The maths classroom was hot. Stuffy. The kind of heat that made your brain melt and your eyelids heavy.
Bansi Sir was screaming. As usual.
"THIS! Is! The! WORST! Class! I! Have! Ever! SEEN!"
Each word came with a chalk tap on the board. Tap. Tap. TAP.
I tried to focus. Really tried. But the everything was going above my head. My mind kept drifting to Trayaksh. To the 4th years who looked at him with cold eyes. To the whispers I didn't understand.
Bansi Sir threw his hands up.
"Do you know, when the 4th years were in 1st grade, they were WAY better than you! I have NEVER seen a worse class than yours!"
Something clicked in my head.
The 4th years. He taught them. He would know.
At the end of the lecture, as students shuffled out, I approached his desk.
Mukund raised an eyebrow. Ruchi mouthed "What are you doing?"
I ignored them.
"Bansi Sir... can I ask you something?"
He looked up, still annoyed. "What? "
"Trayaksh. The 4th year. You taught him, right?"
His face changed. The annoyance faded. Something like... pride? Respect?
"Oh, Trayaksh." He almost smiled. Almost. "Best student I ever had. Hardworking. Attentive. Always answered every question. Always scored full marks in tests."
He pointed his chalk at me.
"Your class should take inspiration from him. If you had half his dedication, maybe—MAYBE—you'd pass my exams."
I nodded quickly and left before he could start another lecture.
Next period was physics. Guru Tejas was already writing equations on the board when we rushed in.
Forty-five minutes of torture. Formulas. Derivations. Surprise questions.
At the end, I approached him too.
"Guru Tejas... about Trayaksh? The 4th year?"
He paused, surprised by the question. Then his stern face softened.
"Trayaksh." He nodded slowly. "God-gifted child. Truly. His observing skills... his visualizing ability... I've rarely seen anyone understand physics so intuitively."
He looked at me directly.
"He didn't just memorize formulas. He understood them. That's rare. That's special."
I walked away with more questions than answers.
Everyone loves him. Teachers adore him. So why...
We were heading toward the cafeteria when Mukund grabbed my arm.
"Stop."
He pointed.
Samarth bhaiya and Trayaksh bhaiya stood near the entrance, talking. Alone. Serious.
Ruchi's eyes widened. "Let's get closer."
We crept behind a long counter table, low to the ground, hearts pounding. The table smelled like old food. I tried not to breathe.
Their voices carried.
"—delivered the list of books to Principal Sir," Trayaksh was saying. "And the cafeteria repairs are done. The new tables should arrive by tomorrow."
A pause.
Then Samarth's voice—rough, emotional.
"Thank youuuuuu......., Trayakshhhhhh......" river of tears fell from Samarth eyes
I risked a peek. Samarth—the Special Tier Parakastha leader—was crying.
"You're the only one I can share this work with," Samarth continued. "You help me so much."
"It's nothing, Samarth bhaiya." Trayaksh's voice was warm. Gentle. "Really."
Then—
"And you three. How long are you going to hide there?"
We froze.
How did he know?
I stood up slowly. Mukund and Ruchi followed. Our faces were burning with embarrassment.
Samarth looked confused. "Wait, you three?"
Samarth blinked. "Well I sensed someone's prana, but didn't knew it was you three"
Trayaksh smiled. That same calm smile.
"I recognized your Prana." He looked at me directly. "And how could I forget yours, Rag?"
My heart stopped.
What does that mean? Why MY Prana?
He walked away before I could ask.
Samarth shook his head, still surprised. "His sensing ability is on another level. That's why he's S+ rank."
We stood there, shocked.
Even Samarth couldn't tell it was us. But Trayaksh did. Instantly.
And he said he could never forget MY Prana.
Why?
after that..... it comes the physical education class.
Physical training was the same torture as yesterday. Ten kilometers. Push ups. Squats. Pull ups.
I gave up at twenty again. Mukund lasted fifteen. Ruchi did better but still collapsed.
