Thursday, 12th October 2023
Sameer Sir was scheduled to hold a lecture for Batch 1 after a two-week gap—the first since the creation of the Apex Batch. That lecture, in particular, became one of the reasons that day stood out in my memory.
The night before, we found ourselves anxiously discussing what Sameer Sir might cover in the lecture. More pressing, however, was the question of what the future held for us. The Apex Batch had high expectations attached to it, with results anticipated for January, April, and possibly even the JEE Advanced in June. Meanwhile, Batch 2 had been categorized as the group primarily focused on board exams. And there we were—Batch 1—stuck somewhere in the middle, unsure of our standing or direction.
We continued discussing the matter in the classroom. I told everyone to pass their questions to me if they were too shy to ask during the lecture.
As the second lecture time approached, I kept glancing through the door. Sameer Sir appeared in the corridor only ten minutes after the class was supposed to begin. As soon as we spotted him, we quickly rushed to our seats. He entered the classroom, casually placed his iPad on a chair, and sat down on the table.
"I came late on purpose because I was thinking about what to do with this batch. We've completed the syllabus, so... you tell me what should be done," he began.
Before he could finish, I interrupted, "Yes, sir, I was wondering too—what's going to happen with our batch?"
"First of all, don't worry about not getting into the Apex Batch. Nothing extraordinary is happening there."
He then shifted the conversation from the Apex Batch to the importance of the board exams, which were only four months away. He explained the right way to present answers, shared a few hacks and tips to score higher marks, and announced that he would conduct weekly tests. These tests would cover both board-related material and competitive exam sections, with the latter being optional for those focusing solely on boards or feeling less confident about the JEE.
He then decided not to teach anything and let us out half an hour early. We were instructed to provide a review of AOS Academy, for which we were rewarded with a chocolate.
However, the most significant aspect of that memorable day was the swelling in my tonsils. This discomfort, which likely came from Vihaan who had recently recovered from the same ailment, had been causing me pain every time I touched him.
Upon reaching home, I informed Maa about my condition. At that moment, I only felt a general body ache, but it was enough to make me need a nap.
As I opened my eyes, a headache accompanied me. Sanjana J had accepted my Snapchat request after two days. Eager to make the most of this, I quickly selected a few paragraphs from my previous book and sent a snap to everyone, hoping that someone might find it interesting and ask for more. Two hours later, while I was lounging on the sofa, I noticed that everyone had viewed the snap, but there was no response from anyone, which didn't come as a surprise.
By then, my left cheek had become noticeably swollen. Papa was trimming the hair from my face before applying the belladonna plaster. I decided not to eat anything except for a rajbhog ice cream.
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Friday, 13th October 2023
The next morning, as I opened my eyes, I felt pain in every inch of my body. It took a considerable effort to muster the courage to rise and drink some water.
"O God, I am going to die. Please welcome me, God. I am coming to you."
I began my usual chants, a ritual that seemed to emerge every time I fell ill.
It was five in the morning, and my eyes barely stayed open.
"I'm supposed to go to coaching today. Naira will see this plaster on my cheek and will surely ask me what happened. I'll tell her about my condition, and she'll kindly remind me to take care. That would be so endearing and heartwarming."
I thought about what I'd do if my condition worsened at the Academy. If it came to that, I'd sleep on the classroom bench. Naira, being the first to arrive after me, would find me there, suffering, and ask about my health.
The door creaked open as Mom emerged from the bedroom. She approached my mattress, her eyebrows knitting together as she saw me awake.
"I'm really not doing well, yaar," I groaned.
She took my temperature and advised me to stay home from the Academy. I resisted her suggestion immediately. Dad handed me some medicine, but I still struggled to get up. He warned me twice before leaving for work that I shouldn't attend classes today.
I waited precisely ten minutes after he left before I decided to get up and brush my teeth.
"Are you still going to class?" Mom asked when she saw me in the bathroom with a toothbrush in my mouth.
"Yes."
"Don't go today. Papa said you need to rest."
"I have two classes today. Missing them isn't an option. Tomorrow, there's only one class, so I'll skip that." I offered a sincere explanation.
"Make sure you're taking care of yourself. Your health isn't at its best."
"Don't worry. I'll manage for one day."
Indian mothers often find themselves caught between their husbands' directives and their children's determination.
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Carrying the weight of body pain and my swollen cheek, I entered the Academy, spotting Karan and Piyush right away.
Oh no. It was Mohit Kumar sir's lecture first. Barely anyone ever attended his class. Honestly, there was no point in showing up so early, especially since Naira would arrive for Sunny sir's math lecture, which was next.
