HIDDEN LOVE (Part 2 of SECRET LOVE)

CHP 2

Karishma took attendance, her mind elsewhere, and as she turned to put the attendance register on her table, she noticed with a frown that her table wasn’t there. "Table kahan gayi hamari?" she asked the students, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Ma'am, vo trainee teachers aane wale hain na, to shayad office mein hi hain sari tables," one of the students explained casually, not sensing the sudden shift in their teacher's demeanor.

"Accha..." Karishma murmured, nodding slightly, but her thoughts were already drifting elsewhere.

"Aap attendance register dijiye, main office mein rakh aati hoon," a student offered helpfully.

But Karishma shook her head. "Nahi, ham khud rakh aayenge. Ham apna kaam khud karte hain. Hame kisi aur se apna kaam karwana pasand nahi," she replied with her usual sternness, but before she could move towards the office, a voice from the past rang out in her mind.

"Haseena, office se attendance register aur hamare locker se hamari book leke aao."

Karishma froze. The sound of her own voice from years ago, commanding her Haseena, echoed in her ears. She blinked several times, her chest tightening at the unexpected memory. She hadn’t thought of Haseena in so long... Why now? She shook her head, trying to brush off the sudden surge of emotions. "Ye aaj achanak hame uski yaad kyun aa rahi hai?" she muttered, her heart racing with a mix of confusion and unease.

As Karishma made her way to the office, each step felt heavier. She couldn't shake off the vivid images of her old student, her Haseena, always by her side, always eager to help. Had it really been that long? A strange fluttering began in her stomach, the sensation of something familiar yet distant stirring within her.

---

Meanwhile, just outside the school, Haseena stood at the entrance, gazing up at the building that held so many memories. Her heart swelled as nostalgia washed over her, each corner of the school pulling her back to a time when she was nothing more than a student, admiring her Karishma ma'am from afar. She swallowed hard, her throat tight with emotion.

The last day she had been here felt like a lifetime ago, and yet the memories were as fresh as yesterday. She could still picture Karishma ma'am standing at the corridor, the final moments of their parting etched into her mind like an old, cherished photograph. A lump formed in her throat as tears welled up in her eyes, catching her by surprise.

"Kya hua, teri aankhon mein aansu kyun hain?" Ishika’s voice broke through her reverie as she noticed the silent tear that had escaped down Haseena's cheek.

"Kuch nahi... apne school ka last day yaad aa gaya... jab aakhri baar unhe dekha tha," Haseena whispered, her voice trembling with the weight of the memory. She quickly wiped the tear away, trying to compose herself, but the flood of emotions was too strong. She had never expected to feel so overwhelmed by simply standing in front of her old school, but here she was, her heart aching with the longing of a thousand unspoken words.

Ishika gave her a soft smile, nudging her. "To ab ro mat, kyunki kuch hi time mein tu unhe fir se dekhne wali hai."

Haseena's lips curved into a shaky smile, her heart pounding with both excitement and fear. The thought of seeing her Karishma ma'am again after all this time... she couldn’t quite wrap her head around it. It felt unreal, almost like a dream.

As they stepped forward, Haseena’s eyes wandered over the familiar sights of the school campus. Each corner seemed to whisper memories, calling out to her. Every step she took pulled her deeper into the moments she had spent here, each one tinged with the presence of her Karishma ma'am. From the way she taught with such command to the small, unnoticed gestures that Haseena had quietly admired from the back of the classroom. The long conversations, the laughter, the quiet admiration she had always felt.