What after That?

Ch 51.

One of the school last days:-

The classroom hummed softly with the monotonous drone of the chemistry teacher explaining a sample question paper. 

Most students were either scribbling down notes or zoning out, but at the back of the room sat Ishan and Shubman, their heads down, pretending to focus on their notebooks.

In reality, their attention was nowhere near the teacher.

Ishan's eyes, locked onto Shubman's. His lips twitched as he tried—and failed—not to smile. 

Shubman, on the other hand, was grinning unabashedly, his dimple deepening as he gazed back at Ishan.

The teacher's voice continued in the background, oblivious to the silent conversation happening at the back of the room. 

Shubman suddenly raised his hand, inching it toward Ishan's face with a mischievous glint in his eye.

Before he could succeed in his attempt to boop Ishan's nose, Ishan's reflexes kicked in. He caught Shubman's hand mid-air and shot him a playful glare. 

His eyes practically screamed, Stop it! This is not normal classroom behavior!

Shubman, undeterred, leaned closer and whispered, "kya matlab ab koii seedha saadha banda touch bhi nahi kar sakta ? please let me-."

Ishan rolled his eyes, his lips curling into a small, exasperated smile. "Shubman, behave," he hissed under his breath.

"but your hairs are so touchable.." Shubman whispered back, feigning innocence as he wiggled his fingers in Ishan's grip.

Ishan tightened his hold, shaking his head firmly, though the corners of his mouth betrayed him. He quickly glanced at the teacher to ensure she hadn't noticed their antics, then gave Shubman a warning look that could have been intimidating if his cheeks weren't faintly pink.

Shubman chuckled softly, leaning back in his chair, his hand retreating in mock surrender. "how about a kiss? ," he mouthed, still smirking.

" pagal wagal ho kya shubman? " Ishan mouthed back looking around.

The chemistry classroom was silent, save for the sound of the teacher's irritated voice echoing through the room.

"Stand up, Shubman! Why are you talking?" the teacher demanded.

Shubman blinked, still smiling, as if he hadn't been caught red-handed. "Ma'am, I haven't said a word," he replied, his tone as innocent as he could muster.

"Oh, so now I'm lying?" she shot back, narrowing her eyes.

"No, ma'am, but I really didn't utter a word," Shubman insisted, holding his ground.

The teacher crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed. "So you were focused, then? Fine, answer this: Why is copper's electron configuration different than expected?"

Shubman hesitated for a beat before replying, "Maybe stability?"

"Maybe? And you were focused?" The teacher raised an eyebrow. "Get up from that seat and sit somewhere else."

Shubman frowned. "But why, ma'am?"

"Because I said so. And I don't want even the good students, like Ishan, to be influenced by fools like you."

That was the last straw for Shubman. His jaw clenched, and his fists tightened at his sides. "The subject itself is foolish!" he snapped. 

"First we make rules, and then we create exceptions. Isn't that stupid?"