Arahan packed up the chalk, dusted off his hands, and stepped into the corridor—only to nearly bump into someone soft and familiar.
A familiar scent of lavender, the whisper of silk brushing his shirt—
It was Sabnam.
Her saree fluttered gently from the movement, brushing against his shirt.
She raised an eyebrow with a faint smile. "That's twice today. You're making a habit of running into me."
"What can I do? You are so beautiful, that I can collide with you forever," Arahan said with a smirk.
She chuckled and moved past him gracefully, "Ok, follow me."
Both headed toward the teacher's lunch area.
Arahan followed a few steps behind and, like always, made his way to the spot beside her—a plastic chair under the rustling neem tree, where a small wooden table stood between them.
"You always sit here," Sabnam said without looking at him as she unpacked her tiffin box.
"Only because someone clever always grabs the shady seat first," he replied.
She shook her head, amused. "You and your words."
He opened his own lunch—a simple foil-wrapped roti and some dry sabzi—and the two sat together, the quiet hum of insects in the background and the soft laughter of children echoing through the courtyard.
The two sat in companionable silence for a few moments, chewing slowly, their tiffins balanced on their laps. In the open courtyard, a few students sat in little circles, exchanging bites of each other's lunch and teasing their friends with stolen chapatis and pickle jars.
Arahan's gaze lingered on a group of Class 2 boys snatching a banana from one of their classmates, laughing as he chased them around.
[Ding!]
[New Task Generated]
Snatch Teacher Sabnam's roti and take a bite without asking. Make it playful.
Reward: ₹500 | +0.2 Agility | +0.2 Lust | +5 Relationship
Arahan's lips twitched.
He glanced at Sabnam, who was lifting a perfectly round roti toward her mouth with a bit of paneer curry.
Without warning, he reached out and plucked the roti right from her fingers.
"Hey!" she gasped, half-laughing, half-scandalized. "Are you serious?"
Arahan tore off a bite with exaggerated satisfaction. "Mmm. This is better than mine. You've been holding out on me, haven't you?"
She narrowed her eyes, mock-offended. "Thief."
"For this bite, I can even become a robber," he corrected, chewing. "Wow, so tasty."
Sabnam leaned toward him slightly, resting her elbow on the table. "You think you're cute?"
Arahan smirked. "I know I'm hungry."
She didn't respond.
Instead, her hand darted out, snatching his rolled-up roti from his tiffin box. She took a massive bite and chewed slowly, dramatically, while locking eyes with him.
"Revenge," she said with her mouth full.
Arahan stared. "That was my only aloo filling."
"Should've thought twice before attacking a woman's lunch."
They both laughed now—genuine and light, their playful bickering echoing over the courtyard. A few children nearby turned to glance at the teachers joking like schoolkids.
Sabnam reached for her water bottle, still smiling. "Next time, I'm bringing extra chili just in case you try that again."
"Noted," Arahan said, wiping his fingers. "I'll bring milk."
[Task Completed!]
+₹500 (System Wallet: ₹3000 → ₹3500)
+0.2 Agility (3.2 → 3.4 / 10)
+0.2 Lust (2.2 → 2.4 / 10)
+5 Relationship with Sabnam (10 → 15/100: Playful Tension)
They returned to their food—what little remained—still exchanging quiet grins as the bell rang in the distance, calling them back to the classroom chaos once more.
---
The lunch break ended with the usual chorus of groans and clattering tiffin boxes. Children scrambled back toward their classrooms, still licking their fingers and adjusting their crumpled uniforms. The midday sun beat down stronger now, casting long shadows on the school courtyard.
Just then, a staff peon walked briskly up to Sabnam and Arahan as they stood by the neem tree finishing the last drops of their water.
"Madam," the peon said with a short nod. "PT Sir had to leave—some emergency at home. He said to ask you to watch over the last-period games today."
Sabnam raised a brow. "Me?"
The peon shrugged. "Principal sir told me to pass the message."
He walked off without waiting for her reply.
Sabnam sighed, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Of course he leaves when all the kids are the wildest."
Arahan chuckled. "Guess you'll be leading cricket practice today."
"Oh no," she turned to him, lifting an eyebrow, "we will be leading."
Arahan tilted his head. "We?"
