The next week was tremendously hectic. With the exams drawing closer, our coaching institutes had given us two weeks to study. Since we were optimized to prepare for JEE, we didn't get ample time to study for our Boards, yet these exams played a significant role in ensuring which engineering college we ended up in. Thus, as classes would wind up at school, we would grab a quick lunch at the nearby pizza store and reach the library by 04:30 PM. Considering the tight schedule and short deadline, that would leave us about 4 hours of decent study time, which was quintessential.

It had been a week since Madhuri started studying with me. We had completed most of our Physics and Zoology syllabus and decided that this week would be dedicated to Chemistry. Yet Madhuri seemed quite distracted when we met up at the library. To set the context, whenever we were studying, she would put both our phones in her bag, and would always say, "We use them after our session, now it's study time!" However, since lunch, she had been continuously fiddling with her phone. Even during our dedicated time of study, while I had completed three of the eight chapters required from Chemistry in the upcoming tests, she had barely made it through the second. She was an adult, and I was no one to police her, but this was getting out of hand.

"Something important, Madhuri?", I asked her. 

"Huh?", she replied vaguely, her eyes still glued to her phone. 

"What is wrong Madhuri?", I repeated. "Why aren't you focused on your studies? What has gotten into you?" 

"Nothing.", she responded. "It's just an old friend. We hadn't been talking for some months now, and he was catching up with me." 

He? She was spending time with a guy while we should have been studying? "That's all sweet, Madhuri.", I said, trying to neutralize my painfully sarcastic tone. "But I think you should get back to your studies. There are a lot of chapters left. You realize that?" 

"Don't be a nagging dad, Shekhar.", Madhuri replied, sounding irritated. "I know I have to study. I will. But let me talk to him first." 

\Your life, girl. Why do I care? "Whatever", I said. "Tell me if you need help."

Hardly an hour had elapsed when Madhuri tapped my shoulder. "Hey, Shekhar. Are you coming to school tomorrow?" 

"Yes, I am planning to.", I replied. "Anything you need from me?" 

"I just need a small favour from you.", she continued. "Could you please keep my bag with you, and bring it tomorrow?" 

"I can, for sure.", I replied. "But why do you need me to take it?" 

"Oh, Naveen has asked me for a dinner date and I couldn't refuse." 

"Who is Naveen?", I asked. 

She looked up while packing her bag, and exclaimed, "Oh, how stupid of me! I didn't even tell you about it. I was talking to Naveen Jamwal. You know him?" 

I shook my head in disagreement. "Should I know him?" 

"Naveen is an old friend. His father owns Jamwal Consultants, the group that works on the biggest civil projects in Assam. We were classmates since 6th standard, and we had a two-year relationship. We had a massive fight just before our matriculation exams, and I had him blocked since. He had visited our house yesterday. Our families are close, you know. He spent some time with me, and he confessed that he had been inconsiderate then and that he had changed. I don't know why, but I felt like I should give him another chance. So, I unblocked him, and we have been talking continuously since. He has changed so much, you know. He is a better man now!"

"So now he wants to take you on a dinner date?", I asked. I still couldn't believe this was the same Madhuri who sat beside me, the one who would voraciously solve the toughest questions, and seldom miss classes. Now, she was happily skipping over our sessions to meet this Jamwal guy, one who had previously hurt her! Was she out of her mind? "Is he aware of the upcoming exams?" 

"I haven't told him.", she said. "I will complete the remainder at home." 

She seemed so different. The way she described Naveen, I could picture a narcissist scion of a tyrannical business tycoon. He disrupts her flow during her matriculation and goes silent for months, and now that she has successfully reached an important checkpoint in her quest for a better career prospect, this man returns. He resolves issues with her, shows that he cares, and now invites her over for a dinner date. Sounds quite fishy to me. Deep down, I had the urge to hold her wrist, make her sit, hold her shoulders, and shake her out of the slumber she was in. But, then again, drawing a picture of this guy based on Madhuri's monochromatic description would be unfair.

"What are you thinking, Shekhar?", Madhuri asked. 

"Nothing. You ready to leave?", I asked. 

"Yes!", she said. She seemed quite excited. Maybe he had changed. I hadn't seen Madhuri this happy in the six months I had known her. Maybe they share a bond I fail to understand. 

I kept her bag on my seat as I accompanied her out to the main gate. "Leaving early today, Sir?", the security guard asked as he was signing us out. 

"Just leaving for a bit. I will be back.", I said. 

As I was signing the register, I heard someone call Madhuri's name. "Hi there, Madhuri. It's so good to see you.", the voice said. 

