Sana stepped out through the large iron gate of her school. A heavy bag hung from her shoulder, and a light sweat glistened on her forehead. The golden hue of the afternoon sun bathed her skin as her closest friend, Shelly, walked beside her.

Sana smiled and asked,

“Shelly, did you finish yesterday’s homework? Madam was really angry today!”

Shelly, fixing her bun, replied,

“Nope! I didn’t. I was thinking I’d come over to your place tonight and we could finish it together. You’ll help, won’t you?”

The two friends laughed and walked along the dirt road in front of the school. The sound of van bells rang out, kids with schoolbags ran around, and the smell of samosas and spicy puffed rice drifted in from nearby shops.

Sana glanced at the sky and smiled softly.

“If only it rained right now! Wouldn’t it feel wonderful to walk home in the rain?”

Shelly teased,

“If it rains, your new shoes will be ruined!”

They both burst into laughter.

As they were walking and chatting, a boy suddenly came speeding toward them on a bicycle. In a rush, he accidentally bumped into Sana. She stumbled and fell to the ground, and the boy also fell off his cycle.

Sana’s bag had been slightly unzipped—books and notebooks scattered all over the ground.

Though the boy had fallen too, he quickly scrambled up, sweating and anxious. He started gathering Sana’s books and putting them back in her bag.

“I’m so sorry! I couldn’t see properly... I lost my glasses… your books…”

Sana sat on the ground, rubbing her elbow, eyes blazing with anger.

“Can’t you see where you’re going? What kind of cycling is that?!”

The boy finished packing her books and handed her the bag.

“I’m really sorry… I lost my glasses and couldn’t see clearly. I didn’t mean to… please forgive me.”

Sana snatched the bag from his hands and scowled.

“Forget it. I don’t need your sympathy.”

Brushing off the dust, she stood up and marched off in anger. Shelly looked at the boy with a bit of sympathy and hurried after her friend.

The boy, still crouched on the ground, found his glasses and put them on. Looking down, he whispered,

“I didn’t mean for it to happen like this…”

In the fading afternoon light, he remained silently standing.

---

Sana dragged Shelly along the road angrily. The boy looked at them one last time and sighed, then walked over to his bicycle. Just then, he noticed something — a book was still lying on the ground. It was Sana’s Bengali grammar book.

He quickly picked it up. On the cover, her name was written:

"Sana Roy, Class 9."

Brushing off the dust, he murmured,

“This book… I have to return it… but how?”

He stood there for a moment, staring at the book with a strange expression — a mix of guilt and embarrassment.

As the afternoon light dimmed and shop lights began to flicker on, the boy stood quietly, thinking —

“I must return the book…”

---

Sana finally reached home, still fuming. She pushed the door open roughly and stepped inside.

Her mother called from the kitchen,

“Sana, why are you slamming the door? What happened?”

Throwing her bag onto the bed, Sana grumbled,

“Ma, today some idiot crashed into me with his bicycle! He couldn’t even see properly! I fell down, and all my books scattered.”

Her mother turned down the gas flame and came out.

“Oh no! Weren’t you watching the road? Are you hurt?”

Sana, sitting on the bed and kicking her legs angrily, replied,

“No, I’m not hurt… But the boy was so weird! Wearing glasses, but can’t even see properly! At least he put all my books back in the bag, but... ugh! Don’t even ask, I’m still so mad!”

She opened her bag to take out the books and suddenly froze.

“Ma… my Bengali grammar book is missing! That’s the most important one!”

Her mother looked surprised.

“Did you drop it somewhere?”

Sana’s eyes widened.

“It must’ve fallen during that mess! Ugh… Madam is going to scold me tomorrow!”

She brushed the hair off her face and looked out the window, feeling anxious. Just then, a shadow appeared on the road — the same boy, pushing his bicycle, holding that very Bengali grammar book in his hand.

---

The next morning, Sana and Shelly were walking to school in their clean uniforms, hair neatly tied. Sana still looked visibly annoyed.

Shelly was chatting when she suddenly stopped. She spotted a boy standing on the roadside — the same one who had crashed into Sana the day before.

She whispered,

“Sana, look! That boy… he’s standing by the road…”

Sana frowned.

“I don’t want to see him again! Come on, let’s take the other side.”

