An Awkward Sip and a Teacher's Smug Smile
As I walked into the art room, I was three hours late to meet Shruti.
I slowly looked around the room and found her working quietly on her artwork. Memories of yesterday's incident—and the teacher's scary face—flashed through my mind. If the teacher found out I was late and hadn't taken care of Shruti, it would be disastrous.
That thought alone sent shivers down my spine.
I quietly gathered the water bottle we had used last time and dashed out to refill it.
....
I was still working on minor details, and Rahul senior was nowhere to be found.
I glanced at the clock and thought,
"It's been three hours; what's taking senior so long?"
But then I remembered that he had his own personal life too. He must have been busy.
As I was lost in thought, someone waved a hand in front of my face.
I looked up and saw Rahul's hand, asking if I was thirsty.
Even though I had already drunk plenty of water before starting to paint, my throat still felt dry, so I nodded.
....
I asked Shruti if she was thirsty, and she nodded her head in agreement.
I looked at her hands. They were completely covered in colors.
The only possible way for her to drink water was for me to help her.
I opened the cap of the bottle and carefully moved it toward her lips.
The moment I realized what I was doing, a sudden jolt of nervousness ran through me.
I leaned in slightly—partly because I had forgotten my glasses at home.
Her pink lips touched the bottle, and I slowly tilted it upward.
It was the first time I felt nervous around Shruti.
My heart started beating faster with every second.
When she had enough water, she pulled her lips away and tried to slide her front bangs back with the palm of her hand.
I reached out and gently slid her bangs behind her ears instead.
It was a nerve-wracking experience.
Just then, Teacher Mayuri appeared at the doorway.
"Wow! Young love flourishing here. Huh! I didn't know you were this type of person, Rahul."
I froze, nearly collapsed, then quickly straightened up.
"It's not like that! It's a misunderstanding!"
Teacher Mayuri walked closer with a smug expression, clearly enjoying the situation.
"Don't tease me," I said, "or Shruti will feel awkward and can't focus on her work anymore."
The teacher turned toward Shruti.
"Oh, really?"
I followed her gaze.
Shruti's face was bright red as she silently continued working on her artwork.
"Okay, let's help Shruti with her work," I said.
I went back to working on the artwork from before.
The atmosphere between us was awkward.
Our eyes met for a second—then quickly looked away.
I didn't know what to make of my own actions anymore.
With that strange, awkward tension hanging in the air, we completed the artwork together.
After that, we went to submit it to the teacher in the staff room.