The Paining Guest

The last period

Hi! It's been a week since I last saw you, Matara. Where have you been, dear? You've been missed! Love, Miss Esmeralda, my English teacher and a guiding presence in my life, asked with her usual warmth.

I hesitated for a moment before answering. "I was out for the week, ma'am, due to my mother's health. She's still not improving, despite the treatments..." I couldn't help but let the exhaustion show in my voice.

"Oh, poor child! I'll pray for your mother. Come see me in the church hall during the last period," Miss Esmeralda offered kindly.

She was like a fairy godmother to me, always offering guidance when I needed it most.

"Thank you, Miss. I'll come," I promised.

After my father's death in service as Captain Raghavendra Pratap Singh, my mother and I left Delhi and started anew in Nainital. My mother, now a teacher at the army school, suffers from chronic depression and arthritis, which worsens by the day. As for me, I struggle to adapt to life in this new city. Being an introvert isn't easy, and I often find myself struggling with simple things—making eye contact, speaking up, talking to strangers, and even making friends.

The day passed with the usual classes. During a break, my only true friend in college, Asmara, waved me over with her signature grin.

"Hey, Matty! Long time no see! How's your mom?" she asked.

Asmara is my rock—an army kid just like me, and the daughter of my father's best friend. She's everything I'm not—popular, confident, and adored by everyone. Yet somehow, we've always clicked.

"She's doing better now, all in control," I replied.

"Here, take your homework and class notes. Don't need to thank me," Asmara teased.

"You're my savior, Aam! But wait, how did you get all this done? It's math, and I know how much you hate it!"

"Actually, it wasn't me. Rohan helped you. He's had a crush on you since you joined. He did all your work." Asmara's teasing made me blush, but my eyes instinctively darted to Rohan, the playboy of our class, sitting in the back.

My stomach turned. "Wait, did you tell him about my mom?" I asked.

"Nope! I was trying to do the work when Rohan showed up and offered to help. How could I refuse the 'Maths God'?" Asmara shrugged.

I felt a little less embarrassed now. Maybe Rohan had been kind, not just for me but because he genuinely wanted to help.

The rest of the day was uneventful for me. I tend to stay invisible in class, content to blend in. The only time I stand out is when someone needs academic help, since I'm one of the top students on a 100% scholarship.

The last period arrived, and my heart started pounding. I was finally going to talk to Miss Esmeralda, my one true support. She greeted me with that same bright smile of hers, and I sat down, nervous but ready to open up.

"Matara, what's going on in your life?" she asked, reading my anxious expression perfectly.

That was all it took for the tears to flow. I spilled my heart out, telling her about my mother's need for a transplant, the overwhelming costs, and the struggles we were facing.

"I don't know how to handle this," I said, choking on my words. "We only have my father's pension, and the transplant will cost 50,000 rupees upfront, with yearly follow-ups. I don't know how we'll manage."

Miss Esmeralda listened in silence, but then, to my surprise, she smiled.

"Why are you smiling?" I asked, feeling confused. This was serious, wasn't it?

"Oh, my dear child, you're crying like the world is ending. But Matara, have you ever looked at your house and its location?" she asked with a knowing smile.

I was puzzled. "What do you mean, ma'am?"

"Matara, your house is in the heart of Nainital, between two major universities, right?" she said.

I remembered all the times college students had parked in front of our house, making noise and disrupting my peace.

"Yes, but how does that help me?" I asked, still not understanding.

"Why don't you post an ad for paying guests?" Miss Esmeralda suggested. "You're living in a prime location. I'm sure you can rent out some rooms and make a good amount of money."

I stared at her, realization dawning on me. I had several vacant rooms in our house, and renting them out could help cover my mom's medical expenses. It had never occurred to me.

A surge of hope rushed through me. I nearly jumped out of my seat and ran to her, enveloping her in a tight hug. "Thank you, Miss Esmeralda! You've just saved us!"

She smiled, her hand gently resting on my head. "God bless you, my child."

And in that moment, I knew that somehow, everything was going to be okay.

AUTHORS NOTE: HEY GUYS!!!!  I'm really excited about this story because this story held a lot of my own life's part, please like, share, comment below. hope it can bring some smile to your faces. A very new plot is going to happen in the next chapter. Stay tuned lovelies.