Class 10th ka woh pehla din, jab Abhay ne Suvomita ko pehli baar dekha tha. DAV Public School ke corridor mein, ek nayi ladki, jiske lambe kaale baal hawa mein lehrate the. Abhay ke dil mein kuch ajeeb sa ehsaas hua, jise woh samajh nahi paya.
"Yeh nayi student hai, Suvomita Chatterjee. Bengal se aayi hai," teacher ne class mein introduce karvaya.
Suvomita ke chehre par ek shy smile thi. "Hello everyone, main Kolkata se hoon. Mere papa ka transfer hua hai, isliye hum yahan shift hue hain," usne dheemi awaaz mein kaha.
Abhay, jo class ka topper tha, use bench partner assign kiya gaya. "Main Abhay hoon. Kuch bhi help chahiye to batana," usne formally kaha, apne dil ki dhadkan ko control karte hue.
Dheere-dheere, books aur class notes share karte hue, dono ke beech ek friendship develop hui. Physics lab mein experiments karte waqt, Mathematics ke problems solve karte hue, aur lunch break mein school ground ke corner mein baithe-baithe baatein karte hue, dono ek-dusre ke close aane lage.
"Tum kitni smart ho Suvomita, mujhe lagta hai ki tumhe Harvard ya MIT mein admission mil jayega," Abhay ne ek din kaha.
Suvomita hans padi, "Abhay, tum bhi na! Main bas engineering karna chahti hoon, woh bhi India mein. Lekin tumhare sapne bahut bade hain."
Winter holidays ke baad, school mein Annual Day function tha. Suvomita ne classical dance perform kiya, aur Abhay usse apni nazar hata nahi pa raha tha. Uske graceful movements, uski expressions, sab kuch magical lag raha tha.
Function ke baad, school ke garden mein, Abhay finally himmat juta paya.
"Suvomita, tumhari performance bahut beautiful thi," usne nervously kaha.
"Thank you Abhay," Suvomita ne reply kiya, moonlight mein uska chehra chamak raha tha.
"Mujhe tumse kuch kehna hai," Abhay ki awaaz kaanp rahi thi. "I think... I think I like you. Not just as a friend."
Suvomita ke chehre par surprise aaya, phir ek soft smile. "Mujhe pata tha Abhay. Tumhari aankhon mein dikhta hai. Aur... mujhe bhi tumse pyaar ho gaya hai."
Us raat, taaron ke neeche, dono ne pehli baar haath pakda. Board exams ki tension ke beech, dono ne ek-dusre ko support kiya. Library mein saath padhna, phone pe late night study discussions, aur kabhi-kabhi ice-cream parlor mein chupke se milna - class 10th ke akhiri din aise hi beete.
Results ke din, dono school toppers the. "Hum dono ne kar dikhaya!" Suvomita ne excited hokar Abhay ko hug kiya.
Abhay ke parents ne celebration party di, jisme Suvomita bhi invited thi. "Beta, tumhari friend bahut intelligent hai," Abhay ke papa ne proudly kaha.
Abhay ne smile kiya, "Papa, Suvomita sirf friend nahi hai... woh special hai mere liye."
Abhay ke parents surprised the, lekin unhone smile kiya. "Bas padhai pe dhyaan rakhna, aur responsible rehna," unhone kaha.
Summer holidays mein, Suvomita aur Abhay ne apne future plans discuss kiye. "Same college mein admission lenge?" Abhay ne hopeful hokar pucha.