“I feel something heavy is overpowering me. I cannot fight against it.”

“Whoa! I cannot sleep.”

“I need to sleep. Let me take sleeping pills.”

After an hour-long battle, Aastha goes off to sleep. Disturbed sleep leaves her perturbed.

She wakes up early. It is only 6 am."It is too early to disturb him. Should I call him now? Boudhayan must be sleeping. But only he can help me find an answer to my question," she pondered.

“Why do I feel heavy at a particular hour of the night? I see a particular place. The place is very eerie. I get hallucinations about the place. Something is wrong with me. I need to find out and fast”. Aastha looks pensive. She gets up from the bed and begins her routine tasks.

Time being a constraint, she leaves for teaching at the Institute. It was her first day.

Sheer fate or coincidence that they meet again... both Aastha and Parth meet again in the Institute.

They meet each other for the second time. He again starts stealing looks at her when their eyes meet. Amused at her feeling, Aastha shy’s herself into a conversation with the receptionist. She shares she is preparing for civil services and would require some notes. Parth overhears the conversation and interrupts. He sees her directly in her eyes and begins, “You will clear the most coveted exam of the country”. After a pause of silence, she finds her heart pounding faster than before and understood something was wrong with it.

“I would call it attraction. People call it love. While in medical terms, it could be indicative of a forthcoming heart problem as I was growing of age...” she thought.

Teaching was new for her. She found it difficult to cope with the running around. Parth helped Aastha with some notes and they soon became good friends. Sharing conversations with co-workers during lunch hours was a common feature at the Institute. Soon she learned certain skills of teaching because of the pressures given by her mentor, Keshav Sir. At the Institute, she was dumbstruck to see Sir use a method of calculating numbers in a matter of seconds.

He didn’t even apply his mind to the problems, and the answer came out.

Endowed with extraordinary spiritual faculties, Aastha was no less an intelligent student. At the Institute, she was always absorbed in Krishna Consciousness which was not the only difference to be spotted in the Institute. She was the only one selected with no formal interview.

“She doesn’t think... she acts,” Keshav Sir said, nodding at the man standing beside him.

“That is special about her and is now to our advantage. Give her more assignments and responsibilities. Add her to our primary group that conducts classes over the weekend. From now on, she will also join you in conducting the class..” commanded Keshav Sir to Mohan.

“Please call her. Please call Aastha, the new girl. I want to meet her.”

“Where is Parth?”

“Sir, he is taking your class while you were away for a meeting?”

“Okay, ask him to meet me after his class gets over”.

Parth was one of the close associates to Keshav Sir, who commanded authority in the Institute.

After some time, both Aastha and Parth appeared before Sir. While they occupied the seats next to each other, Parth felt quite uncomfortable in her presence. Sir called for some tea for the guests at his office. He spoke to Aastha about some recent assignments and asked Mohan to help her with the additional responsibilities.

Turning to Aastha, he continued, “Aastha, you will help Parth in our new project training students for the upcoming exams”. Saying so, he smiles at Parth, who returns a devilish smile.

There was nothing mischievous about Parth. His habits reminded everyone of any other ordinary teenage boy. He was, however, very hideous about his plans. One of his habits reminded Aastha of her ex-boyfriend, Ankit. As friends, Parth showered her with lots of care. But he became jealous of all those who used to flirt with her in the Institute.

Once, a student wanted her number. Parth joined their conversation and added, “You can call me whenever you need help? You may be having my number? Don’t you?” Parth grinned. He showed his displeasure to the student who left them alone.

A tensed Aastha happily agreed to join Parth Sir on the new project. There was no looking back now. Many new commitments lay ahead in the future. It was one of the happiest days of her life. She celebrated her first success at the institute. But before she could go ahead with her plan, Parth Sir asked her out for a date. However, the date soon turned out to be a class. The venue of the date was Sir’s cabin. Keshav Sir was out of town and he asked Parth Sir to manage the Institute along with a few others. During lunchtime, Parth Sir began solving problems encountered by the students.

