My parents have always favoured high standards of education above personal gratification. When I graduated from high school with first-class marks, I hoped to be admitted into the leading junior college of our city - Mark Wood Junior. Most of my friends had enrolled there, and all I wanted was to enjoy the life of junior college with them. But my parents had other plans, and they enrolled me in the higher education wing of my old school. I was devastated. I vehemently protested, yet my manners meant I couldn't resort to hate or violence. Finally, I had to concede to their opinions, so on a foggy April morning, I found myself back in the corridors of the place where I had spent the last 10 years of school life - DB High. I agree; the new classrooms we were allocated were fairly well-designed. They were well illuminated, tended to circulate the air through the giant windows naturally, and to cope with the cruel Indian summer, were very well air-conditioned. However, while my friends were enjoying their first experience at bunking classes, I was stuck in a strict convent establishment where we were still expected to wear uniforms, have our haircuts, beards, and body enhancement procedures moderated by the administration, and bring a bag filled with notebooks and study material!

From the perspective of academics though, DB High has maintained its pole position for over 3 decades. Many attribute this to the fantastic group of educators the school had under its payroll. Yet, the unbeaten 30-year run should predominantly be attributed to the State Star Scholarship program. Under this program, the school provides an 80% scholarship to non-alumni and 40% to alumni of DB High, if they can achieve a place in the top 15 percentile of the state. I was in the top 10 percentile students, and under the SSS program, was allotted the Star section, along with a State Star Scholar badge.

On the surface, the SSS program was a novel way of incentivizing hardworking students. The truth, however, was that all SSS students had to maintain a quarterly performance of over 85% to ensure their scholarship continued. If they failed to maintain the set performance, their academic tariff switched back to the normalized rates, and DB High was no low-cost school.

I was already burdened with the hectic coaching schedule for my engineering entrance examination, and with this added burden of an elevated performance benchmark on my shoulders, joining DB High looked like a disaster waiting to happen. Yet, it was at DB High, during my first year there as a senior, that I met Madhuri Saikia.

●●●

I first saw a glimpse of Madhuri on a news flash earlier that month. She had excelled in the state board exams, having bagged the 2nd rank, with letters of achievement in all subjects. She was like a celebrity among our teachers. In her, they saw a future national rankholder. She was sitting on the first row of seats, surrounded by jealous girls and awestruck guys, and they were justified! She was the embodiment of Aphrodite herself. Standing at about 5'6", with sharp and prominent features, she wore a beautiful salwar kameez set, which had the unique peacock blue & emerald green combination, which paired well with her peacock earrings and black heels. To top it off, she had pinned the glittering SSS badge to her dupatta. I guess she had to prove to those prying eyes and shimmering egos that she wasn't just a beautiful face, but she had excelled in her studies too.

To be clear, I knew straight away that we could have nothing between us. I mean, I wasn't blunt either, but in front of her grace, I was just another generic Indian guy, slated to have a 'Dad Bod' by the age of 35, along with a receding hairline and chubby face. No way could I think of a possibility where we could even talk, but I guess fate had different plans. As I walked in, ignoring the commotion of the thirsty guys and fuming girls, I took a seat on the other end of the first row, as far away from her as possible. I dropped my bag, had my anti-migraine medication, and sat down there, waiting for the professor to arrive.

I was making myself useful by rearranging my neatly arranged college bag when a gentle tap and a whiff of jasmine broke my trance. Madhuri was sitting beside me, with a smile so beautiful that only death holds the potential to erase that part of my memory.

"Hi! I am Madhuri. Nice meeting you.", she said. 

Damn, what was with her voice? Why was it so soothing? It was soft, yet assertive, sweet with a hint of self-adoration, and simply music to my ears.

"Hi, nice meeting you. I am Shekhar. Welcome to DB High.", I replied.

"So, you have been part of DB High before?", she asked. 

"Yes!", I answered. "I have been within this brick-and-mortar structure for a bit too long, you know. 10 years, and counting!"

"Really? So, you know this place inside out, right?" she asked. 

Well, I did know this place a bit too well. I knew the corners of this school where students would make out, the doors behind which you could find stashes of the best weed in town, and even the backrooms were no secret to me. 

"Well, I know a bit. I can show you around if you fancy it." I replied.

