Chapter 11: High School Days (Pt. 1)
The classroom buzzed with chatter as students exchanged notes, discussed assignments, and occasionally gossiped about their classmates. Shyam, as always, sat at the far end of the classroom, his head buried in a book that had nothing to do with the current lesson. His two closest friends, Arjun and Kabir, were seated on either side of him, whispering about something that caught their attention at the front of the class.
"Do you think Raitha's looking at him again?" Kabir smirked, his voice low enough to escape Shyam's ears but not Arjun's.
Arjun gave a subtle nod, glancing toward the front row where Raitha sat. Her posture was perfect, her hair neatly tied back, but her eyes occasionally darted to the back of the class.
"Without a doubt," Arjun whispered. "She's been sneaking glances at him for weeks now. Don't tell Shyam, though. You know how he gets."
Kabir grinned. "Oh, I wouldn't dream of it. Watching him remain oblivious is half the fun."
Shyam looked up from his book, puzzled by their muffled chuckles. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing," Kabir said too quickly, waving it off.
Shyam shrugged and returned to his book, unfazed. He was used to their antics by now.
---
Raitha, on the other hand, was caught in a whirlwind of emotions. She had never been the type to crush on someone silently, yet here she was, stealing glances at Shyam like it was a compulsion. It didn't help that he was completely unaware of her existence beyond polite greetings or the occasional "excuse me" when passing by.
Her friends often teased her about her lack of courage. "Just talk to him," one of them suggested during lunch.
"Yeah, what's the worst that could happen? He ignores you?" another chimed in, laughing.
Raitha forced a smile, her heart racing at the thought. It wasn't that simple. Shyam was different. He wasn't like the other boys who fawned over her or tried too hard to impress her. He was genuine, quiet, and, for some reason, completely disinterested in her popularity. That was what made him so intimidating—and so captivating.
---
The school day dragged on, and by the time the final bell rang, Shyam was more than ready to leave. He packed his bag quickly, eager to avoid the after-school rush.
"Hey, aren't you coming to the canteen?" Kabir asked, slinging his arm over Shyam's shoulder.
"I'm not hungry," Shyam replied.
"Liar," Arjun teased. "You just don't want to deal with the crowd."
Shyam smiled faintly, not denying it.
As they made their way down the corridor, they passed Raitha, who was standing by her locker. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Shyam, but she quickly averted her gaze, pretending to be engrossed in her books.
"Did you see that?" Kabir whispered to Arjun, nudging him.
"Classic Raitha move," Arjun said, shaking his head. "When will she just admit it?"
Unbeknownst to them, Raitha's resolve was slowly breaking. She was tired of being a silent observer in her own story.
---
The next day, during gym class, fate seemed to intervene. The teacher paired the students for a basketball drill, and by some twist of luck—or perhaps mischief on the teacher's part—Raitha was partnered with Shyam.
"Let's just get this over with," Shyam muttered, tossing her the ball.
Raitha nodded, her palms sweating. She struggled to meet his eyes, focusing instead on the ball as she dribbled and passed it back to him.
Despite the awkwardness, their movements synchronized surprisingly well. For a brief moment, it felt like they were in their own world, the chatter of the gym fading into the background.
When the drill ended, Shyam gave her a polite nod before walking away. It wasn't much, but to Raitha, it was everything.
---
Later that evening, as Shyam sat at his desk, jotting down notes for an upcoming test, Arjun and Kabir's words echoed in his mind.
"Raitha's been looking at you, man. Are you seriously not going to do anything about it?"
He shook his head, dismissing the thought. "They're just messing with me," he muttered to himself.
But deep down, he couldn't shake the feeling that maybe—just maybe—they were right.