**Anurag's flat — 11:30 a.m.**
The air in the room seemed to carry an invisible melody.
From the inner room, the sound of running water had started again. Anurag Sir was finishing his shower.
Sneha sat quietly. Her eyes were on the window outside, but her mind was somewhere else. She could feel a strange tremor in her chest—a mixture of emotions—shyness, curiosity, respect, and something unfamiliar… an attraction.
Suddenly, the image of Sir's wet form floated before her eyes. She had averted her gaze in embarrassment at the time, but the scene had etched itself into her mind.
Just then, Anirban Sir entered the room holding a cup of tea.
**Anirban**:
"Will you have tea, Sneha?"
**Sneha** (softly):
"No, Sir… I'm fine."
Anirban was about to say something when he stopped at the sound of footsteps behind him.
Anurag Sir entered the room with still-damp hair, wearing a light T-shirt and track pants. A faint fresh fragrance clung to him. There was no tiredness in his eyes—only a soft, calm expression.
The moment he saw Sneha, Anurag Sir said,
"You did well coming here. I'll explain the project to you properly today."
**Sneha**:
"Actually, you told me to come to your house if I needed help with the project, so I thought… I didn't expect your friends would be here…"
Anurag spoke with a reassuring warmth:
"They came over suddenly… We had a bit of a gathering last night, so they're still here this morning. But don't worry—you and I will only talk about your project. Anirban, can you bring that Class XI file from my desk?"
Anirban nodded and went to the other room.
The room fell quiet again.
Sneha had calmed down a little. She sat with her head lowered, holding her notebook.
**Anurag** (gently):
"Shall we start? 'Chemistry in Everyday Life'—that's the topic, right?"
**Sneha** (softly):
"Yes, Sir."
Anurag pulled a chair closer and sat down. He reached for Sneha's notebook and began reading through it.
**Anurag**:
"Through this project, we learn how chemical substances, medicines, hormones, artificial sweeteners, colours, cosmetics, and so many things are part of our daily lives. These aren't just textbook theories—they're deeply connected to our bodies and even our emotions. Take aspirin, or salicylic acid, for example—it reduces headaches, but you should also know the backstory behind how it works…"
Sneha listened attentively. At one point, her eyes got caught on Anurag Sir's lips—the way he spoke, the way he explained… and slowly, an inexplicable attraction began to form.
But just then, a burst of laughter floated in from the next room.
**Rahul** (whispering from a distance):
"Right now Anurag isn't taking a class—he's taking a romance class!"
**Shubhradeep**:
"Did you see how close they're sitting? Just looking at their faces, you can tell there's some chemistry there!"
**Swarnendu**:
"Seriously, Anurag still hasn't developed a crush on such a hot student?"
They continued their cheerful gossip.
---
Meanwhile…
Anurag Sir was teaching with full concentration. He drew diagrams on the pages of the notebook, asked questions about certain words, and explained everything in the simplest way possible—as though Sneha wasn't just a student, but someone close to him… perhaps even more than that.
**Anurag** (with a light smile):
"You know, every medicine affects not just the body, but the mind too. Take antidepressants, for example—they work according to their chemical structure to increase serotonin or dopamine in the brain. That's why people say chemistry isn't just science—it's part of life."
Sneha gazed at him in fascination. She might not have understood everything completely, but the eagerness to understand was clear in her eyes.
**Sneha**:
"Sir, you explain things so beautifully! Reading from the book never makes it this clear… When you explain, it feels like I'm listening to a story…"
Anurag smiled gently:
"If studying can feel like listening to a story, then learning becomes something you love, doesn't it?"
Sneha nodded lightly and suddenly became a little lost in thought—wondering why looking at this man's face felt so good.
Two hours passed.
**Anurag** (checking his watch):
"You must be tired… Want something to eat? I haven't had lunch yet either."
**Sneha** (shyly):
"No, Sir, I'm okay."
**Anurag**:
"Okay? I know very well how little attention you pay to yourself! Come on, let's eat together."
Sneha couldn't say anything more.
---
**Dining table — Around 2 p.m.**
The table was laid with rice, dal, aloo bhaja (fried potatoes), egg curry, and lemon. Anurag Sir's cooking was simple, but it carried the touch of care. Sneha ate quietly, occasionally glancing at Anurag Sir—as if seeking reassurance, as if his mere presence gave her comfort.
But at the other end of the table, Anurag Sir's friends were in a completely different mood.