But something else caught my attention.
Prayan.
He was on the pull up bar, doing weighted muscle ups. Weights strapped to his body. Moving like it was nothing.
Guru Pratapavat stood beside him, counting.
"One thousand and one... one thousand and two... one thousand and three..."
Prayan dropped from the bar. Landed silently. Not even breathing hard.
Guru Pratapavat smiled—actually smiled—and put a hand on his son's shoulder.
"Wow, son. You did better than before. You're improving very fast."
They stood facing each other.
Guru Pratapavat was huge. Six foot six, at least.
Prayan towered over him.
Seven feet, I realized. He's seven feet tall. Tallest in the whole Gurukul. Definitely.
Prayan nodded once—his usual response—and walked away.
I stared after him.
Super strength. Seven feet tall. Never speaks. Catches blades with bare hands.
What kind of MONSTER ARE you?
Combat training ended. Musti Yuddha practice. I was getting slightly less terrible. Slightly.
We walked out, exhausted, and stopped.
Poorvi di was outside. On her bike. Leather jacket. Dark sunglasses. Behind her, five other girls on bikes—her Shakti group, probably. They looked like they could kill you and smile doing it.
Students parted around them like water around rocks. No one made eye contact.
Then Trayaksh walked toward her, smiling.
"Hey, di! What's up?"
Poorvi's face lit up. Actually lit up. The fierce biker gang leader turned into a happy older sister in seconds.
"Hey, Trayaksh!" She got off her bike and they did this dap. Perfect. Smooth. Like they'd done it a thousand times.
"Planning somewhere to visit?" Trayaksh asked.
"Hill station. Need a break from this place." She stretched, cracked her neck. "You should come."
"Can't. Too much work." He grinned. "But don't forget to post pics of the place!"
Poorvi laughed. "Yeah, yeah. Sure."
They hugged quickly. She got back on her bike.
As Trayaksh walked away, still smiling—
I saw them.
Four guys. 4th years, by the look of them. Standing near the wall, arms crossed, watching him.
One of them said something—loud enough for us to hear.
"Oh look. The cheater S+ ranker."
The others laughed. Harsh. Mean.
Trayaksh's step faltered. Just for a second. Then he kept walking, smile still on his face like he hadn't heard.
But I saw it.
The smile didn't reach his eyes.
The guys walked away, still laughing.
Mukund, Ruchi, and I looked at each other.
Cheater?
What does that mean?
We turned a corner—and almost ran into Bhakti bhaiya.
"Oh, you three are going home?" Bhakti's deep voice rumbled.
We turned. He stood there, massive blade on his back, looking down at us.
Mukund, without missing a beat: "Nah. We were going to Patal Lok. Wanna join us?"
Bhakti's face stayed serious for a moment—then cracked into a smile.
"Nah. Already visited it."
Finally a worthy opponent for Mukund
He said it so casually. Like it was a weekend trip.
Probably joking. Probably.
Footsteps. Running.
"Hey! What are you all doing here?"
Akshat bhaiya appeared, slightly out of breath, his usual intense face looking almost... excited?
"Nothing," Ruchi said. "We were just heading home."
"Ohhh, nice." Akshat nodded. Then tilted his head. "But... where's your home?"
Rag blinked. "YODHA Colony. Why?"
Akshat and Bhakti exchanged a look.
"Man," Akshat said slowly, "don't you think that's too far? Like... forty-five minutes to reach Gurukul?"
"Yeah, but what else can we do, Akshat bhaiya?" Rag shrugged.
Bhakti spoke up. "Well, you could apply for a hostel room. Free for Gurukul students. About six minutes away. And we all live there."
Akshat "Yah. So if you need anything—want to ask something, need help—you can just come to our room."
The three of them looked at each other.
Mukund sighed. "We already knew about that. But my parents didn't allow me."
FLASHBACK – Mukund's Memory
Mukund's house. Clean. Organized. His father sat in his favorite chair, newspaper in hand, tea steaming on the side table.