When no one was around, Aastha put forth a proposal before him.

It was not a love or marriage proposal. But a proposal to help her with her preparation for the civil services exam.

“Sir, Can you help me with Maths?” she requested.

“Why aren’t you good with Maths?” he said after considering her request.

“No. Sir, I am bad at mathematics. I need your help, Sir?”

He readily agreed with a shy smile but added that he will help only after the new project gets over.

Meanwhile, students swarmed into the room and interrupted the conversation. Aastha had to rush to her class. Analytical reasoning was now at her fingertips. She also enjoyed teaching analytical reasoning. It was one of those days when Parth Sir had no class. They gave him an additional duty of managing the classes conducted by different teachers in the Institute, especially that of Keshav Sir, in his absence. He was taking rounds in all the classes.

For the said purpose, Parth Sir entered Aastha’s class.

He addressed the students in a friendly tone. He said - “Students, if you need anything, please let me know as Keshav Sir is not present today. I am asked to take care of all of you for today. We will provide all new students with notes and question paper sets in our material section. Kindly proceed towards it in a line.”

After giving a smile to Aastha, Parth returns to the cabin where Mohan was waiting for him. In the cabin, both Parth and Mohan begin with their conversation.

“We need a fixed place, Parth,” Mohan began.

“We need a good home and fast. We cannot stay in these bodies forever like this”.

“I know that. I am also worried, Mohan. We need to be made and for that, we need that one thing.” Hiding behind a pile of books, Parth looked around in a pensive mood.

“What place and what home are you talking about?” Aastha interrupted

“Nothing. I was just speaking to Mohan about his new home. Here have some sweets, your favorite ladoos”.

“Wow, I love ladoos. But how do you know I love sweets, that too ladoos?” Aastha hurried towards another room for a glass of water.

“I know everything about you, Aastha, he mumbled. Mohan added, “even me.”

“So, what is the plan, Parth? Keshav Sir is also not here”.

“What plan? Movie”.

“No, dumbo”, Mohan laughed

“You know what plan I am talking about? We were waiting for this opportunity for a long time. Our seniors will be thrilled. We will get everything,” delighted Mohan.

“Time is not ripe for this. We will have to wait till Holi. Let the festival of colors pass by. Then we will speak to our seniors. Let them hold a meeting first. Once we seek their orders, we will reveal our plan to everyone in the community.” My first step towards the execution of the plan will be immediately after Holi. Let us seek Keshav Sir’s blessings first. Then we will see further what is to be done”.

“Are you nervous, Parth? Aren’t you sure about your plan?”

“Anybody would be nervous. It is the biggest game to have ever played with anyone”.

“What game? What plan are you holding in your mind? Please be clear,” hurried Mohan.

“Aastha is here. We will continue with it tomorrow”.

“Aastha”, smiled Parth. “So what are your plans for Holi?” Parth and Mohan looked on nervously.

“Why are you asking about Holi? We are in November now. I don’t have any plan except for studying. My exam is around the corner”.

“Don’t you stay here with your family? Isn’t there anyone to take care of you?” said Parth shyly while Mohan giggled.

“No,” Aastha replied. “My family is in Kolkata. I am all alone in Delhi”.

“You are not alone. I mean, you are not the only one celebrating alone. Even I will be alone during Holi. I don’t like playing with colors”.

“Me too,” added a mesmerized Aastha.

“The institute will be closed for half a day. It will be open only for the celebration”

“Okay then, I shall leave for now. See you at the Institute tomorrow,” holding a bag in her hand, she bumped into a student who was approaching them speedily.

“Hold your horses, boy. Somebody could get hurt,” said an angry Aastha, while all three of them giggled secretly.

“She is something,” said Parth lovingly

“What did you say?” exclaimed Mohan

“Nothing?”

“Are you falling in love with her?”

“That was a direct question. You could be a little indirect in your approach,” laughed Parth.

After some time, he mumbled, “Nobody can love her. Nobody can touch her. But she is ours, she is mine”.