I turned back, and there he was standing. Naveen Jamwal, scion of a rather controversial civil construction company. I must say, he was handsome. Standing at about 6 feet, his ink-blue tuxedo matched his bleached blue jeans. His chiseled jaws perfectly complimented his toned-up chest and abs. He would perfectly fit the rich, flamboyant playboy stereotype, and something told me that he surely was one.

"Hi Naveen.", Madhuri said, as she hugged him tight. Something hurt deep inside my soul as he snuggled her in his arms. My relationship with Madhuri had grown significantly over the 6 months I had known her. We weren't mere acquaintances anymore. Our friendship had solidified into something meaningful, something serene. I wouldn't lie, I often find myself harbouring feelings for her. No, I wasn't a romantic hillbilly. I even doubted if those feelings were romantic, but they were something. Today, as he snuggled her, a part of that feeling died.

●●●

In the week leading up to the exams, Madhuri barely focused in the classes. The girl who was in the pole position of our class was now struggling to even break into the top 10. The professors, for whom she was the ideal student, were understandably concerned. Her scores weren't as good as they used to be, and she was making mundane mistakes. She skipped our library sessions, and from what I heard from her friends, she was being unapproachable and rude. The effects of being around Naveen were beginning to show, but she was oblivious to this. Whenever we would go out for coffee during recess, she would only talk about how Naveen was so perfect, how he had given her this gift, and how her family was so happy with their relationship.

"You know we went to the Ruby Palace the other night." Madhuri kept talking as we were conducting a set of experiments at the Physics lab. "Shekhar, they have the best drinks in Guwahati! I loved it! You should visit them." 

I was in no mood to listen to where Naveen had taken her. Unlike her, my parents couldn't fund my education from a private institute. Additionally, I wasn't oblivious to my responsibilities. The expectation that I could excel in JEE and get through an IIT, the expectation that I could restructure the limited budget at DB High to fund student enhancement programs, the expectation that I should be the ideal son, brother, and family guy while excelling in education, there was an endless list of expectations that people had from me. I had the responsibility to satisfy these expectations. In the process, no one took a moment to ask whether I was okay, or if I was feeling overwhelmed.

"Sorry Madhuri, but I cannot go to the Ruby Palace.", I said. "I have my coaching to attend, the syllabus for our exams isn't reducing, and the situation at home isn't ideal. So, I cannot go. Could we focus on the experiment now?" 

"Don't talk to me in this tone, Shekhar.", Madhuri countered. "What has gotten into you? You could always tell me what was going on. Have I ever said I won't listen?" 

"How could I," I replied, "when everything you can ever talk about is Naveen? Have you heard yourself these days? Every moment that we have spent together, you have talked about Naveen. Have you asked how I was feeling, what I was going through?" 

Before she could counter, the professor intervened. "Shekhar and Madhuri. If you already know what I am teaching here, you can leave.", he said. 

"No Sir. We were...", I was about to defend when he growled back, "I said leave!"

 We left the class silently and barely spoke after that incident. Most of my feelings for her had died. Yes, I cared for her well-being, I still prayed for her success, and if I had to choose, I would still choose her over anyone else. Yet, I didn't feel an obligation to defend her. She wasn't the Madhuri I had befriended.

●●●

As the week of the exams rolled in, everything around DB High came to a standstill. Couples would haunt the exam halls instead of the galleries. The commotion of the corridors moved into the halls, as students planned their strategies to get through the exams. Some would make cheats from book pages, while others would scribble answers onto their geometrical equipment boxes. We even had innovative students, who would invent a new set of Neanderthal mating calls to communicate answers. Only a handful of lunatics like us would spend their days toiling through the heaps of notes to memorize it all, only for our brains to switch from the reliable Read-Only Memory (ROM) it was to the unreliable Random Access Memory (RAM) as the question papers were distributed.

With everything happening around me – parents being typical Indian parents, the coaching institute dumping DPPs, and the people you care for acting as if you don't exist – I wasn't expecting my half-yearly exams to go as I wished. The first paper was on Physics, which didn't pose any hiccups. It was a subject I had immense interest in, so solving the time taken for a ball projected from a moving train bogie to fall right back into it or the net momentum across a system of moving bodies posed no problem.

The same couldn't be said for Chemistry and Biology though. In the case of the chemistry paper, the majority of the questions were on inorganic chemistry, especially stoichiometry, and I was as blunt as a log on this topic. I had to rack my brains for solutions, but I was confident that I was not excelling in this subject. In the case of biology, well the less I discuss it, the better. The crux was that I could barely draw a straight line without a ruler, and the examiner expected me to draw 'detailed' diagrams of the lateral cross-section of a human pancreas, the cell structure of a human cheek cell, and the excretory system of an amphibian. Mathematics, Physical Education, and English were the saving graces, where I had done decent enough, and I hoped they would even out the creases left by chemistry and biology.