Dipali mam and the two boys asked about my cheek, but I honestly didn't know what to tell them—I had no clue what caused it. Aaryan, ever the know-it-all, declared it was a muscle puncture and said using belladonna plasters was pointless. I ignored him, knowing he was way off.
Later, when I went to collect my HSC board form, Raj sir teased me, hinting that a girl had punched me in the face.
Sitting on the second bench, I could feel the room's coldness creeping into my bones as Mohit sir droned on about electrostatics. I did my best to stay focused, even answered a few questions as he worked through the calculations for electric field intensities. But every fifteen minutes or so, I had to step out, trying to motivate myself to stay strong until Naira arrived. I had decided that the moment she saw me, I'd leave, even if it was before the second lecture ended.
As luck would have it, just when twenty minutes were left of the torturous lecture, the power went out.
I rushed out of the class in relief, silently praying that the electricity wouldn't come back soon. Aaryan waved me over from the library, asking me about the ongoing lecture. As I was about to leave, I saw Lea sitting a few seats ahead of him.
"What happened to you?"
"Huh?" I didn't catch her question the first time.
"Kya hua tujhe?" Lea always spoke softly, despite her slightly raspy voice.
"Are, woh, my cheek is swollen. I don't know what the problem is. I've got a high fever too... total mess."
"Why did you come then?"
I explained that I didn't want to miss any classes, which, surprisingly, was a bigger priority for me that day than even seeing Naira.
All the classrooms had emptied out, and exhaustion was evident on everyone's faces. As people from both batches passed by, they kept asking me about my cheek. I gave different answers to each one—telling some it was just swelling, while to others, I blamed bacteria.
Eventually, I decided to sit on the floor outside the Academy, shivering and rubbing my palms against my arms for warmth. I was waiting for Naira to arrive and, at the same time, hoping Ramesh and Piyush would stop pestering me to go home and rest. I finally stood up, unable to take their advice any longer, and decided to move to the staircase in front of the PNCF branch of our academy.
I slowly descended the stairs, aiming to sit where a narrow strip of sunlight barely touched the lower steps. Just as I reached my spot, Sushant saw me and sneered, "You're walking like someone just fucked you." I shot him a look but didn't bother replying. Ramesh taunted me again, this time with Lea standing beside him.
I ignored both of them, sinking into the warmth of the sun for a moment of relief. But soon enough, I stood up again, anxiety creeping in. What if Naira had already arrived in the classroom? I couldn't risk missing her.
As I walked back toward the entrance, I caught sight of a girl with thick, jet-black hair walking down the perpendicular corridor. It had to be Sanjana J.
Right then, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Papa, scolding me for attending classes despite my poor health. I quickly texted back, convincing him that attending that day's lectures was important and promising I'd take a day off the next day.
I could barely walk. By the time I reached the door of classroom number 8, Sanjana had already placed her bag inside and was on her way out. As we crossed paths, she squinted slightly, giving my face a puzzled look.
"What happened?" she asked, her expression filled with concern.
"Are woh…" I muttered, shaking my head. How many more people do I need to explain this to? I thought. My mind was too focused on seeing if Naira was already inside. But, remembering my manners and Sanjana's kindness, I quickly turned around and answered her.
"My cheek is swollen because of a bacterial infection," I explained briefly.
"Okayyy…" she replied, sounding somewhat unconvinced. I nodded and turned back toward the classroom, only to hear her voice again after a pause.
"Take care," she added.
I immediately turned around and, in the loudest voice I could manage that day, shouted, "Thank you!" But by then, she had already disappeared into the crowd, walking toward the main door, oblivious to my gratitude.
I entered the classroom. Naira wasn't there yet, but she could arrive any moment. I sat down at my usual spot despite enduring yet another argument with Ramesh and Piyush, who were still trying to convince me to go home and rest. Five minutes later, nearly everyone who had been loitering outside came back in.
Sanjana returned too, clutching her HSC board exam form, which she had just collected from Raj sir. She seemed unusually cheerful, excitedly mentioning that the form fee was only 900 rupees instead of the 1,800 she had expected. I couldn't help but chuckle when she mischievously revealed she had a 2,000 rupee note and planned to keep the extra money without telling her mom.
Her lighthearted attitude continued as she complained about the form being boring to fill. Lea chimed in, teasing her, asking if she would prefer more personal questions—like how many exes she had or something equally scandalous.
The classroom was still mostly empty, and I could hear Sanjana, Lea, and another girl chatting away. Sanjana asked about Sameer sir's lecture from the previous day.
"Tanish…," I turned as Sanjana asked me to explain what Sameer sir had said in his last lecture. I knew she'd need me there. Lizz not being able to brief Sanjana seemed pretty obvious, so Sanjana called me instead. As I finished explaining, people started returning to the classroom. The biggest friend group of Batch 1, which sat behind me, had everyone—Arjun, Lea, Aaryan, Sanjana, and Rushika—but Naira still hadn't arrived. That was weird. She rarely missed class when Sanjana was around.
