On the Other Side
It's 4:30 in the afternoon.
As soon as the final school bell rang, the corridors of Pratapnagar Girls' High School came alive with the vibrant chatter of students. Laughter echoed from some corners, others hurriedly waved goodbye before rushing off. A few lingered, whispering animatedly as if they wouldn't be coming back tomorrow.
Yet amid all this noise, a strange silence seemed to surround Sneha.
She stood quietly by one side of the school gate.
The sky had been heavy all morning, wrapped in an unusual, somber gray. During class, bolts of lightning had shaken the windowpanes again and again. And now, just as the day ended, a sudden torrential downpour had begun, howling in the wind.
Sneha stood alone. Her aunt was supposed to pick her up, but she hadn't arrived yet. Her schoolbag was damp, her clothes clung to her skin, and the chill made her shiver repeatedly.
Everyone else seemed to have already left. One by one, the girls had gone home, their umbrella-clad guardians escorting them through the rain.
The area outside the gate had nearly emptied out.
Just then...
— "You're still here?"
The voice from behind was soft, deep.
Sneha slowly turned around.
It was Anurag Sir.
He held an umbrella in one hand, a familiar gentle look in his eyes. His white shirt and black pants gleamed slightly in the wet air. His eyes mirrored the weather—soft, overcast.
— "Didn't you bring an umbrella?"
he asked.
Sneha shook her head. A droplet slid down her cheek.
Sir noticed that Sneha's white shirt, now wet, faintly revealed her red bra underneath. He felt a little awkward. Seeing his discomfort, Sneha also blushed slightly.
Sir slowly stepped closer, holding the umbrella over her head.
— "Come. The rain's not going to stop soon. Let me walk you home."
Sneha hesitated.
— "No, sir… My aunt is coming. She's just a little late, I think."
Sir, a bit possessive, said gently,
— "Alright then, at least stay under the umbrella. Why stay out in the rain?"
Just then, they spotted a woman hurrying toward the gate under an umbrella.
Sneha's face lit up with joy.
— "My aunt is here!" she whispered.
The woman came closer and exclaimed,
— "Sneha, sweetheart, sorry I'm late!"
Then her eyes fell on the man holding the umbrella beside her niece.
— "So this is why she didn't get completely soaked! She's hopeless when it comes to taking care of herself. Thank you, Sir. You must be one of the teachers?"
Anurag Sir gave a warm smile and introduced himself.
---
A little later...
While taking Sneha home, her aunt brought up the topic of Anurag Sir.
— "You know, I don't think I've seen that handsome teacher before. When did he start at your school?"
Sneha replied, "Just recently."
Her aunt, full of praise, added,
— "He seemed very polite too. Good manners go a long way."
---
After 8 PM
Sneha's aunt, Nitu, entered the room with a glass of milk.
Sneha was quietly sitting on her bed, absentmindedly flipping her phone.
"I'll talk in a bit, Kaki. Just want to do a quick video call with Ma."
Nitu smiled, "Alright, sweetheart. But drink the milk while it's hot."
The room was dim except for the table lamp casting light on Sneha's face.
As the video call rang, her mother's face appeared on the screen—calm, filled with familiar tenderness.
Next to her, a little face popped up in the frame—her seven-year-old brother, Souhardya.
"Didi! Didi! I put on my own clothes today! Look!"—he said, lifting his shirt to his chin.
Sneha laughed, "Oh please! Did you wear your pants right, or just showing off the shirt?"
Embarrassed, Souhardya stepped back.
Ma laughed, "He thinks he's all grown up now. Spent the whole day saying he's not a baby anymore!"
Tears welled up in Sneha's eyes. She hadn't seen her brother's face in so long—his laughter, his mischief—all seemed so far away now.
"Did he go to school today?"
Sneha asked.
"Yes, dear," her mother replied. "He even told his teacher, 'My sister lives all alone in the city and studies at a big school. That's why I don't cry anymore.'"
Sneha chuckled, but her heart suddenly felt hollow. Only in such moments did she truly realize how much she loved Souhardya.
"Tell him I'll come visit next month if I can get a leave. I've grown up too, you know—I have to teach now. Let Kaki know I'm always buried in books and notebooks!"
Souhardya appeared on screen again.
"Do you still sing that good night song that used to put me to sleep?"
Sneha paused and said,
"I'll sing it again when you rest your head on my lap and sleep."
Souhardya looked serious.
"Come back home. I really miss you."
Sneha didn't say anything. She just kept looking at the screen. Her eyes glistened.
And her mother softly said,
"Don't break down, Ma. Your father keeps saying—you'll go far in life. Even Souhardya will be proud of you someday."
Looking at the screen, Sneha softly whispered,
"Take care, Ma. Tell Baba to watch his health. And Souhardya, behave a little, okay?"
Souhardya smiled,
"You'll read to me again when you're back, every day."
The light on the screen dimmed slowly.
The video call ended.
Sneha sat on her bed, staring out the window.
The city's lights, the noise—it all felt like a distant hum.
But her brother's face, that smile—it lingered in her eyes.
Sneha made a silent promise to herself—
No matter what, she would continue her studies, build a future.
Because she knew, Souhardya was growing up thinking of his sister as someone big—someone special.
She opened her books and began to study.
---
Two hours later
As she lay on her bed and rested her head on the pillow, the image of that afternoon came flooding back—
Anurag Sir holding the umbrella over her in the rain.
His damp hair, the soft drops of water glistening on him, and that gentle, caring expression on his face.
Even with her eyes closed, Sneha could still see that moment—
Sir looking at her, making no effort to fix the damp hair hanging over his forehead.
That gaze… it was like still water—calm and deep—as if he could read minds.
Something within her had fluttered at that moment.
How handsome he looked—just like one of those movie heroes.
His sharp features were beautiful, but even more captivating was his politeness, the gentle way he spoke. He wasn't very talkative in class, but when he did speak, his words carried a quiet charm.
As if it wasn't the words, but the gaze that spoke volumes.
Sneha realized that an unknown curiosity was blooming within her.
What were Sir's favorite things?
What did he do on weekends?
What was he like as a child?
Had he ever looked at someone the way he looked at her?
Did he have a girlfriend?
She didn't understand why she was thinking all this.
To be continued…