She pulled Shelly’s hand and crossed the road, not even glancing at the boy. He didn’t move — just silently watched her, still holding the Bengali grammar book.

---

After school, Sana and Shelly were walking home, tired. The sun was low, and a soft breeze blew through the street.

At a corner, the boy appeared again — standing quietly, holding the Bengali grammar book.

As soon as Sana saw him, her face hardened. She raised her voice angrily,

“Hey! Are you following us? You’ve got some nerve!”

The boy raised both hands quickly,

“No, no! I’m not following you! Please believe me… I just… wanted to return your book!”

He extended the book toward her.

Sana stared at him for a moment, then took the book with a sigh.

“Fine… You didn’t do anything heroic. Returning the book was your responsibility.”

She shoved the book into her bag and stomped away. Shelly gave the boy a kind smile and ran after Sana.

The boy stood there alone in the soft light of the setting sun, watching them until they disappeared.

Sana storms into the house, grumbling under her breath. She pushes the door open and tosses her bag straight onto the sofa.

Her mother steps out from the kitchen and asks,

“What now? Why do you always come home from school with that grumpy face?”

Sana replies angrily,

“Ma, that boy was standing on the roadside again today! He came to return my book like he’s done something heroic!”

Her mother chuckles,

“And it looks like you were mad even while taking the book back!”

Sana snaps,

“Of course I was, Ma! Why does he keep showing up in front of me? I don’t even want to see his face. Ugh, so annoying!”

She pulls her books out of the bag and slams them on the table, shooting a glare at the Bengali grammar book.

Her mother softly says,

“Try looking at it another way, Sana… maybe the boy genuinely felt sorry and just wanted to help.”

Sana waves her hand dismissively,

“No, Ma! If he was decent, he would’ve been careful in the first place. I can't forgive him!”

Her mother gently places a hand on her head and smiles.

“Alright, now wash up and get ready for lunch. And stop being so angry—it’ll only weigh down your heart.”

Sana pouts and walks off, but the boy’s words keep echoing in her mind:

“I’m not following you… I just wanted to return your book…”

Somewhere deep inside, her heart starts to soften just a little.

---

Later that night, after dinner, Sana enters her room and quietly closes the door. She arranges her books on the table and sits down to study. When she opens the Bengali grammar book, a folded piece of paper falls out.

Surprised, Sana picks it up.

“What’s this? Who put this in here?”

She unfolds it and starts reading—

“The day I first saw you, I already liked you.

I can’t stop looking into your eyes.

Even your angry face looks beautiful to me.

Maybe I don’t have the courage to tell you directly,

so I’m writing this letter.

Please don’t be mad…

— Your secret admirer”

Sana’s eyes widen, and her face flushes red with anger. She clenches her teeth and mutters,

“How dare he! Slipping a love letter inside my book?! So this is why he was so desperate to return it!”

She crumples the letter in her fist, her eyes blazing.

“If he shows up again tomorrow, I’m going to give him a piece of my mind!”

She throws the letter into her bag in frustration and tries to concentrate on her studies, but her mind keeps replaying those lines. The more she thinks about it, the angrier she gets.

A gentle breeze blows outside, but inside her room, it feels like a storm of fury is burning.

---

The next day at school, Sana talks to Shelly.

Before class starts, Sana and Shelly sit in the corner of a bench. Students are chatting noisily around them, but Sana sits with a frown etched on her face.

Shelly, confused, asks,

“What’s wrong now, Sana? Why so quiet?”

Sana, nearly fuming, whispers,

“You think nothing happened? Listen… last night while I was studying, I found a love letter inside that boy’s book!”

Shelly’s eyes go wide.

“What?! Seriously? What did he write?”

Sana grits her teeth,

“He wrote that he liked me from the first day, that he finds even my angry face beautiful! Ugh, Shelly—what nerve!”

Shelly tries to hold back a laugh,

“Come on, don’t be mad. Most girls would be happy to get a love letter!”

Sana glares at her.

“Shut up! I can’t stand any of this. If he shows up outside school today, just watch what I say to him!”

Shelly giggles,

“I’m excited to see your angry-heroine mode in action!”

Sana slams her bag on the desk and thinks to herself,

“Today I’ll say it straight to his face—enough is enough!”

The school bell rings, and Sana heads toward her class with fire in her eyes.

---

But the boy doesn’t show up, and Sana’s restlessness grows.

