chapter 6
"Aree tujhe yaha X ka value nikalna hai," Raj said, clearly irritated as I stared blankly at the maths problem Mr. Khadoos had given us. I mean, what kind of teacher gives homework that looks like it's straight out of NASA's launch manual?
(You have to Find the X value here)
Naturally, I turned to my brother aka Raj a.k.a Mr. I-Know-Everything, for help. But instead of explaining, he's making fun of me like it's some stand-up comedy show.
First of all, I don't like maths. And when I say I don't like something, it's serious like "please vanish from the Earth" serious. This subject doesn't just annoy me during exams, it haunts me at 2 AM when I'm trying to sleep in peace.
"Pehle toh maths nahi aata, upar se isme alphabets daal diye. Ab ABCD kahan se aaya bhai?" I muttered under my breath, glaring at the problem like it had personally insulted me.
(First I don't know maths Then They put Alphabet here)
"Tu solve karke toh dekh pehle," Raj said, pointing at my notebook like he was some maths guru. I shot him a death glare before asking the real question on my mind.
(Atleast try solving this first)
"Bas ek baat bata... who invented maths?
(Tell me something first who invented Maths?)
"Kyun?" Raj raised an eyebrow, obviously suspicious.
(Why?)
"Nahi, bas mil jaaye toh uska khoon kar doon. Apni life barbaad karke saare students ki zindagi mein dard bhar diya! Ek hi kaam tha, na karte toh kya bigad jaata duniya ka?"
I said dramatically, flailing my arms as if I was on stage.
Raj burst into laughter, clutching his stomach like I just cracked the joke of the century.
(No , just If i found him I'd Kill him)
"What? Why are you laughing? Do I look like a joker to you? Making joke??" I snapped, my eyes wide with mock outrage.
"Haha, no. You're not a joker... you're the whole circus! And I'm just the poor audience forced to attend daily," Raj said, still laughing like a maniac.
How. Dare. He.
"Ruko... bas Baba ko aane do," I said with a smirk, shutting my notebook with a thud. Raj froze, the color draining from his face. Ah yes, the power I hold. If Baba found out he was making fun of me instead of helping, Raj was finished.
(Just wait , I'll tell dad about it)
He jumped up like his seat was on fire, walked over, and gave me his best negotiation face.
"Chocolate or fiction books?" he offered, trying to save himself.
I pretended to think really hard, tapping my chin like a queen weighing her options. Then grinned wide.
"Books," I said, practically bouncing in excitement.
Raj sighed in relief while I celebrated my little victory. Maths may have won the battle, but I just won the war.
As my alarm screamed like a banshee, I groaned, already regretting staying up half the night solving those blessed Maths problems. Thanks to Mr. Khadoos, I'm now sleep-deprived and mentally scarred.
Letting out a long, dramatic yawn, I dragged myself out of bed and yanked open the curtains. Sunlight flooded in, making me squint like a vampire, but hey-at least I survived the night. Barely.
I caught my reflection in the mirror and smirked. Yep, still looking like a queen, even with panda eyes and wild hair. Confidence? Unshaken.
With that, I headed into the bathroom for a warm, soul-reviving shower. The hot water worked its magic, washing away the leftover sleep and a bit of my lingering Maths trauma.
Feeling fresh and fabulous, I stepped out, opened my wardrobe, and picked out my outfit for the day.
Since I was in a surprisingly good mood (because guess what?
No Maths class first thing in the morning = no Mr. Khadoos glaring at me like I'm public enemy number one), I went for my favorite look: classic blue jeans and a crisp white shirt, paired with my signature half ponytail, half-down hairstyle.
(Her outfit! What do you think? Don't forget to vote and comment if you haven't yet!)
I double-checked my bag, making sure I hadn't forgotten any assignments-because life's cruel and surprises you when you least expect it. Grabbing my phone, I headed downstairs where the family was already gathered for breakfast.
Baba had left early for an important meeting, leaving the house in peace. Raj, however, had taken a day off and was lounging at the table like he owned the place.
"Mujhe drop kar do na uni tak," I said sweetly, grabbing a bite of bread straight from his plate.
(Drop me to uni)
Raj raised an eyebrow. "Mere breakfast ka bhi chain chheen liya... aur ab lift bhi chahiye?"
(First you steal breakfast from me now you want lift?)
I gave him my best innocent face. "Bhai ho tum. Itni si help bhi nahi karoge?"
(You are my brother, you won't help me with this little thing?)
He sighed, knowing he was trapped. "Theek hai, le jaaunga. Par gaadi main no drama, samjhi?"
(Okay, I'll drop you, but No drama in Car , understand?)
I grinned. "Main aur drama? Kab?"
(Me and Drama? When?)
He rolled his eyes while I mentally did a victory dance.
As we walked out to the car, I couldn't help but feel the day might just go well no Maths, a free ride, and a full tummy. Life was good... until I opened my phone and saw a message from the uni gc .
Mr. Khadoos: "History Class in cancel so I'll be taking my Class. Don't be late"
I nearly tripped.
"RAJ! Start the car, emergency mode ON!"
Raj stared. "What now?"
"I'll explain on the way. Just drive like we're being chased by the cops!"
And just like that, peace was gone.
As Raj screeched the car to a halt in front of the university gate, I leapt out like a woman escaping for her life. I sprinted across the campus, dodging sleepy students and almost colliding with the peon uncle, then flew up the stairs to the second floor.
Bursting into the classroom, I scanned for him. Empty. Thank God.
The room buzzed with the usual morning chaos-friends gossiping, overachievers revising notes, and a couple of lovebirds acting like they were in a Bollywood movie. I walked straight to the middle row and settled into my usual spot.
See, I'm a proud middle bencher. Not nerdy enough for the front row, where students act like mini teachers, and definitely not laid-back enough for the last row, where people are more interested in snacks than notes. I'm perfectly in-between: invisible, safe, and unbothered.
As I began unpacking my notebook, hoping for a peaceful start to the day, a hush fell over the room.
Enter the villain.
Mr. Khadoos, in all his glory, walked in with his usual dark aura. His footsteps echoed in the suddenly silent classroom. His face? Expressionless. His energy? Intimidating. The man could probably scare a lion.
He set his things down on the desk and surveyed the room with cold precision. And then... his eyes landed on me.
Was it just me, or did his gaze soften for half a second? No, I must be hallucinating. Lack of sleep does weird things to people.
"Sit down, everyone," he commanded, his voice calm but deadly serious. The room immediately obeyed.
Then came the bombshell.
"Your History professor is on leave today," he announced. "I'll be taking this period instead."
The collective gasp that went through the class could've made headlines. People actually whimpered. I, on the other hand, blinked in horror.
This was not in my morning plan.
He turned to the board and began writing notes, his handwriting somehow as strict and sharp as his personality.
I leaned toward my friend Diya whom I met two days ago while playing in the rain ,and whispered, "Great. Just great. First, I survive Maths last night, and now this? What did I do in my past life to deserve this karma?"
Before she could respond, Mr. Khadoos turned around.
"You two. Something to share with the class?" His eyes locked on us.
I shook my head, heart pounding. "N-No, sir."
He raised an eyebrow. "Good. Then focus."
I sank into my seat, internally screaming.
Note to self: next time, don't challenge the universe. It fights back. Hard.
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