rasgulla

The cafeteria buzzed with the midday crowd—laughter echoing, trays clattering, and the aroma of spicy noodles mixing with the sweet scent of pastries. Students huddled in groups, each table a universe of its own.

Saanvi moved slowly, balancing her tray. A sandwich, a steaming cup of chai, and her favorite dessert—rasgulla. She looked almost relieved to have found a corner seat, away from the noise. Her shoulders slumped, eyes drifting to the window where sunlight fell in broken shards.

Maybe here… I can finally eat in peace, she thought, though she knew peace never lasted long.

But fate had a cruel sense of timing.

“Hey weakling, again sitting alone?” A harsh voice cut through the chatter.

It was Raghav. Tall, broad, with a smirk carved permanently on his face. He was infamous for targeting the quiet ones, the ones who didn’t fight back. His gang snickered behind him like hyenas waiting for the kill.

Saanvi froze, her fingers tightening on the spoon.

“Ras–gulla?” Raghav leaned forward, mocking. “Sweet for a sweet little crybaby? Don’t choke on it, alright?” He snatched the bowl from her tray, holding it up like a trophy. His friends laughed.

Heat flushed Saanvi’s cheeks. Her heart pounded, but no words left her lips.

Not again… why always me? Her inner voice trembled. If I say something, it’ll only get worse. If I stay quiet, I’ll look pathetic…

Her silence fueled their laughter.

And then—

“Put it back.”

The voice was low, calm, yet cutting through the noise like a blade.

Heads turned.

At the edge of the cafeteria stood a boy—black mask covering half his face, black cap pulled low. He wasn’t tall in an intimidating way, but there was something in his presence that made people step back instinctively. His eyes, sharp and steady, locked on Raghav.

It was Yogesh.

Saanvi blinked. She had seen him before—in class, in corridors—always hidden in layers of black, always avoiding attention. A shadow no one understood.

Raghav laughed. “And who the hell are you? Batman’s broke cousin?”

His gang roared.

Yogesh didn’t flinch. He walked forward slowly, each step deliberate. The cafeteria seemed to quiet down, as if the room itself was holding its breath.

“You think strength is mocking someone weaker than you?” His words were few, but each landed heavy. “That doesn’t make you strong. That makes you small.”

For a moment, the cafeteria went silent. Even Raghav’s smirk faltered.

Why is he… standing up for me? Saanvi thought, her heart racing. No one ever does.

Raghav scowled, trying to recover. “What’s it to you? You hiding your face because you’re scared? Don’t act like a hero.” He shoved the rasgulla bowl toward Yogesh. “Want it? Here, eat!”

The gang laughed again.

But Yogesh only tilted his head, eyes narrowing. “Scared people wear masks of cruelty. I just wear mine on the outside.”

The words hung in the air, sharp, undeniable.

For once, Raghav had no clever comeback. He muttered something under his breath and backed off, signaling his gang to follow. Their laughter died as they left, glancing back nervously.

Saanvi sat frozen, still clutching her tray.

Yogesh picked up the rasgulla bowl and placed it back gently before her. “Don’t let people like him decide who you are.” His voice was steady, but softer now.

Her lips parted, wanting to say something, anything, but words failed her. All she managed was a nod.

Why… does he care? she wondered. Who hides behind that mask?

As Yogesh turned to leave, she noticed his tray. A cup of chai… and rasgulla. The same as hers.

Her eyes widened. He likes… the same thing as me?

The detail was small, almost ordinary, yet it felt like a thread connecting them in the crowded, hostile cafeteria.

She wanted to call out, to ask his name, to break the silence. But by the time she gathered the courage, he had already disappeared into the crowd—just a shadow blending back into the noise.

Saanvi sat there, staring at the rasgulla. Her hands trembled slightly, not from fear anymore but from something else. Curiosity. Suspicion. And a strange, unfamiliar warmth.

Who are you, Yogesh? And why do you feel like both a stranger… and someone I’ve always known?

The cafeteria roared back to life, but for Saanvi, the world had shifted. The shadow who stood up for her was no longer invisible. He was a mystery she couldn’t ignore.

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