After the final bell rings, school is over. Sana and Shelly walk toward the gate. Sana keeps glancing around the road, her face tight with tension.

Shelly whispers,

“What’s wrong? He’s not here today.”

Sana grits her teeth.

“Hmph… doesn’t have the guts to show up! Probably ran off after leaving that letter. If he had come, I would’ve shown him!”

Shelly teases,

“Maybe he’s too embarrassed… or watching from afar, admiring your angry face!”

Sana rolls her eyes,

“Shelly, please! Don’t joke—I’m seriously annoyed! What nerve—to send a letter and then vanish!”

As they cross the street and head home, Sana keeps glancing back.

But the boy is nowhere to be seen.

She mutters to herself,

“What does he think? He’ll escape with just a love letter? If I see him again, he’ll regret it!”

Shelly smiles and says,

“Come on, your ‘hero’ didn’t show up today. Let’s go home, calm down, and get some studying done.”

The two walk home, while Sana’s mind buzzes with one question —

“Why didn’t he come today?”

---

Meanwhile, Arup speaks with his friend.

Standing by an empty field are Arup and his friend Roni. School’s over, the road is quiet, and the air is warm. Arup looks worried, holding a crumpled piece of paper in his hand.

Roni chuckles,

“Dude, you actually did it? A love letter? You hid it in her book?”

Arup sighs deeply,

“What else could I do? I didn’t have the courage to say it to her face… ever since that bicycle accident, I don’t know why, but she’s always on my mind. I thought maybe the letter would help me say what I couldn’t speak.”

Roni puts a hand on his shoulder,

“Bro, you should’ve waited a bit. You know how short-tempered she is. Now she’s probably furious and won’t even talk to you.”

Arup lowers his head,

“I know… I made a big mistake. What if she never talks to me again? It’s eating me up inside.”

Roni laughs,

“Relax, man! Give her time. Talk to her face-to-face one day and say sorry. And no more secret letters, okay?”

Arup stares at the road and murmurs,

“Yeah, you’re right… but how do I even begin? I still don’t have the courage.”

Roni smirks,

“Then find it, bro. Or else your love story will end in a paper note!”

Arup stays silent, thinking,

“If I see her tomorrow, I’ll talk to her—whatever happens, happens.”

The sun dips lower in the sky, and the two friends begin to walk off slowly.

---

The next day is Sunday — Sana and Shelly’s mischief.

On a quiet Sunday morning, Sana and Shelly walk past a small marketplace. The road is mostly empty, and the sun blazes down. Suddenly, Shelly grabs Sana’s hand and whispers,

“Sana, look! Over there—it’s Arup standing by the road!”

Sana’s face hardens. She glances over — Arup is standing alone, holding the handle of his bicycle, lost in thought.

A mischievous smile creeps onto Sana’s lips. She looks at Shelly and says,

“Look at his courage, showing up again! Today, he’ll learn a lesson.”

Shelly gasps,

“What are you going to do, Sana?”

Without replying, Sana walks quietly toward Arup’s bicycle and nudges a small rock into the tire. A loud hiss sounds as the air escapes from the puncture.

Startled, Arup turns around, but by then Sana has already grabbed Shelly’s hand and run away laughing.

Arup stares at the bicycle, shocked, and sees the tire completely deflated.

Under the blazing sunlight, Sana and Shelly disappear down the road, laughing as they go.

Sana and Shelly ran far from the scene.

Breathing heavily, they finally stopped, then looked at each other and burst into uncontrollable laughter.

Shelly, still laughing, said,

“Uff, Sana! You’re number one! Just look at the mess you created today!”

Wiping tears from her eyes, Sana replied,

“Did you see what a brilliant job we did? That boy won’t forget this lesson anytime soon!”

Shelly joked,

“You gave him proper punishment!”

Sana raised her chin proudly,

“We did the right thing! Let him dare to show his face again—this time he’ll know not to mess with an angry girl!”

Both of them laughed gleefully.

Some of the neighborhood kids stared at them in confusion.

Sana placed a hand on Shelly’s shoulder and said,

“Let’s go home. Today I’m in the best mood ever!”

Shelly giggled and walked alongside Sana,

While somewhere far behind, Arup stood helplessly, searching for a repair shop with a flat-tired bicycle.

---

Arup struggled to push his bicycle all the way home.