"Ah no, I ain't interested.", she responded. "I came to DB High just because they were providing the best scholarships. No one seems to bother that I had scored a full 95% on my boards, you know?"

"That's great! You deserve it, I suppose!" I said. 

She might have been the most beautiful girl in the world and might have used the best jasmine perfume, but I was no fan of the stench of pride she was giving off. I mean, I am also in the same room as her, right? I had my SSS badge pinned to my shirt pocket too! I knew she was a rankholder. Let's not make a scene out of it.

"But if you are willing, I can make an exception.", she said. 

"I don't think you should do anything that you aren't interested in.", I responded. 

Yeah, I was mad. But she did look cute. 

"Hey!", she said, tapping my shoulder. "Did I offend you? I am sorry. That wasn't my intention." 

I don't want to sound like a creep, but her tap froze me for a second. I am not a master of interactions with women, and I had one of the most beautiful girls I had seen, possibly in my entire life, sitting beside me.

"Uh.. N... No, I ain't m... mad.", I stuttered. "I just don't want to burden you with my overbearing personality. It's all good. You can take your time, and explore the school when you want."

A moment of silence. I turned to look at her, and she looked different. Her cheeks and the tip of her nose looked flustered, her eyes a bit watery, and she wasn't smiling. 

"Uh, I see. That's okay.", Madhuri said. All the sweetness of her voice, seemed to have vapourised, and all that was left was a monotonous husk of her earlier self. 

"I will see you around.", she said, as she got up her seat, and walked off to the other end.

"Hey, where are you going?", I asked. 

She just looked back at me, cold and emotionless. It was then that I noticed - she had the perfect pair of brown eyes. It wasn't the best time to fall in love with her eyes, but I couldn't help it. She looked at me for a second and walked away. I was about to get up and follow her when the professor walked in.

"Need anything, Shekhar?", he asked. 

"Uh... nothing sir, I just was looking for you.", I lied. 

"For me?", he scoffed. "The only three people who actively look for me are the principal, my wife, and my son. You look like neither, do you?" I shook my head in disagreement. 

"I thought so. Please take your seat, and we shall begin our class." 

The best start to a new session, it seems!

Our school schedule was a bit different in comparison to the rest. Our day was of 6 hours, bifurcated by an hour of recess. Generally, the first half was crammed with theory classes, while the latter half was spent in rigorous practical sessions. The first half of the first day of my first year in the senior secondary section of DB High was spent staring toward the other end of the row. Madhuri seemed engrossed in the lecture about the theories of Newtonian motion, while I was reliving the events of the morning. Why was I being a moron? She was a great student, and she said what she did! Why was I making a fuss about it? Was it the incoherent policy of not giving adequate scholarships to the alumni of DB High, or was it my ego, unable to digest the success of another?

Whatever it was, I had to make it up to her and resolve this. So, as the clock hit 11:00 AM, and the bell to announce recess was rung, I sprang up, jogged halfway down the room, and sat by Madhuri.

"Hi there!", I said with a fake tone of jovial excitement. 

"Hmm, hi.", Madhuri replied. "How can I help you?" She was trying to be cold. 

"Do you want to go out for some snacks?", I asked, trying to lighten the mood. "Our pizzas are really good." 

"You can go ahead, Shekhar.", she continued coldly. "I have my lunch right here in my bag, and I don't intend to go out."

"Look, I am sorry for my behaviour this morning.", I said. "I was having a mild migraine attack, so I wasn't thinking clearly. I know what I said wasn't good at all, but accept it as my mistake. I shouldn't have said that." 

"I ain't mad at anything, Shekhar. You got it all wrong!", she said. 

"Your cheeks and the tip of your nose claim otherwise!", I whispered. A faint hint of a smile emerged on her face. 

"It's that obvious, isn't it?", she said. Her face was already flustered, and with the slight hint of blushing, it looked a beautiful shade of crimson. 

"It is! You walked away in front of the class. I bet they all noticed.", I replied. She just smiled.

"So, a cup of coffee? It's on me", I proposed. 

"I will consider it, but first let me finish up my lunch.", she said. 

Nodding, I took out mine, and we ate in silence. The sandwich tasted twice as good as it normally did. Was it made differently, or maybe it was the distinct jasmine perfume, but something was different.

