Karmic exam benchmate

Part-6

These are the extra incidents that happened with me and M which I forgot to mention earlier.

September 11 - Today, I sat on the first bench in the left corner, while M occupied the middle of the last bench. During class, M was chatting and laughing when suddenly, our tuition teacher's wife appeared and hit him for talking in class. I heard the hitting noise and, I turned to see who it was, realizing it was M. He continued laughing even after being hit. Tobriza teased, "Tonmo looks sad," insinuating that I was upset because M got hit which was not true. I just smiled and jokingly replied, "I want to hit you guys," to Tobriza and my other friends.

Later, as Bhumika, Monikha, and Stella went to eat Pani Puri, I spotted M nearby. We made eye contact before he boarded his bus home. While my friends indulged in Pani Puri, I waited for them to finish so we could go home together. Tobriza called me over to where she, my other friends, Romon, Pollob, and some 9th graders were gathered. She mentioned that Bhumika had remarked, "It would have been great if M was also here." Playfully, I scolded them, smiling all the while.

September 12 - Today, a 10th-grade girl entered our classroom, asking for five Assamese grammar textbooks. I sat on the first bench, in the corner of the right row. After the 10th graders' Assamese class ended, M entered our classroom alone to return the copies that the 10th grade girl took from us earlier. Me and M made eye contact as he was heading to our classroom, and he handed me the copy and left. Tobriza, who was erasing the blackboard at that time, reacted with a mischievous smile. Sushmita, noticing M's visit, asked me about the "elder brother" who had just come to our classroom was, while others who knew about M and me exchanged knowing smiles.

On our way to tuition with Urmila, I casually glanced back and saw the cringe guy, who used to flirt with me, walking behind us with his friends, smiling constantly. I covered my nervous smile with my hands, pulled Urmila closer, and urged her to walk faster. Meanwhile, M was walking a little ahead of us, heading towards a shop. As we approached the same shop, I told Urmila that the cringe guy was still following us. M overheard and glanced back, scanning the area to identify the person I mentioned. I described the cringe guy's colorful hair, clarifying that I was referring to someone else, not M so that M doesn't think that I am refering him as the cringe guy.

Later, as we walked to tuition, M and his friends followed behind us. Urmila and I led the group, with Monikha and Bhumika following behind. Suddenly, Monikha said to me, "Tonmo, you're walking so fast, slow down a bit," catching M's attention which made me and M have an eye contact. As she spoke, mentioning my name, M and his friends reacted with an amused "oooo."