Miss Shetty and Mr Gupta

~Chapter 2~

~Starting 10th~

Isha's POV

The screech of my alarm clock, my worst enemy at the ungodly hour of 6:00 am, jolted me awake. These summer vacations had turned me into a complete night owl. Sleeping in until 1 am and waking up at 11 every day was pure bliss.

I dashed out of bed, the cool morning air sending a shiver down my spine. Emerging from the bathroom, a fluffy bathrobe wrapped around me, I looked at my neatly ironed uniform. Taking a deep breath, I mumbled, "This is going to be a long year, isn't it?" A knot of fear tightened in my stomach. Was it the new teachers? The fear of a heavy workload? Pushing those thoughts aside, I quickly pulled on the uniform.

After a light application of sunscreen, moisturizer and lip balm (thankfully, makeup wasn't my thing), I grabbed my bag and headed downstairs. Padma Aunty, our kind housekeeper, was already bustling about in the kitchen. I whispered a request for breakfast and help with my hair. I didn't want to disturb Mom and Dad's precious sleep. I watched my little brother happily head off to another week of summer vacation. I sighed looking at him and wished for more holidays of endless fun.

By 7:30, I was ready, breakfast finished and hair in a neat twisted ponytail. Stepping outside, I waited for Rishi, we used to go to our school together. Ravi Uncle, the familiar face behind the wheel of our car, pulled up with a smile. "Good morning, Ammayigaru," he greeted me using the respectful Telugu term for young women. "Rishi babu ekkada amma?" (Where is Rishi, young mistress?)

"Naaku theliyadhu, Uncle," (I don't know, Uncle) I replied, a sigh escaping my lips. Just as I was about to call him, Rishi emerged, a sheepish grin plastered on his face and a half-eaten Frankie in his hand.

"Sorry, I'm late," he whispered, offering a quick explanation.

"No worries, it's just five minutes," I assured him with a smile. We hopped into the car from opposite sides. Ravi Uncle started the engine. Unbuckling immediately, I settled my bag on my lap.

After ten minutes of cruising through the city streets, I rolled down the windows, the cool air entered the car. Leaning back, I was about to close my eyes and relax when a sudden jerk sent me lurching forward. Seatbelt? Never worn one. But thankfully, my head collided with something soft and warm instead of the hard leather seat in front of me .

Slowly peeking open my eyes, I saw a palm in front of me. Following my gaze, I realized it belonged to Rishi, who was looking at me with concern. "Are you alright?" he asked softly.

"I'm fine, thanks," I mumbled, a wave of relief washing over me. As I drifted back towards sleep, I felt a gentle tap on my arm. Opening my eyes, I saw Rishi offering me his other Frankie. "Thanks," I murmured, taking it gratefully. We munched on our breakfast in comfortable silence, the cityscape blurring past the windows.

"We reached school kiddos. All the best!" chirped Ravi Uncle as we pulled up to the familiar school building. Thanking him, we grabbed our bags and headed off to our classroom. The day had officially begun.

We entered the classroom, the excited chatter of students bouncing off the walls. Our friends held court at the back bench, greeting me with a mischievous, "Welcome to our realm!" .I chuckled at their dramatics and placed my bag by my seat.

Trisha, Maitri, and I were engrossed in a conversation about some random songs when Rashmi sashayed over and plopped down in our group. "I see that all the Drama Queens are here," she drawled, her voice dripping with fake sweetness.

I rolled my eyes, not bothering to give her the satisfaction of a reply. "takes one to know one." I countered dryly.  Before she could retort, I pressed on, "Why the silence, Rashmi? Has the Cat got your tongue?"