**Rahul** suddenly said:
"Your name is Sneha, right? As sweet as your name! Class Eleven, you said??"
Sneha nodded quietly.
**Shubhradeep**:
"What subjects have you taken?"
**Sneha**:
"Physics, Chemistry, Biology…"
**Swarnendu** suddenly laughed:
"Oh, so you have to study day and night! Just looking at your face, anyone can tell you're a very serious student."
Sneha kept her eyes lowered.
**Swarnendu** (in an admiring tone):
"Your voice is so soft… Do you sing?"
Sneha was slightly startled:
"No… I mean… I haven't learned…"
[Swarnendu is actually a singer at heart, though it has remained just a hobby—he hasn't turned it into a profession yet. He hasn't started earning from it.]
**Shubhradeep**:
"But the way you speak is like storytelling… very clear, pleasant to listen to."
**Rahul** suddenly blurted:
"What do you do on holidays? Go out? Read books or watch movies?"
**Sneha** paused for a moment before replying:
"I read books…"
**Jitendra** (with a light smile):
"Your name is really beautiful… calm and gentle, just like you. Where do you live, Sneha?"
**Sneha** (hesitantly):
"I… near the Banyan tree area by 32 Number Road."
**Jitendra**:
"Oh! I go there sometimes. There's a studio near your house, right?"
Sneha gave a small nod.
[Jitendra dreams of becoming a photographer, but that dream is still just a dream. He hasn't yet found direction in life.]
**Swarnendu** suddenly asked:
"What kind of songs do you listen to, Sneha? Romantic or sad? I was thinking—if we could hear your playlist sometime…"
Anurag Sir was quietly chewing his food, but he seemed to be having trouble swallowing. Why were all his friends so drawn to Sneha today?
Anirban felt bad for Anurag. He knew—even if Anurag didn't say it out loud—that he liked Sneha.
Sneha didn't know what to say.
**Rishikesh** leaned forward a little:
"Do you like the egg curry or the aloo bhaja more?"
Sneha looked at him in surprise and didn't answer.
[Rishikesh works part-time as a chef in a hotel.]
**Shubhradeep** tried again:
"Do you draw? I'd love to paint your portrait one day—if you're okay with it…"
[Shubhradeep dreams of becoming a big artist someday.]
Sneha began to feel uncomfortable. Nothing like this had ever happened to her before.
**Swarnendu** leaned in again:
"What kind of books do you like?"
**Rahul** piped up:
"Are you on Instagram? Can I find you there?"
**Swarnendu** again:
"This Sunday a few of us are going to a fair… If you want, come along—just tell Anurag. It'll be fun."
Shubhradeep's eyes kept drifting to the pendant around Sneha's neck.
Becoming a little bolder, **Shubhradeep** said:
"Sneha, that pendant around your neck is really pretty. Did you buy it yourself, or did someone give it to you?"
Sneha now felt distinctly uneasy. The smile had vanished from her face. She looked once toward Anurag Sir with innocent eyes—because the truth was, the pendant had been given to her by Anurag Sir himself.
Anurag Sir had been silently watching Sneha the whole time. The way his friends were speaking was steadily building discomfort inside him.
He had stayed quiet until now—but he couldn't anymore.
**Anurag Sir** (sternly):
"Enough. Stop it now."
At the sound of Anurag Sir's voice, everyone froze. Anirban realised Anurag had finally lost his temper.
**Anurag Sir**:
"The girl is sitting here trying to eat. She's young, and all of you are bombarding her with one question after another—her taste in music, her playlist, Instagram, even who gave her the pendant around her neck…"
**Swarnendu** (awkwardly):
"Hey Anurag, come on, friend… why are you getting so angry? We were just joking around."
**Anurag Sir** (holding back his anger):
"Joking? It looks to me like you've all started a competition to see who can get her attention first."
Sneha had been sitting silently until now. She flinched slightly. She felt terrible that because of her, Sir was speaking so harshly to his friends.
**Rahul** (slowly):
"Look, bro… we should have understood. We made a mistake. None of us wanted to make her uncomfortable."
Anurag said directly:
"Stop asking her questions repeatedly. And if anyone doesn't understand that, there's no need for them to stay in my house."
Silence fell over the room.
Sneha had never imagined Sir would get this angry.
**Anirban** now said softly:
"Everyone, finish eating."
Anurag's friends were completely stunned. One by one, they quietly resumed eating.
**To be continued…**