I was hoping my efforts wouldn't go unnoticed when the door finally opened, and there she was. A single ponytail. Lea and Arjun were sitting right behind me where Naira and Sanjana usually sat, so Naira had to sit behind them. The worst part? She couldn't even see me from there.
To my surprise, she put down her bag but stayed standing, talking to everyone around her. My eyes were secretly watching her, waiting for her to look back at me.
"Haa...the one in RRR…with Ram Charan…I can't remember his name," Naira said. Their conversation was loud enough for me to hear. "He's got Jr. in his name…I don't remember the full name either," I added, seeing my chance.
"Haa, haa" Naira looked at me, nodded quickly, and then turned back to Sanjana, blinking her eyes.
"What the heck? Naira looked at me but didn't notice the plaster?"
I decided to stay quiet and sit back in my usual spot, waiting. Five minutes passed, and Naira was still standing, talking to people but not noticing me. I eventually looked away.
"Uh, Tuh-nish?"
"YES, finally!" I thought.
"Kya hua tujhe?" she asked, her eyebrows raised slightly, her big eyes showing that playful glint she was known for, with a faint smile like she assumed I wasn't that bad off. Maybe I looked fine to her.
"Are…there's a bacteria that caused swelling," I tried to keep it simple. She nodded and turned back to Sanjana before I even finished.
"She could've at least told me to take care, like the girl next to her did." The smile I had when I saw her faded. My health, which had improved a little, felt like it got worse again. Both ACs were on since the power came back, and sitting on the second bench, I was shivering. Sunny sir hadn't come in yet. The two girls in front of me suddenly moved to the third-last bench. I wondered why, but the only benefit seemed to be that it looked warmer there.
Ignoring any judgment from others, I grabbed my bag and sat behind them. I had just closed my eyes when Sunny sir walked in. He was the second one to joke about the plaster, asking if it was really a bacterial infection or if someone hit me, and I was hiding the injury. I quickly denied it, saying I'm all about non-violence. Then the conversation shifted to Paresh missing his NDA exam by six marks, and he started teasing Aaryan, who was in NCC. Meanwhile, Prashant kept interrupting, saying he'd take the NDA exam too, but only for fun. I cut him off, telling him to focus on the exam instead of bragging, which made everyone laugh—even Naira, who looked back at me.
We were supposed to continue with differential equations, but I'd already decided I wasn't going to study. I sat back, planning to nap while sir was at the front, only opening my notebook when he came to check on us. Naira and Sanjana's gossip caught my attention when I heard Naira mention my name. I asked what they were talking about, but both acted like it was nothing—Naira said it wasn't important, and Sanjana just shook her head. I let it go, assuming Naira was telling Sanjana about the rumors that I had a crush on her.
What snapped me out of my nap next were Paresh's squinted eyes staring at Sanjana. I slowly adjusted, rubbing my eyes, trying to see what was going on. Sanjana, who was always said to not give him any attention, wasn't even looking at him—she was either gossiping with Naira or focused on the board. Paresh, on the other hand, was glancing between her and the board, writing with his left hand. Then suddenly, he looked away, maybe realizing I'd caught him.
"Yes, it was a diff...," Naira whispered to the girl beside her.
"Wait, are you talking about differentiation?" I asked.
"Huh?" she turned to me.
"What are you two talking about?"
"I was telling her a story."
"Okay…well, be a little louder then, I want to hear it too." I shifted to the center of the bench to hear them better but quickly gave up on that and went back to resting against the wall. As I got comfortable, I forgot about the plaster and accidentally pressed my cheek into my palm, shouting in pain loud enough for Sunny sir to stop writing and look back.
While everyone returned to their books, I was quietly chanting in pain, only the two girls in front of me hearing.
"Tu theek hai?" Sanjana asked.
"Huh?" I hadn't heard her properly.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just pressed on my cheek and forgot about the plaster."
She nodded, patiently listening, one of her best traits.
The lecture finally ended, and I rushed to fill out the HSC form everyone had already submitted. I opened the image sir had forwarded and started entering my details. Everything was fine until I got to the section asking about individual, group, or institute categories. I turned to Sanjana for help since she was still with her group.
"You're an individual, right?" she pointed at the option. I nodded and ticked it.
"Okay, now put a cross there. You're not a divyang candidate, right?" she asked, and I agreed. She went on explaining the rest of the options, helping me with stuff like religious minority and caste. Even though I knew some, like the disabilities section, she still briefed me. Sanjana even dictated the subject codes, and I filled them in while she glanced between my form and Naira's group.