With the exams now over, it was time for the annual Sarodiya Durga Puja. Along with Bihu, Durga Puja remains one of modern-day Assam's most celebrated socio-cultural events. It is the time of the year when the strength of the societal fabric of Assam is flaunted throughout the world. While the world erupts in a brutal war over religious and ideological dominance, Durga Puja remains a testament to the abilities of human civilization to grow beyond the material barriers of ideologies and religion and spend moments of joy with fellow human beings as a single society. This is one of the times when a sense of normalcy prevails over our household. We would come together as a family, go on late-night pandal-hopping trips, enjoy the craziest street food delicacies, and wear the best outfits. Out of all the days of reverence and festivities, the evening of Ashtami, the 8th day of prayers, is considered the most auspicious. It is believed that during this hour, Maa Durga, the patron Goddess of bravery and feminine strength, defeats Mahisasura, the buffalo-headed demon king, signifying the victory of good over evil. The moment of victory is symbolically signified in the Sandhi Pujan ceremony, where earthen lamps are lit in reverence to the kinship of the Lord, and the wellbeing of our ancestors.

The evening of Astami had just set in. The community hall of the temple we were at was illuminated in a warm golden hue, as the earthen lamps laden with aromatic clarified butter (ghee) flickered to life. As the occupants of the hall settled into a state of pensive silence, the world around us turned eerily serene. In this state of absolute silence, I couldn't help but introspect. Life wasn't the same for me anymore. The last time I was here, my life was constricted within the boundaries of school life. My biggest problem was not being adequately prepared for my pre-boards. But today, my exams were the least of my problems. A crumbling family, an expanding portfolio of responsibilities, and the unending pressure to perform and outperform millions of aspirants to secure a seat in an IIT, all felt unattainable. All I ever asked for was a life where I could be happy. Today, happiness was a distant footnote, overshadowed by the looming clouds of uncertainty.

Then again, I had the situation with Madhuri. What does Madhuri mean to me? She was someone I loved spending time with. She understood me like none other. Granted, she had an immature, childish side to her. Now that she had Naveen, she was losing her grip on reality, on the things that mattered. Since our disagreement at the Physics lab, we have been avoiding all interactions. Even when we would meet before exams, we barely made any eye contact, and would silently go our ways, as if we never knew each other. I wasn't being selfish or possessive – I had nothing to be possessive about. But it seemed that the worth of our relationship had plummeted since Naveen re-entered her life. Moreover, she seemed oblivious to the ill effects he was having on her academic performance. Sure, she was free to date anyone she fancied, but to look out for her was the least I could do as a friend. While dispensing my responsibilities as a son, a prefect, and an aspirant, my strained relationship with Madhuri had lost its priority, but it was high time we fixed that. I might have lost the fuzzy feelings, but I sure harboured responsibilities. The reverberating howl of the conch, the thick rumble of the negara, and the shrill of the brass bells broke my trance. Aarti had begun.

●●●

"... and remember, do not let Aakash drive if he drinks, okay?" Maa said as she hugged me.

"Aunty, you know I am responsible!", Aakash jeered humorously. "I wouldn't drink and drive, not when Shekhar is around." 

Maa laughed as she said, "Well, my eyes don't lie to me, I suppose? You kids have grown up together, and with the time you monsters have spent with us, I am sure I can gauge your intentions even before you think about it." 

"We can't lie to you, can we?", Aakash countered. We laughed as we drove off. A night of pandal hopping with the boys! Nothing sounds better.

After spending the better part of 3 hours visiting the various pandals around the Ganeshguri, Rajgarh, and Noonmati areas, one of us remembered that we hadn't had our dinner yet. We were approaching midnight, and the only major food outlet open around the area at this hour was a biryani joint, Gosht. We reached there rather quickly, and ordered mutton biryanis for the four of us, coupled with a side of chilled beer. Nishant, the beer guzzler of the lot, asked the waiter to serve a round of beer each before the biryani was served, and so we were - four boys not far from home enjoying the sliver of freedom earned on a night of festivities. After 6 months of slogging, I was finally having a moment to decompress.

