The economic class was next.
As soon as the teacher entered, she demanded everyone to show their assignments. One by one, she went through them, and with each passing student, the scoldings only intensified. No one was spared—not even Chahat.
Tia, however, had it the worst. Her assignment topic had been deemed "too funny" by the teacher, and as a result, she was given extra punishment.
Frustrated, Tia groaned, flipping through her notebook.
"If I do the assignment, it's a problem. If I don't, it's still a problem. I have no idea what she wants!" She huffed. "Honestly, studies aren't my thing, but I'm still trying my best. Can't she at least appreciate that?"
Jay smirked. "Appreciate what? Your joke of a topic?"
Before Tia could respond, Chahat clapped her hands together and grinned.
"Let's have something sweet to celebrate this occasion!"
Tia narrowed her eyes. "Oh, so me getting scolded is a celebration for you?" she asked dramatically.
Chahat laughed and handed her a box.
"No, my dear, it's to ease your anger," she said playfully.
Tia's eyes sparkled as she eagerly took the box.
"Yaay!" she squealed, hugging Chahat. Then, she smugly glanced at Jay before opening the lid. "Wow, Alva!"
"Did you make this?" Jay asked curiously.
"No, my roommate brought it from home. She gave it to me to share with you all," Chahat explained.
"Well, be sure to thank her for us," Jay said.
"What do you mean 'for us'?" Tia smirked, grabbing the box. "I'm gonna gobble it all myself!"
"What?! Tia, that's not fair!"
And just like that, the two of them started playfully bickering over the sweets, much to the amusement of the others.
Whispers of the Jaswal Party & A Forgotten Tragedy
Meanwhile, a group of students at the back of the class were engaged in hushed whispers.
"Did you hear? The Jaswals are hosting a grand party today," one girl said excitedly. "They've invited all the important families."
"And most importantly," another girl chimed in, "the guests of honor are the Singhanias!"
The mention of the Singhania family immediately caught the attention of a few others.
"Singhanias?" one girl mused. "I heard from my mother that they were originally from Shimla."
"I also heard that the head of the family had two sisters—one settled abroad and the other…" the third girl hesitated. "The other is… dead."
A boy nearby nodded. "Yeah, my mother was talking about that. Apparently, when the dead sister's will was read, it caused a huge scene."
"What was her name?" another boy asked, scratching his head.
"I think it was… Mai… Maithily Pandare?"
The name sent a shiver down some spines.
"Oh! I just remembered," the first boy added. "My mother told me that the deceased sister was married to the Pandare family's only son."
There was a moment of silence before someone whispered, "But fate was cruel. Shortly after their marriage, he passed away."
"And seven or eight years later…" another voice murmured, "she was found dead too."
A hushed heaviness settled over the group.
"But do you know the most tragic part?" a girl finally spoke. "The couple had a daughter… a beautiful little girl. When they found her mother's body, the child was sitting beside her, crying."
The room fell silent, the weight of the story lingering in the air.
No one knew what had truly happened that day.
And no one dared to ask.