episode 2

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.

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