As the bitter sting of the cold Kingfisher trickled down my throat, the door of the restaurant swung open, and a young couple walked in. The guy, who seemed agitated as he entered, seemingly changed himself on cue. He had reserved a table it seemed, as the waiter escorted them to the one adjacent to ours. The guy looked decent, but it was the girl who caught my attention. She wore a mekhela sador coupled with a magnificent set of indigenous Assamese jewellery. The dominant reddish hue of the jewellery complimented the golden lustre of the mekhela. She looked like an Ahom princess straight out of the Budhi Aai Saadhus or the folklores we had heard growing up. She had seated herself diagonally opposite to me, allowing me a glimpse of her face. Well-defined eyes highlighted by the eyeliner, a dominant blood-red lipstick to compliment the golden and red theme of the outfit, and the broad-lensed pair of spectacles. She was the definition of cuteness. Neil, Nishant, and Aakash whispered compliments among themselves about this angelic nocturnal visitor but eventually got busy tending to their personal relationship matters. But I kept throttling my brain cells. Her eyes had a familiarity, her hair had a familiar lustre, and the ring on the left index finger. I had seen someone wear that same ring – an expensive blue topaz inset in gold. But who was it? She had something in her that seemed familiar.

But then, she opened her spectacles to re-apply her eyeliner, and everything came rushing back to me. Every feeling that I perceived had died, every emotion I thought I had dealt with, all of it came flooding back. The girl who was sitting diagonally opposite me, the one wearing the fabulous mekhela, the one with highlighted eyes and attractive lips, was none other than Madhuri. Even though the beer had hydrated my throat, I felt thirsty. It was a pleasant autumn night, yet I was sweating. As if by impulse, my nostrils flared, straining to detect the familiar scent – the scent of burnt jasmine fused with cranberries. Among the odours of chopped onions, bubbling broths, aromatic biryanis, and cheap room fresheners, I could detect that faint hint of familiarity. She was the oasis to my thirsty traveller, the sleep to my insomniac, the home to my homeless, and the sanity to my maniac. Yet, I knew the reality. The guy she was accompanying was Naveen. He was the wolf in sheep's clothing and I could see it. But would she? While I was lost in thought, the waiter had arrived with dinner.

Throughout dinner, I kept looking over towards Madhuri. I noticed she was constantly dabbing her eyes and the base of her nose. I couldn't put my finger on it, but it seemed she was crying. Naveen seemed quite agitated, maybe even furious. His agitation seemed to have calmed as he got up to answer a phone call. This was the chance I was waiting for! I casually approached the table they were sitting at and greeted her.

"Hi Madhuri.", I said. "Happy Puja. How are you?" 

She looked up, and her face turned completely pale. The first things I noticed about her were her eyes. They looked red and puffy. She was crying all this while! 

"Wh... who are you, sir?", Madhuri stammered. "I... I can't seem to... recognize you." 

What? What was she talking about? "Is it some sick prank Madhuri?", I said. "You don't recognize me? It's me, Shekhar." 

"I don't know any Shekhar.", she replied quickly. "You must have mistaken. Now please don't create a scene here. Please!" Her eyes were screaming at me to leave. They recognized me, yet didn't want her to acknowledge it. "Just leave, sir.", she repeated. I

 wanted to leave; my brain wanted to leave. But the beer made me lose reason. I needed to leave, yet I wanted to stay. Emotion was somehow winning over reason, and I wish I had skipped the last bottle of beer!

"Why are you doing this, Madhuri?", I asked her. "Just why? You had a perfect career ahead of you. You were succeeding, were making a name for yourself. Are you happy to leave everything for him?" 

Before I could continue, I felt a firm hand gripping my shoulder. "Aye, Shekhar!", he cheered. "Happy Puja, man! Didn't want to wish your brother, eh?" It was Naveen. If Madhuri hadn't been around, I would have loved to bash this bastard's head through the tables. But with Madhuri around, I couldn't do that. She looked scared and subdued when he was around. I had to play along with his filthy manipulative act.

"Happy Puja, Naveen!", I said, faking a hug. "You were on call, and I was with my friends. So couldn't time it." 

"Ah, they are your friends?", he asked, waving at them. "You guys enjoying? Their biryani is the best in town, and this is my regular biryani hideout." This man could act so brilliantly, he could convince you that the earth was flat with his sweet words! 

"Wait, you guys had Kingfishers with the biryani?", he asked, acting disgusted. "Well, that's all we can afford now, sir.", Aakash said. "We are splitting the bill, you know," Neil added. 

"That's it?", Naveen asked, looking all confused and astonished. "Damn, you boys don't need to bother about the bill for your dinner. Consider it my puja gift. Plus, let's take a bottle of Heineken each, in the spirit of reunions!" 

"No need for that Naveen.", I countered. "I think we can pay up the bill ourselves. Plus, we will have to drive home, and the police don't like drunk 18-year-olds."

