate. And I'm a Tricks too. I'm so happy..."
"I'm sorry but I'm trying to memorize these lessons now, could we please talk later?" Koushik put on an apologetic smile.
Deepa also smiled back kindly. But it did not go unnoticed how he shifted closer to the wall, creating more space between them. Getting interrupted that way already did not sit well with her, his actions only fuelled the fire of hatred Deepa held towards Ankita.
From time to time, Deepa tried to talk to Koushik but each time he found a way to cut their conversation short. These things infuriated her all the more but on the surface, she maintained her signature gentle smile. What annoyed her to the core was that his eyes kept wandering towards a certain someone's direction, no matter how hard she tried to attract his attention.
After failing to catch Ankita's gaze for the umpteenth time Koushik sulked 'Hmph! You want to ignore me right? You don't want to talk to me? Okay. So be it. I won't bother you to be friends with me. I don't need any friends.'
For the rest of the day, neither of them said a word to each other. Rai, Bikram, Rishav and Rishi looked at them helplessly. They could not understand why they were acting that way and neither of the parties involved was willing to share the reason.
After school was over both of them went home earlier than usual and even left their friends at school. The Ankita, who never went home without Rai and Rishav, left without even saying goodbye to them!
"What the heck are these two up to?" Rai said with hands on her hips.
Rishav, her, Bikram and Rishi stood at the school gate watching the two of them leave. Koushik got into the car that their company had arranged to bring them to and from school while Ankita boarded a bus. Neither of them glanced at the four people standing by the gate and just went on their way.