Drenched in sweat, he looked completely exhausted. As soon as he stepped into the yard, his older brother Amit stood in front of him.

Amit, with a school bag slung over his shoulder and an impatient look on his face, crossed his arms and snapped,

“What have you done to the bike? The tire’s totally flat! How am I supposed to get to tuition now?”

With his head down, Arup leaned on the bicycle and muttered,

“Bhaiya… I… it happened on the way home… I didn’t realize…”

Amit got even more upset,

“Now I’ll have to walk! And fixing the bike will cost money! Don’t you understand how hard our parents work to earn? Stop this nonsense and learn to take care of things properly!”

Arup said nothing, standing there in silence.

All he could picture was Sana’s furious face flashing in his mind. He thought to himself,

“Ugh… that girl got me into real trouble! How do I fix all this now…”

Amit shook his head in frustration, threw the bag over his shoulder, and stormed out.

Arup looked at the bicycle and sighed. He knew if he didn’t get it repaired today, he’d face more scolding tomorrow.

He quietly muttered,

“I have to talk to her now… or this mess will only get worse.”

And with that, he slowly pushed the bicycle out again, searching for a repair shop.

---

Meanwhile, Sana and Shelly arrived at Shelly’s house, still giggling.

The trees in the yard cast long shadows, and a cool breeze blew gently.

Sana said,

“Today was amazing, Shelly! What a special day!”

Shelly laughed,

“Yeah! He got exactly what he deserved for being too bold!”

Just then, the front door opened, and Shelly’s elder sister, Soma, stepped out.

She was in a hurry, with her hair tied in a bun, a small bindi on her forehead, and a bag in hand.

Shelly asked,

“Didi, heading to tuition?”

Soma replied quickly,

“Yes! I’m running really late. Sir is going to be mad today. You girls keep chatting, I’m off!”

Sana grinned,

“Didi, better hurry! Once your teacher sees your angry face, he won’t dare say a word!”

Soma laughed, slung her bag over her shoulder, and rushed across the street.

Sana and Shelly sat on the stairs of the veranda, chatting.

In the middle of their laughter, Sana thought to herself,

“Arup must be wondering what kind of trouble he’s in now…”

Shelly smiled and said,

“Come on, let’s grab a bite. Then I’ll drop you off at home.”

And the two best friends lost themselves in conversation once again.

---

Meanwhile, Soma reached her tuition center in a hurry.

Amit had also reached on foot, exhausted and sweaty. Both of them arrived at the same time at the tuition door.

The teacher was sitting at his desk, looking stern.

He glanced at both of them as they entered and frowned at Amit.

With a sharp tone, the teacher said,

“Amit! Late again? I’ve told you so many times to come on time!”

Amit looked down in embarrassment,

“Sir… my bicycle tire was damaged… I had to walk…”

The teacher raised a hand to stop him,

“No excuses. Just don’t let it happen again.”

Then he turned to Soma,

“Soma, you can sit. I can tell you had some trouble getting here.”

Soma quietly nodded and took her seat.

Amit sulked in the corner, thinking,

“Hmph… A smile for Soma, but scolding for me? Ugh… today’s just not my day!”

He sighed and opened his books as the class began.

---

After tuition, the students began walking home.

The evening breeze had a slight chill in the air. Amit was walking slowly with his friend, frustration still evident on his face.

Turning to his friend, Amit said,

“Did you see that? Sir always scolds boys like us, but never says a word to the girls. How’s that fair?”

His friend chuckled,

“Let it go, man. That’s just how it is.”

Just then, Soma and her friend Disha overheard the conversation from behind.

Disha smirked and said,

“Amit, if sir didn’t scold us, maybe it’s because we don’t arrive late every single day!”

Soma crossed her arms and added,

“She’s right. You’re late almost daily. Can’t blame the teacher for that!”

Amit snapped,

“Hmph… girls are always right, huh? And guys are always wrong? Think before you talk, Soma!”

Soma widened her eyes and replied in an annoyed tone,

“I said what’s true, Amit. No need to unfairly blame girls!”

Amit responded coldly,

“Fine. No point arguing. From now on, I won’t say a single word to you!”

Soma turned away and shot back,

“Same here!”

Both of them stormed off in opposite directions, while Disha and Amit’s friend stood there shocked, wondering how such a silly argument led to such a big fight.