"Yes," she said with a pointed smile. "You think you're going to walk off while I get trampled by seventy first-graders with sticks? Not a chance."
He gave a mock salute. "As the lady commands."
She rolled her eyes but smirked. "Come on, assistant teacher."
They made their way to the school field behind the classrooms—a dusty patch of land with faded white markings for running and a rusted goalpost at one end. Children were already assembling, some clutching rubber balls, others holding skipping ropes or bamboo sticks for mock kabaddi.
"Alright, settle down!" Sabnam clapped her hands as she stepped into the middle. "We'll break you into groups. No pushing!"
Arahan helped organize the lines, guiding the younger ones to the shade, making sure the energetic older boys didn't break into impromptu wrestling.
Sabnam walked alongside him, keeping pace, occasionally whispering with a smile, "You're better at crowd control than the actual PT teacher."
"I have a secret weapon," he said, nodding toward one of the students. "Promise them candy and they'll form a straight line in five seconds."
They laughed again as the children finally settled into their games.
No sooner had the lines been formed than the trouble began.
"I said we're playing football!" one of the older boys shouted, clutching the worn-out ball tightly under his arm.
"No! You promised yesterday it'd be cricket today!" another yelled back, already holding a plastic bat.
"Football is better!"
"Cricket needs more people!"
"Last time you didn't even pass!"
Before Arahan could intervene, a high-pitched voice cut through the ruckus.
"We girls are playing stapu! You go play your boring games somewhere else!"
A group of girls had drawn a quick hopscotch pattern in the dust with a stick, tossing flat stones to claim their squares.
"We can't even play there! You've taken half the field!" one of the boys complained.
"Then go whine to your mummy!"
The voices rose.
Girls shouting.
Boys grumbling.
A small boy started crying in confusion.
Arahan stepped forward, trying to ease the tension. "Alright, calm down—everyone gets a turn—"
But no one was listening anymore.
Finally—
SMACK!
Sabnam's notebook slammed down on the edge of the table with a sharp crack.
The entire field fell silent.
Even the birds on the school wall flapped away at the sound.
Sabnam stepped forward slowly, her saree swaying, her voice calm but dangerous.
"If all of you are done shouting like vegetable sellers," she said, narrowing her eyes, "then hear this clearly."
Her gaze swept over the students—boys, girls, even the sulking football loyalists.
"Today," she declared, "we're not playing your usual games. No cricket. No football. No hopscotch. No arguments."
The kids stood still, blinking, confused.
Arahan raised an eyebrow. "Then what are we playing?"
She didn't answer him. Instead, Sabnam turned back to the students and crossed her arms.
"I'll tell you what we're playing in five minutes. Get in a wide circle. Mixed—boys and girls together. No complaints."
Murmurs rippled across the field as the students shuffled into a big circle, unsure but too afraid to argue.
Arahan looked at Sabnam curiously. She was smiling now—but the kind of smile that meant trouble or surprise.
He leaned in, voice low. "What exactly are we playing, ma'am?"
She glanced at him sideways. "You'll see."
As the students gathered in a wide, slightly wobbly circle, murmuring to each other and casting curious glances, Sabnam stepped into the center with her arms folded confidently.
"Alright, listen up," she called. "Today, we're doing something different."
The field quieted again.
Sabnam's voice lifted, playful but firm. "Today's game is called the 'Guess & Feel' challenge. One girl and one boy will come into the center each time. I'll ask a simple question. Whoever guesses right stays quiet. Whoever guesses wrong…"
She paused, letting the suspense settle.
"…must share one of their best feelings. Something that makes them really happy."
A few students gasped. Some giggled. One of the girls whispered, "Eh, ma'am this game is emotional!"
Sabnam smirked. "Maybe. Maybe not. Let's see who's brave enough to go first."
Hands shot up.
Sabnam pointed to two at random. "Meena, from Class 2. And you—Raju, from Class 2."
The pair stepped forward nervously, standing side by side in the middle of the circle. Meena wore a red ribbon in her braids. Raju's shirt was two buttons open and untucked.
Sabnam nodded. "Here's your question: What color is the 'B' in the Bournvita packet?"
Meena answered quickly, "Orange, ma'am!"
Raju scratched his head. "Umm… red?"