It was the 5th of January, a winter morning that carried both chill and
warmth in its air. The visitor's room was dimly lit, the pale sunlight filtering through the old glass panes. I was there for something ordinary - a clerk's signature in my fees book. But that room would change everything.
Bhaswati was sitting there, too, leafing through some papers. She looked up, her eyes sharp yet mischievous.
"Won't you talk to Sneha?" she asked suddenly, as if she had been waiting for the right moment.
My throat went dry.
"I will," I said, though the words shook inside me.
"When?" she pressed, tilting her head, almost teasing.
I looked down at the scuffed tiles, searching for courage. "Please… do something. Bring her near the S.U.P.W. room."
Bhaswati chuckled. "That's too far."
I panicked, desperate for a place that felt less intimidating.
"Then… near Class 12."
She studied me for a second, then gave the smallest nod. "Okay."
That afternoon, my legs trembled as I stood near Class 12, the corridor echoing with laughter and footsteps that felt miles away. The sun slanted through the windows, casting long shadows on the tiled floor, but all I could feel was the storm inside me. Then, like a scene unfolding in slow motion, I saw them.
Bhaswati walking toward me with Sneha. My breath caught. Sneha. Her presence, so familiar yet distant, stirred a thousand memories I wasn't ready to face. My heart pounded against my ribs, each beat louder than the last. I wanted to be brave, to hold my ground, to smile even - but my fear swallowed me whole. The weight of unspoken words, of years tucked away in silence, pressed down on me. I turned my back, not out of anger, but out of helplessness. I wasn't ready. Not yet. Not with my heart still tangled in the past.
"Cazal! Cazal!" Bhaswati called, her voice chasing me.
I stopped. I closed my eyes. What's the worst that can happen? I whispered to myself. The air felt heavy, my chest tight, but somehow, I turned back.
And suddenly, there she was.
Sneha.
Her presence silenced everything else. I saw only her face - calm, gentle, glowing in the faint afternoon light.
"Sneha, this is Cazal," Bhaswati said with a smile, almost like she was weaving magic.
I swallowed, words fighting their way out. My voice cracked, but I managed:
"Sneha… will you be my friend?"
For a second, the world held its breath.
She looked at me, her eyes soft, her lips curving into the slightest smile.
"Okay."
I repeated, almost in disbelief, "Okay."
And before I could fall apart, I turned and hurried away - my heart exploding, my feet barely touching the ground.
Back in class, I was alive in a way I'd never been before. Every breath felt lighter, every sound brighter. I laughed, I shouted, I danced inside my own chest. It was as if heaven had cracked open for me.