●●●

We had about 30 minutes after our lunch to grab our coffees. 

"So, it's crowded there?", Madhuri asked. 

"Always!", I responded. "When I was in my 9th, I bunked my class of English just to try out their coffee. They were quite new back then, and I was one of their first customers." Madhuri laughed a bit. 

"You, and bunking?", she said. "I can't imagine it." 

After her cold treatment, her laughter sounded like music. I don't know why I was saying this, but she was perfect.

We kept up the conversation as we walked down the aisle, and in moments we were in front of the crowded counter of the coffee shop. There were at least 40 people in front of the booth, and I could see the hesitation on Madhuri's face. 

"Hey!", I said. "I don't think it's worthwhile for you to get into this commotion. I wouldn't want your beautiful suit to be ruined by this crowd. Just tell me which flavour you would like to try, and I will get that." 

She hesitated for a moment, and then, with the cutest face possible - puppy eyes, a mix of a baby frown, and a blushed nose - she asked, "What is your favourite? You know it better here."

Wait, what? I mean, even my parents don't ask what I want for dinner when we go out on a family outing, and this girl whom I had just met a few hours ago, with whom I had a tiny disagreement, and with whom I was sharing my first coffee, was asking me about my preferences? What's going on, dude? Was I hallucinating?

"Uh...", I stammered. "I... I haven't tried all, but I prefer the hazelnut mocha. But my choices aren't always the best when it comes to food. Are you sure?" 

"I like the hazelnut mocha too!", she said. "So, I think I will like it." 

Well, if she likes it, damn will I get it for her. I straightened my uniform, tightened my belt, and screamed mentally - "Soldier! The Helen of Assam has asked for a hazelnut mocha! Ahead lies the 40 men who defend the coffee booth, and we must get the mocha! Let's march ahead!"

In about 5 minutes, I had ordered the mochas, endured the crushing waves of boys and girls eager for their coffee cups, and escaped the barrage with two piping hot mochas. "It's quite hot, Madhuri. Be careful.", I said. 

She smiled and took her cup, but didn't take a sip off it. "What? You don't like it?", I asked. 

She didn't say much, but pulled my shirt taut, straightened its creases, drove her hands through my hair to redo it, and then spoke up, "There, now that looks better. Do you think I didn't see how you spoiled your uniform to save my suit? Of course, you need to look good for the next classes!" 

What the actual fuck just happened? Did someone go out of their way to care for me? "Th... Thank you." is all I could muster, as we sipped our coffees - she oblivious of the tsunami of emotions I was having within me - of confusion, of care, of attraction, but most importantly, of love. Was I falling in love? That can't happen, can it?

●●●

An awkward silence followed as we walked around the 1st floor corridors, sipping the coffee. "Hey", I said, breaking the silence. "Thank you for fixing my hair. I know it's receding, but whatever is left of it, I like keeping it well made." 

"Don't thank me", she said. "You look good with whatever hair you have." 

I blushed, and I guess she could see it. "It seems I ain't the only person whose face turns crimson, right?", she said laughing. 

"I guess you aren't alone." I meekly replied.

The bell reminding us of the last 5 minutes of the recess was rung as we were completing our coffees. Dumping the cups in a trash bin nearby, we hurried towards the stairs. The stampede at the end of recess was a torture well, with all students cramping up through the narrow passageways and hallways like those antique Second World War U-Boats, and I didn't want Madhuri to soil herself, not at the least today. "We should hurry.", I said. "This place becomes cramped very quickly." 

She nodded, and we hurried through the flights of stairs. By the time the final bell was rung, we had found time to wash our faces, make good our clothes, and were in our classrooms.

"Here we are!", I said. "I enjoyed the coffee break. Thank you for being there." 

"I loved it too!", she said, with her now iconic smile. "Let's redo it soon!" 

I nodded in agreement, and we resumed our seats - me at the corner of the first row, while she sat towards the other end, near the door. I was feeling all fuzzy and warm. Maybe it was the coffee, but Madhuri had a hand in it too. The way she talked, her faint smiles, her direct gaze into my eyes, it felt unique, it felt new. It was something hard to digest.

