Is Religion the Final word?
Chapter : 1
(The First Encounter at the Bus Stand)
The sky was cloudy, but it wasn't raining. The heat was uncomfortable, though occasional gusts of wind brought brief relief to the body. At one corner of the city stood a small local bus stand—unknown in name or fame, yet every day thousands of journeys began from here.
It was 7:30 in the morning. Aishi stood there, constantly checking her watch. She didn't want to miss her first college class at any cost. Dust had settled lightly beneath her white sneakers, and irritation was clearly visible on her face. She was sweating in the heat, holding one bag in her hand and carrying another on her shoulder, filled with books, necessary items, and her makeup products. Her eyes were searching for that specific bus—the one known simply as the "College Route."
Standing right beside her was another person—a boy named Ayush. He had fair skin and deep, thoughtful eyes. A faint layer of sweat had formed on his T-shirt, yet his face carried an oddly calm expression. In his hand was a small, old book, which he glanced at every now and then. But at the corner of his eyes, there was a subtle distraction—he had noticed that Aishi had been standing there for quite some time, visibly annoyed.
Soon, the awaited bus arrived and stopped a little distance away. A crowd rushed toward it all at once. Ayush went forward. Aishi did too. And thus, their journey began from that very moment.
"Excuse me, could you move a little?" Aishi said, her voice filled with irritation.
Ayush glanced at her briefly but didn't give up his position. He sat down on the window seat.
"I was standing here first. That seat is mine," Aishi said firmly.
"Does standing somewhere mean you can reserve a seat?" Ayush replied calmly, though there was a sharp edge in his tone.
Aishi widened her eyes.
"Wow! You seem to have quite a collection of arguments! But you know, it's harder for girls to stand for long—so you should get up."
"There's a women's seat. You can look for that," Ayush said with a faint smile, turning his gaze outside the window.
Aishi remained standing, clenching her teeth.
"Rude! You don't even have basic manners..."
Ayush didn't turn around. He simply said,
"If you want to teach manners, you should start teaching first. Why don't you do that?"
Aishi's anger had reached its peak. But with so many people around, she stayed silent, thinking of her dignity. Some passengers were watching and smiling—some sided with Ayush, others with Aishi.
The bus started moving.
Standing there, Aishi looked out the window and thought—Where did this boy come from with such arrogance? What does he think of himself? Acting so 'cool'?
After a while, an elderly man came and stood beside Ayush. Without hesitation, Ayush stood up and offered him his seat.
Aishi was surprised.
"Oh, so it seems you've just started learning manners," she said sarcastically.
Ayush didn't look at her.
"Elderly people deserve respect. Please don't come here to lecture me."
Aishi realized the boy wasn't someone who would give in easily. His words were sharp, but somewhere in his eyes was an unexpected softness.
The bus continued moving. Their destination was near.
As they got off the bus, they came face to face again.
"What exactly are you so proud of? Is it because you don't know anyone here that you behave like this?" Aishi asked sharply.
"I didn't say anything. You're explaining yourself on your own," Ayush said with a faint laugh.
Aishi shook her head and walked away.
"What an extremely rude boy!"
Ayush kept looking in her direction for a moment longer, as if searching for something in her.
After that day, Aishi didn't want to remember his face. But that became impossible.
Because the very next day, as she entered her college, she saw a new student had joined their section…
And it was none other than that arrogant boy from the bus—Ayush.
Aishi was stunned. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, while Ayush stood in front of the class and introduced himself.
"Hi, I'm Ayush Rahman. Transferred recently. Hope I can keep up with the class."
Aishi bit her lip tightly.
"Again him. Again trouble."
At that very moment, a new excitement spread through the classroom. Because the clash between Aishi and Ayush was the beginning of a new drama.
No one knew that one day, this drama would grow into a story much bigger—behind which would stand a religion, a social system, and… a heartbreaking truth.
To be continued…