School Redux

Paths Intertwined

Dawa sat quietly at his desk, his attention divided between the teacher's lecture and the subtle whispers of his classmates. The classroom buzzed with activity, the air thick with anticipation as the teacher announced the arrival of a new student.

"Everyone, let's welcome a new student to our class who transferred from section 'B'." the teacher exclaimed, clapping his hands with enthusiasm. " Come on. Introduce yourself to your new classmates."

"My name is Neeraj koirala. I am from Morang."

As Neeraj introduced himself with a simple yet direct statement, Dawa couldn't help but feel a sense of curiosity mixed with apprehension. What had prompted this seemingly rebellious student to transfer to their class?

But anyway, the new student should have a wild entry card.

The teacher's eyes locked instantly on Dawa, who was staring at Neeraj. "Why don't you sit with Dawa? He is ranked first in our class."

The teacher, oblivious to the underlying tension in the class, suggested that Neeraj sit with Dawa, citing Dawa's top rank in the class.

"Teacher, there is no space for an additional student." Nischal raised his hand and protested.

The teacher nodded. It would feel crowded if another student was added to the three-seater bench.

"Let's do this, then."

The teacher came to the two-seater bench that was used at that moment by only one student and let him sit with them in the back.

"Dawa and Neeraj can sit here together."

Nischal made a face at the teacher's back and Samir looked very upset. They had been sitting together for three years, and it was hard for them to accept it.

Dawa sighed inwardly as he reluctantly rose from his seat, making his way to the front of the classroom where Neeraj had been assigned to sit with him.

As he settled into his new seat, he stole a glance at his new deskmate.

Neeraj sat slouched in his chair, his expression unreadable as he stared straight ahead.

He turned his head as if he realized that he was being closely stared at.

"What are you doing here?" Dawa was curious. Actually, Section 'A' was a class where students had superb grades. It was hard to get into this class without any specialty in subjects.

Not to belittle his new deskmate, but he really didn't look like someone who was into his studies.

"What? Don't want me here?" Neeraj pursed his lips and adjusted his position once again facing forward.

Dawa chuckled and shook his head. "Well, welcome to our class."

"Nothing worth welcoming to", Neeraj supported his chin with his hand and slowly faced toward him. " And I don't feel welcomed."

Dawa smiled, feeling a little fun. He didn't expect Neeraj to be so straight forward. It would be a lie if he said that Neeraj was accepted by his classmates.

Dawa tilted his head and said with a smile "I don't know about others, but I definitely want you here."

Dawa was sincere about it. It seemed like he was much more nosy and curious after reliving life for the second time. It was good that he would know one more person who could potentially become his friend.

Neeraj stiffened and gave no reply as his hand shifted position, blocking his face from Dawa.

Soon the teacher resumed his lessons. Dawa was not very interested in listening to the teacher talking about English grammar rules. He was always good at English and the teacher taught very basic things which were boring for him.

As Dawa's attention waned during the English grammar lesson, he found his gaze drifting towards Neeraj, his new deskmate.

Dawa couldn't help but stifle a chuckle as he observed Neeraj, who had succumbed to the boredom of the English grammar lesson and fallen asleep. Neeraj's head was tilted slightly to the side, his breathing steady and peaceful, oblivious to the teacher's monotonous voice droning on in the background.

He glanced at the teacher, who had indeed noticed Neeraj sleeping but appeared to be choosing to overlook it. Now, he will even believe it if someone says that Neeeraj is the principal's son.

With a small smile playing on his lips, Dawa turned his attention back to the sleeping figure beside him.

With a subtle shift in his posture, Dawa leaned slightly towards Neeraj.

As Dawa leaned closer to Neeraj, he found himself captivated by the delicate features that he hadn't paid much attention to before. Neeraj's golden-colored hair caught the sunlight streaming through the window, casting a halo around his head, and his features seemed almost ethereal in the soft glow.

He had to say that he had never seen a boy with such a pretty face as this one.

"Dawa, tell me where the sentence should be corrected?" the teacher suddenly asked Dawa, who was lost in thoughts.

Dawa cleared his thoughts and looked at the board where the teacher had written 'Neither of the students in the class are able to solve the problem.'

" Neither is a singular pronoun here, so we should use 'is' instead of 'are'."

Impressed by Dawa's quick response even if he didn't pay attention to the class, the teacher nodded in approval. "That's correct, Dawa. Well done," he said, acknowledging Dawa's astuteness.

Dawa sat down relieved. He patted his forehead with his knuckles, his mind still reeling from the unexpected detour his thoughts had taken.

Glancing at the sleeping beauty beside him, he couldn't help but feel a sense of intrigue and admiration. At that moment, he didn't dwell on the appropriateness of his thoughts; after all, everyone appreciates beauty, and he was no exception.

Nischal and Samir came to him as soon as the bell rang for the end of school.

"Dawa, why do you think this guy is here?" Nischal whispered after carefully glancing at the sleeping boy, his tone tinged with curiosity.

"I don't know." Dawa shrugged his shoulders. How would he know when Neeraj had refused to answer him?

Samir chimed in, his expression thoughtful. "But he seems different than I thought."

Dawa raised an eyebrow at Samir's comment "Different in what way?"

Samir hesitated to answer. He first confirmed that Neeraj was still sleeping and whispered "I thought that he would have a fight as soon as he arrived."

Dawa's eyebrows furrowed in surprise at Samir's unexpected comment. He hadn't anticipated such a blunt assessment from his friend.

"A fight?" Nischal echoed, his voice barely above a whisper as he glanced towards Neeraj to ensure he was still asleep. "Why would you think that?"

Samir shrugged, his expression conflicted. "I don't know," he admitted quietly. "I guess I just expected him to be... I don't know, more aggressive, maybe?"

Nischal nodded. "I also didn't think that he would spend his first day so silently."

Dawa chuckled softly, finding amusement in the differing perspectives of his friends.

From their short acquaintance with Neeraj, it seemed that they had already formed their own opinions about him. But for Dawa, Neeraj appeared to be nothing more than a shy and somewhat awkward boy who struggled to express his feelings.

"But anyway, the teacher did us dirty by directly separating you from us." Nischal whined.

Dawa chuckled at Nischal's playful complaint, understanding his friend's sentiment. "Yeah, it does feel a bit odd being separated after all these years," he admitted with a shrug.

"You lost the bet. I am craving sekuwa." Samir's smirk widened, looking at Nischal, who almost cried without tears.

Nischal's expression morphed into one of exaggerated despair as he realized the consequences of his loss. "My money!" he exclaimed dramatically, clutching his head in agony.

Dawa declined Samir's invitation and leisurely packed his bag.