Chapter 40 – Getting Used to Each Other
Over the next few weeks, school life gradually settled into a rhythm for Anshul.
The initial curiosity surrounding the "student entrepreneur" slowly faded. At first, many students had tried talking to him simply because they had heard about StudyFlow. Some were curious, others were skeptical, and a few even asked if they could join his company one day.
But after some time, the excitement faded and things returned to normal.
Which was exactly what Anshul preferred.
He didn't come here to become a celebrity in school.
He came to observe, learn, and understand how students actually studied and managed their time.
Every small detail helped him improve StudyFlow.
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At the same time, his company continued operating smoothly.
Although Anshul attended school during the day, he still spent a few hours every evening reviewing company reports.
The team in San Francisco managed customer relations while the developers in Pune continued improving the platform's backend systems.
StudyFlow had now reached another milestone.
More than 180,000 students were using the platform.
The number of schools had crossed 500 institutions.
The growth remained steady, and several education forums had begun recommending StudyFlow as one of the most useful study planning tools available.
For a startup barely a year old, the progress was remarkable.
But Anshul remained calm.
He knew that rapid growth could also create problems if the system wasn't managed carefully.
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Meanwhile, his school life slowly became more interesting.
Especially because of one particular classmate.
Mia Thermopolis.
Their first meeting near the fallen scooter had broken the ice between them.
After that, they began talking occasionally whenever their schedules overlapped.
Most of the time, the conversations were short and slightly awkward.
Mostly because Mia was still extremely shy around people she didn't know well.
One afternoon during lunch break, Anshul was sitting under a tree reviewing some notes when Mia approached nervously.
"Um… hi."
He looked up.
"Hi."
She stood there for a moment before finally sitting down across from him.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
"Not really."
Mia seemed relieved.
"I just wanted to ask something."
"Sure."
She adjusted her glasses slightly.
"My friend Lilly is doing a school debate next week about whether students should rely too much on technology for studying."
Anshul raised an eyebrow.
"That sounds interesting."
"She wants to mention StudyFlow as an example."
Mia quickly added,
"In a good way."
Anshul chuckled.
"I'd hope so."
Mia smiled awkwardly.
"She said it helps students organize their work better."
"That's the idea."
Mia nodded thoughtfully.
"You know… I actually tried using it last week."
Anshul looked surprised.
"You did?"
"Yeah."
She hesitated before continuing.
"It helped me remember my assignments for once."
"That sounds like progress."
Mia laughed quietly.
"You don't understand. Forgetting homework is practically my superpower."
Their conversation continued for a while longer, gradually becoming more comfortable.
Mia still stumbled over her words sometimes, but she seemed much more relaxed now than during their first meeting.
Eventually the lunch bell rang.
Students began returning to their classrooms.
Mia stood up quickly.
"I should probably go before I'm late again."
"That's a good strategy."
She gave him a small smile before leaving.
"See you later, Anshul."
"See you."
---
Watching her walk away, Anshul couldn't help but reflect on something.
Right now, Mia Thermopolis was just an ordinary girl struggling through high school.
Most students barely noticed her.
But soon, everything about her life would change.
A grandmother would arrive from Europe.
A shocking truth would be revealed.
And the quiet girl who struggled with her scooter would suddenly become the princess of an entire country.
For now, though, that future had not yet arrived.
And in the present moment, Mia was simply a classmate who had just discovered how useful a study planner could be.
Meanwhile, Anshul returned to reviewing his notes.
Because both of their lives were moving toward a future neither of them fully understood yet.