The snow scrunched beneath Khusi's newly purchased snow boots, as she strolled down the deserted hallway. It was too early for any staff to arrive, still not 8 am. But being cooped up inside the tiny quarter was slowly suffocating her. The dull walls, the lack of any warmth, and the icy floors along with bed. She felt miserable.

"Aree madam, aj bhi app jaldi aa gaye?" The janitor asked, shoving snow off the hallway with a shovel, sweating profusely even in the chilly weather.

(Ma'am, you're early today too?)

Khusi passed him a wry smile, before walking inside the staff room. There was just another man present in the room. He was in his early 50s and Mathematics teacher, one of the seniors.

"Good Morning Ms. Mukherjee." He passed her a curt nod before sitting down on his chair, going through some papers.

"Morning," Khusi mumbled, taking out her schedule for the day from the drawer. Atleast in the school she could occasionally speak with someone. Back at the quater, the wooden walls were only her companion.

Her heart was numb along with her fingers, as Khusi checked her scheduled with emotionless eyes. It had been 6 weeks she was living in the town, and she was hating it. Everything. Starting from the people to the weather. She hated changes in her life, hated new things and Shimla was on top of that now.

The quater building remained pretty much unoccupied, most of the teachers being local. There were one or two teachers living there probably, but not on her floor.

The bell rang as she saw several other people walking inside the staff room, some of them of Khusi's age. They blatantly ignored Khusi as she tried to give them a smile, and gathered at the set of tables in the corner of the room, gossiping.

This was how it had been since the day they discovered she was divorced. As if it was a crime to be a divorcee. In the beginning they were far more welcoming, two of them even took the initiative to talk to Khusi on their own. It was all going good, until Khusi disclosed that piece of information to one of her colleagues.

Khusi turned her neck back to stare at the man who had turned, whatever chances she had to make friends in the town, to zero. Rajeev.

It had been her 4th week in the school and since the very first day Rajeev had been her constant companion there. Showing her every nook and corner of the school, accompanying her during lunch, helping her with the introduction to the staffs, a constant friend since the day she walked inside the school very first time.

"So, why don't you smile often Khusi? I would love to see that lovely smile more often Khusi?" Rajeev nudged Khusi with his shoulder, munching on a burger, as they sat beside each other in the school cafeteria. They had a period off together so decided to eat something.

"I don't feel like smiling." Khusi didn't say much since the day Bhaskar broke her trust. Though she had been trying to fit into the reality of her current situations, in every way possible, it was difficult for her.

"No honestly Khusi. You look pretty when you smile." Rajeev tired to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear, but Khusi pulled back, blinking fast. Any kind of physical contact was uncomfortable for her.

"Um ... I would, when the right time would come." Khusi said, sighing heavily. Rajeev's hand was still up in air and it didn't go unnoticed by Khusi.

Rajeev slapped his palm on the table a little heavily, rubbing his face. Khusi eyed him, confused at what happened. He looked impatient.

"Um, listen Khusi. I can't keep this inside me anymore." Rajeev grasped Khusi's hand out of nowhere and she was too shocked to pull it back.

"What ...? "

"I like you, okay. I had since the first time I saw you. And after spending so many days with you, I must admit that these feelings inside me are getting more rapid. I am not in control of it anymore. And I know you like me too, that's why you spend time with me."

"Rajeev ... I ... " Khusi was flabbergasted at Rajeev's confession. She didn't ever hint that she liked him before. She spent time with him because he accompanied her everywhere she went. He was the only person who was genuinely interested to talk to her. But Khusi wasn't ready to jump into another relationship after being divorced just a month ago

"We don't have to rush in ... take your time ... "

"No Rajeev, we can't ... I am older than you, and ... "

"It doesn't matter to me," Rajeev assured.

Taking a deep breath in, Khusi decided to reveal him the reason. "I can't Rajeev. I am not ready for a relationship right now. I ... um ... I recently got divorced ... "

"What!?" Rajeev scowled, letting go of Khusi's hand.

"Yeah ... " Khusi licked her lips.

"You're divorced?" Rajeev asked, as if he wasn't sure what he heard.

"I am. After being married for 3 years. But hey, we can still be frien ... " Khusi tired to cheer him up, because she genuinely felt bad for rejecting him, but he quickly sprinted up from the chair.

"I have to go," he murmured, walking away.

And that was the last time Khusi's so-called colleagues had spoken to her, along with Rajeev. They had been avoiding her like plague.

The bell rang indicating start of the day for the the students, as teachers walked out of the staff room, to their designated classrooms. Khusi was assigned to take the geography class that day, of Cls VII B.

As soon as she walked in, only a few students stood up, greeting her, others ignoring her as usual. That had been going on for the last 2 weeks too. The students of Cls VII and VIII weren't much welcoming towards their new teacher.

"Sit down, and take out your books." Khusi ordered, tightening up her tone. She knew being a softie won't make her last there long.

"Turn to page 92. Today, we will learn about different kind of volcanoes." Khusi continued teaching, drawing on the blackboard and pointing out different parts of a volcano. A few students bothered to take notes, most of them busy in chatting, ignoring what Khusi was saying.

When Khusi felt the intensity of the whispers increasing, she slapped the duster on a desk harshly, glaring at the group fo students in the back.

"All of you stand up," she ordered. They didn't at first, but when Khusi demanded again, with a sharp tone, they complied, their faces unbothered.

"If you're so interested in speaking in my class, I suggest you stay out of it." Khusi chided them bitterly. They had been severely misbehaving.

"Why should we leave when you're the one who is incapable of teaching?" One of the students mocked. Khusi eyes widened at his audacity as she prowled upto him, glowering down.

"One more word and I will drag you down the Principal's office. I have been tolerating you four for a very long time," Khusi warned.

"Atleast lesser than your husband had to tolerate you. Oops! I mean ex-husband." The whole class resonated with snickers and scoffs and Khusi's heart seemed to stop. She couldn't digest what she just heard.

"Silence." She roared, braking a wooden scale on the student desk. They gasped at the open display of violence, and pin drop silence rang in the room.

Tears swarmed behind Khusi's eyes, but she didn't let it leak. She wouldn't loose it infront of her students. She couldn't.

Grabbing the book from her desk, she prowled out of the classroom towards the Principal's office, her steps hurried.

Three female staff were standing outside her classroom, aware of what took place inside a few minutes ago, due to the noise. As soon as Khusi walked pass them, she heard them taunting, "Huh! Drama queen."

Khusi's vision blurred as she slapped her palm on top of her mouth to control the sob which was on it's way out of her throat. She was slowly loosing her sanity.  

*******

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