Naveen laughed. "You don't have to spend the last few pennies your Papa spared for you on a measly meal, Shekhar.", Naveen spoke in a hushed tone. "Just take a seat at our table, and enjoy the first, and probably the last bottle of Heineken you could ever afford." 

He turned towards my friends, and with a laughter of scoff, continued, "Ask your friend here to let off some steam, guys. He doesn't want another beer as he has to 'drive you all home'. Does it even make sense?" He laughed, and the imbeciles I call friends joined him. I was tactfully singled out. He used his cards brilliantly, and with my pride pinned down, and my options scarce, I took a seat opposite Naveen, who was now seated beside Madhuri.

"So what's your problem dude?", Naveen asked, as we settled down. "Why are you following Madhuri? Do I have to specifically inform you that we are dating? What kind of an upbringing did you have?" 

"She is naïve, Naveen", I replied. "She believed you changed and gave you a chance. She is an exceptional student, yet you destroy her career. You are hellbent on ruining her life. Why? What is your problem?" 

"Ruin her life?", Naveen scoffed. "Dude, I am giving her a new life. What good have studies ever brought to society? Nothing! Look, the best she could do with an education would be to become a doctor or engineer. If she becomes a doctor, she would be spending her days in a room, tending to the sick and dying. Again, if she became an engineer, she would have to work under tyrannical bosses and leaders. Yes, she would be independent, but why do you think women need to be independent?"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing! I thought Naveen was another manipulative rich dude. Turns out, he is a sick psycho patriarchal tyrant. "Why do you have to tie your destiny with your work, if you could instead tie it with a rich business tycoon like me?", he continued. "I can give her all that she could desire, and more. Cars, jewellery, house aids, clothes, electronics, you name it. She only has to spend her day within the confines of the kitchen, cook for my family, and clean the house with the house aids. What's even better – she doesn't have to spend hours finding matching outfits for the office. Any saree with a veil would do."

"That's disgusting!", I retorted. "You are okay with all of these, Madhuri? Are you okay with this person treating you like an over-glorified maid? Were the years of hard work, the state rank in your 10th, and your aspiration just façades?" 

"Hey, Mr. Inspirational, talk with me.", Naveen snarled. The silence from Madhuri's end seemed unnatural and odd. Even if I ignored the fact that she decided not to recognize me and ignore my presence, I believed she would stand up to this guy while he berated her hard work, her dreams, and her aspirations. "Have I permitted you to interact with her? You were already crossing the line when you approached her without my permission. Consider yourself lucky that you are still sitting here with your head held high. Remember that I can ruin you with a single phone call. So better keep a distance from her. Plus, Madhuri doesn't talk to anyone until I allow her. The fiancé of the scion of the most respected business house of Assam cannot be seen interacting with strangers, especially males. Did you dream of having her as your girlfriend, dude? Do you think these antics will win you her admiration? Boy, you know nothing about women."

Not even a gesture! Madhuri sat there like a statue the whole time Naveen systematically berated me. I was ashamed of myself, of how I was a lone ranger defending her honour. But was I though? How could I be so sure that she was unhappy with Naveen? I mean, I just saw her crying, but that doesn't qualify any dissatisfaction on her behalf. Was I making a joke out of myself? He even claimed she was her fiancé, so possibly she is actually getting married to Naveen.

"Shekhar, I understand that people fall for girls as perfect as Madhuri.", Naveen continued. "But I should make this clear – Madhuri is in no mood to leave the luxuries I give her. You are free to go and slog yourself through the education system. I know that's what middle-class taxpayers dream about. But I am warning you, I should not see you contacting Madhuri, visiting any of our houses, or even reaching out on social media. Remember what I said. I can ruin your life with a single phone call." 

With the finesse of a master theatrical performer, he changed his personality. A beaming smile, a radiant personality, a soothing voice – who would know a patriarchal tyrant lay dormant behind this benevolent shell? 

"Damn, you still are as funny as ever!", he said as he tapped my shoulder. "Let's meet soon, brother." He shook hands with my friends and offered to drop them home. Thankfully, reason had descended onto their wasted minds and they declined. He paid the bills and walked out of the restaurant with Madhuri close behind. Not long after, we followed suit. Though they kept insisting, I opted to go home early. Tonight's adventures were too much for my mind to process.

But one thing was clear – Madhuri had changed. I wasn't sure if this was an impending fear of abuse or an actual appreciation for his money, but Madhuri seemed different. I was soft, caring, and outgoing; yet I was no fool. If Madhuri didn't need me around, so didn't I. My life had a million other issues, and I had to cater to them, whether I liked it or not!