Part 1: The Different routeThe van took a different route.I gazed out my window. Bright blue sky. Tall buildings. hadn't looked at that before.A tree with green leaves on one vertical half and dried leaves on the other. What kind of tree is this? I stared. Pretty weird. Is it alive or not? My mind boggled.The van driver slammed the brakes. The van jerked forward and back.A new girl got into the van. I didn't notice her. I was still gazing at the weird tree.I sat at the back. My cousin called me from the front. I glanced at ...Read More

Part 3: THUD! THUD!On the evening trip.My cousin Anika irritated me."Ahem!" She coughed, grabbing my attention. "At least I my friend to this new school." Insolence. Mild smile. She giggled."Haan!" exasperatedly I nodded my head."Let's see who that special person is." I stayed wonderment, but with resilience."Haan! " She smirked.The Next morning, I waited calmly for my cousin’s friend’s arrival in the van.Her arrival skipped due to her personal commitments.And my every expectations ends with a disappointment.One vivid, pleasant morning—clear sky, vibrant sunlight streaming through the windows—the van took a different route.I enjoyed gazing at new places. The cold ...Read More

Part 4: The Sunset“You might wonder why I was so shocked to see girls in my classroom.”“The boys and at this school were placed in separate blocks!!!”The moment I saw them.I hesitated to enter into my classroom.I was standing outside the classroom, leaning against the wall, when the PT sir prowled down the corridor. His heavy boots echoed like a countdown. I saw him. *Oh God, PT sir is on his rounds,* I panicked internally. He came toward me, his tone rude and clipped. "Why are you standing here?" he demanded."Sir, before I enter the classroom, I need to ...Read More

Part 5: Between What I Felt and What Was RealThat night didn’t feel like a dream.It felt like something *entered* me.I woke up gasping, my breath broken, my heart still running from something I couldn’t name. The room was still, but my mind wasn’t. Her face—glowing, unfamiliar, impossible—stayed behind my eyes like it had been burnt there.I lay there, unable to sleep, unable to escape it.One thought kept circling, tighter each time.*Why did both of them come to my classroom?*It didn’t feel random.It didn’t feel like a joke.So I did something I don’t usually do.I called Anika.She picked up.“Hello, ...Read More