Was she using me? I mean, I had already been selected to reprise my position as the school prefect, so maybe she might have wanted to leverage my position in the institution to gain an undue advantage. I had been taken advantage of, more so by my now ex-girlfriend. She was the treasurer of DB High's 'Femme First' society, and we all knew she was with me just because my position gave her enough administrative power to siphon funds into her society. After our rather public and messy fallout, I wasn't even ready to have another shot at love. I know I sound skeptical, but once a heart is broken, it heals with a ridged scar.

But would she have known about my position yet? Principal Thomas had informed me of my reprisal the previous day over a lengthy telephonic discussion, so it wasn't at all possible that she knew anything about it. But then, why would she be so caring about me? She was smarter than me, was drop-dead gorgeous, and if I remember the vague remnants of the news flash from earlier that month, her family was one of the wealthiest in Guwahati. She had everything one might need, and yet she was so close to me. Was I being too skeptical?

Meanwhile, as the professor for our first Physics practical class hadn't shown up, the co-ordinator of our section of the school, Ms. Malabika, visited our class to ensure that decorum was maintained. She addressed all the students on the deep-rooted value system which our school operates on, the mandatory dress code for all students, and how punctuality was the cornerstone of a great future. It was all an over-hyped brochure of our school, engineered to mesmerize new students while traumatizing the existing ones.

"... With this, I welcome you all the DB High.", Ms. Malabika said, concluding her speech, one which felt like an eternity! "I hope you all will have a great 2 years with us. Now, on to some business, shall we? As part of our belief in regulations, we have decided that from this year onwards, every student will be given a designated seat. It would be the responsibility of every student to maintain the school property."

'Huh! A new way to drain the students' money! A smart move, admins.', I thought to myself, as Ms. Malabika distributed the yellow leaflets, each containing a set of rules and maintenance protocol for our seats. Apparently, once a seat is chosen, the student couldn't change it. They were expected to keep their seats and desks clean at all times, and any inscriptions and scribbles would be charged by the administration as and how they deemed fit. A ploy that fit perfectly with a school that scavenged the best minds, lured them with hefty scholarships, and later, would slam a weird policy on their faces! If I knew this institute well, most of us would be paying fines of some kind by the end of the academic year, and I knew it all too well!

"You shall have 15 minutes to choose your seats and tag them with your tablets", Ms. Malabika said, "following which, we will assign them for the year." Saying so, she walked off, and the whole room felt like a hive of bees on heat, buzzing around, asking each other who would be their neighbour for the rest of the year. I wanted Madhuri to be my seatmate. This was my chance to make things up with her, and also to know her better. I locked my seat using the tablet and was about to get up when a familiar tap froze me in my place.

"Would Mr, Hazelnut Mocha mind, if a humble state topper decides to sit by him?" 

Why was she so freaking cute? I turned around to see the pair of brown eyes that defined reason, the perfectly sculptured nose, highlighted with a light crimson hue, a smile that could give Aphrodite a run for her money, and the whiff of jasmine that could enchant the world with its mesmerizing depth. 

"How could I refuse you, Madhuri?", I said. "I would love to have you here." 

"So, let me bring my bag.", she said. "Can you tag me in?" '

Without hesitation, my beloved', I said under my breath, as I tagged her ID. The impossible just happened. The most beautiful girl to possibly have ever set foot on the grounds of DB High just decided to sit beside me, for one whole year. The jealous eyes of the boys burned me, but I care less. I just got the best reason to continue studying at DB High.

●●●

Within the next half hour, the seat allocation was completed. Many of the boys who had previously been egging Madhuri, proposed to make space for her on their adjacent seat. Yet, she politely refused each of them, and for our troubles, I was being given searing glances. To be honest, I wasn't sure why she chose me. But I wasn't complaining. Once the seats were allocated, our tablets were loaded with study materials, and it turned out that barring the Physical Education class, both of us shared the same list of electives. We spent the rest of the day exploring the study materials on the tablet, and before long, the first class of this academic session drew to a close.

"Well, thank you for the great coffee, Shekhar.", Madhuri said. "I hadn't expected great treatment from the boys at DB High, but you seem to be a guy I can spend some time with." Well, that was unexpected! 

"That's a big thing you have said, Madhuri.", I replied, blushing helplessly. "It's just our first day. But I am excited to have you as my seatmate. It's a blessing, you know." 

She blushed, smiled under her breath, and walked away. I stood there for a moment, still blushing and processing the day I had.