"What will you do in a hostel?" His father didn't even look up from the paper. "Noises from different rooms. Your friends won't let you concentrate. Home is best for self-study."
Mukund opened his mouth—
"End of discussion."
FLASHBACK END
Ruchi nodded slowly. "Same for me, actually."
FLASHBACK – Ruchi's Memory
Ruchi's father was pulling on his gloves—the ones he wore for healing delicate wounds. He was already half out the door.
"Hostel?" He paused, frowning. "I don't see any point. Plus, I don't know what kind of food they'll give you. Why not stay home and enjoy your mother's cooking?"
He patted her head quickly.
"Besides, you're my daughter. You belong at home."
And he was gone.
FLASHBACK END
Rag stared at them. Then at his own feet.
"My mom said no too."
FLASHBACK – Rag's Memory
His mother was in the kitchen, stirring something that smelled amazing. But her voice was firm.
"No way."
"Mom, please—"
"Can you take care of yourself there?" She turned, spoon in hand. Not threatening. Just... honest. "You live like a mess here. Will you wash your own clothes? Wake up by yourself? Eat properly?"
Rag tried again. "But—"
"Your brother completed Gurukul from home." She said it simply. Like it settled everything. "And he was an S+ ranker. So why do you need to go anywhere?"
FLASHBACK END
The three of them stood there.
Same expression.
😑
Bhakti looked at them. For a moment, his rough face softened.
"Well... can't help you with that."
Akshat clapped his hands together. "Hmm. Well, nothing can be done now." He waved. "Anyway, see you guys soon!"
They waved back as Akshat and Bhakti turned toward the hostel, their figures growing smaller.
Rag, Mukund, and Ruchi started walking in the opposite direction. Toward the colony. Toward home.
Forty-five minutes.
Every day.
The walk was quiet at first. The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky orange and purple. Normal people were going home from work. Shops were closing. Life was happening around them.
Inside them? Something else.
Rag kicked a small stone. Watched it skip across the road.
"So..." Mukund broke the silence. "Our parents think we're helpless children."
"We ARE helpless," Ruchi muttered. "Did you see me in PE? I nearly died."
"You nearly died from a snake that wasn't even near you."
"That's DIFFERENT."
Rag almost laughed. Almost.
But his mind was elsewhere.
Trayaksh bhaiya's Prana. He recognized mine. Said he couldn't forget it.
Why?
*And those 4th years... "cheater S+ ranker"...*
What does that mean?
Mukund noticed. "You're thinking about him again."
"Who?" Ruchi asked.
"Trayaksh bhaiya."
Rag nodded. Didn't deny it.
Ruchi sighed. "He IS suspicious. In a nice way. But suspicious."
"He helped Samarth bhaiya. Teachers love him. Senior leaders treat him like family." Mukund counted on his fingers. "But his own batchmates called him a cheater."
"And he didn't even react," Rag added quietly. "He just... kept walking. Like he was used to it."
They walked in silence for a moment.
"People don't react like that unless they've heard it before," Ruchi said softly. "A lot."
Rag looked at her.
She shrugged. "My dad deals with patients who say terrible things sometimes. He smiles and moves on. Later, he tells me... words only hurt if you let the other person know they hurt you."
Rag thought about that.
Trayaksh bhaiya heard them. His smile didn't reach his eyes. But he kept walking.
How many times has he heard that word?
Cheater.
The street was too quiet.
That was the first thing Rag noticed. One moment they were talking about Bansi Sir's latest screaming session—Mukund doing an impression that actually made Ruchi laugh—and the next, the sounds of the city just... stopped.
No cars. No people. No birds.
Just silence.
Rag slowed down. "Do you feel that?"
Mukund stopped too. Adjusted his glasses. "Something's wrong."
Ruchi grabbed both their arms. "Let's go back. Let's just—"
"Hey, kids. Going somewhere?"
Too be continued.....