"Thanks a lot," I said, picking up the form.
"You're welcome."
I got up, grabbed my bag, and was about to leave when Sanjana called after me.
"Take care of yourself."
"Huh?"
"Take care," she repeated.
"Thanks."
"Tanish!" I looked over at the first bench and saw it was Ayaan. I'll forever be grateful I heard him right the first time, or else he'd have teased me again about only talking to girls and ignoring the guys. He was the last one to ask me about my cheek.
After submitting the form in sir's office, where I had to explain why I didn't write my father's name between mine and my surname, I headed out. The four girls were sitting on the lobby sofa, and I still had to collect the receipt for the previously submitted cheque. After wasting another ten minutes, I finally made it to the bus stop.
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Saturday, October 14, 2023
I found out I had tonsillitis, and it had gotten worse. Both my cheeks were swollen by then, and I was told to gargle with Betadine. Lying in bed, my whole body aching, I still found myself hoping for a text from Naira. Something like, "How are you, Tanish?" or "Are you okay now?" or even "Take care, Tanish." But deep down, I knew that was wishful thinking. Out of everyone who saw me the day before, Ramesh was probably the only one who'd actually text and ask how I was doing.
As I told Papa, I wasn't going to attend Sameer sir's lecture that day. I shared this on our WhatsApp group, and, as expected, Ramesh asked about me. The only thing that kept me excited for the day was the World Cup match between India and Pakistan. Originally set for October 15, it had been rescheduled a day earlier due to security concerns raised by the local police in Ahmedabad.
What seemed like a good batting pitch for Pakistan quickly turned disastrous as they lost two wickets for just 73 runs. Babar and Rizwan steadied the innings with an 80-odd run partnership, but once they were dismissed, the remaining six wickets fell like dominoes. Nasser Hussain's famous statement, "It is a disaster only Pakistan can manufacture," was all over social media. India cruised to victory, with Rohit Sharma lighting up the Narendra Modi Stadium with a stellar 86 off 63 balls, including six sixes.
It took me four days to recover from my illness, just enough to start walking again.
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Tuesday, October 17, 2023
"Bhai, tera ye jo face hai na, ye idhar se idhar aa gaya hai," Naira laughed, placing her bag on the bench behind me. She gestured with her hand under her chin, showing how the swelling had spread from my cheeks to my chin. Every time I moved my head, I could feel my chin moving like it was hanging.
"It's swelled up a lot," she repeated, clearly amused.
Sameer sir saw me outside and asked how I was doing. I regretted telling him that I hadn't visited the doctor. He noticed the swelling on my face had doubled and insisted on taking me to a doctor himself. I managed to convince him not to call my parents, promising I would see a doctor right after class.
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Friday, October 20, 2023
End of Tonsillitis and the Grand Garba
"Your face looks much better today. Uss din toh ekdum bhature jaise phool gaya tha," Sajit sir joked, comparing my swollen face to puffed-up bhature. By then, most of the swelling had gone down, but I still had a plaster on my cheek.
"Sir, do you like chole bhature?" I asked, since I happen to love them.
"No, it's too oily," he replied, dismissing my favorite food.
His lectures always involved discussions about things beyond academics—whether it was racism, regionalism, or even festivals. As Navratri was in full swing, he asked if any major Garba events were happening in Khandpur. We mentioned the Grand Garba event, and I remembered overhearing Naira and talking about it. Their group had planned to go but decided against it. Meanwhile, I was thinking of going solo.
Later that afternoon, I was sound asleep when I got a call from Mayanti and Arjun. I missed it but woke up two hours later to find a voice message from Mayanti asking if I wanted to join them for Grand Garba. I had already ditched the idea of going alone after Karan told me it was a couples-only event. Papa had even asked me a few days earlier if I had plans for Garba with friends.
I told her I was in, and she offered to pick me up from her building. I informed Maa, who was only concerned about the couples-only rule. She grew suspicious, even after I reassured her while dressing in my black kurta. I had to remove the plaster on my cheek before leaving.
I waited for ten minutes outside Maniti's building before she arrived, and from there, we headed to the Utsav Chowk Grand Garba. We met Rushika, Sai, and the B1 girls outside, while Arjun and Lea were on the other side.
Everyone seemed in high spirits, especially Manyanti, who said, "Only Naira and Sanjana were missing. It would have been even better with them here." I couldn't help but imagine Naira showing up in traditional attire, her smile lighting up the night.
Once inside, we formed small groups that gradually merged into one large circle. It was my first time playing Garba, and my coordination was terrible. I kept bumping into Sammy in front and Lea behind. They both tried teaching me the right steps, but I kept missing them. Every other turn, I'd glance around, half-expecting to see Naira's smile and laughter in the crowd.