She needed chai.
The classroom buzzed with noise as the bell rang, signaling the start of the final lecture of the day. Groans echoed across the room—half-hearted complaints from students already too exhausted to pretend they cared anymore. Impatience lingered in the air as everyone waited for the last class to begin.
It was often the scene witnessed at the university, especially when you are a History major.
People often think that history as a subject is dull, and students take this as a last resort, but it’s the complete opposite. History fascinates us more than we admit. There’s something thrilling about uncovering the events of the past, the stories that shaped societies, countries, and the generations that followed. Each information feels like a key unlocking a door to a world I yearn to explore.
The classroom chatter died down as our professor entered. Dr. Harshvardhan Trivedi—easily one of the most respected faculty members at BHU—carried the kind of quiet authority that came from decades of experience. Twenty-five years in the department, beloved by nearly everyone for his kindness, wisdom, and uncanny ability to understand the daily chaos of student life.
Standing at the front with a wry smile, he opened with his usual charm. “I can tell from your faces that you’re all very excited to see me again.”
Scattered chuckles broke the tension. Even on the most tiring days, his humor had a way of disarming us.
“Well,” he continued, “as tempted as I am to let you go early, I have something important to discuss before the semester ends.”
Cue the collective internal groan. Of course. We should’ve known.
“I’m assigning you a research project,” he announced, “on an Indian writer, painter, or figure from the 18th or 19th century. But there’s a twist—you may not choose the popular ones. I want you to dig deep. Pick someone whose work or life is rarely discussed. Bring them to the forefront with your research.”
Well, of course, we are having an assignment to tackle over the holidays. How can I even think that we would have a break without a deadline hanging over our heads?
Professor Trivedi must have noticed the unmistakable expression of exasperation as he spoke, “I know you wanted to enjoy your holidays, but it wouldn’t take too much of your time. I only want a short review of them, and as I am aware that picking up the topic takes the maximum time. So I have prepared the topics for you all. They are present on this bowl.”
“All of you, one by one, come and pick up a chit, and that will be your topic for the research,” he finished with a smile.
Honestly? Relief washed over me. If left to myself, I’d have wasted half the vacation deciding what to research, and the other half worrying if someone else picked the same person.
One by one, students went up to the desk. When my turn came, I picked a folded slip and returned to my seat. I unfolded the chit.
Painter Nitara. It said.
“What does your chit say?” my best friend Anvi quipped when I sat down.
“Painter Nitara”, I answered.
“Oh well, I never heard that name tho”, she said.
“Yeah, me too. Time to go down the research rabbit hole. Hopefully, something useful pops up,” I sighed. “What about you?” I asked her.
“Writer Jayasankar Thakur”, she answered.
“Nice. Everyone seems to have pulled obscure names. This might be more fun than we thought, hai na?” I said with a grin.
“Kaisi bandi hai, ek second frustration dikhati hai aur dusre second excitement, behen your history geek is peeking out”, Anvi remarked.
(Really, what are you? One minute you were showing frustration, and the next minute you say you are excited.
“Abb toh jesi hun wese hi tujhe jhelna padega, aur kar bhi kya sakte hain,” I spoke playfully.
(Well, you cannot do anything about it, you have to deal with this best friend of yours)
“Mein kyun jhelu tujhe, mein nahi jhelne wali,” she stated.
(Why should I deal with you? I decline)
“Wahh hypocrisy ki hadd toh dekho, don’t think I missed your expression when sir announced the assignment. You were ready to fake an illness. But the moment you saw your chit, your eyes sparkled. Don’t lie, Miss Anvi Pandey,” I said smugly.
(Wow, look at the extent of hypocrisy)
“Those were the sun rays that were falling on my face, nothing more, Miss Roop Chauhan,” she tried to reason it.
“Yeah yeah, sure let’s blame it on sun rays,” I stated while playfully rolling my eyes.
“It was the sun rays, alright”, she stated again.
“Whatever makes you sleep at night,” I said.
“By the way, as today is the last day of the semester. What do you plan to do besides this assignment, of course?” Anvi asked.
“You know it, Anvi, I will use all my time to finish this assignment as soon as possible. I want to complete it ASAP and chill out and maybe visit some places”, I answered. It was true, university life is all about grind, tests, and assignments. I want to enjoy these holidays without any tension.
“Yeah, the semester was hectic. Anyways, I would be visiting my cousins, I hope I will be able to finish my research there”, she said.
“Mujhe jo FOMO ho raha hai because my whole cousins are on a trip, but here I am finishing yet another assignment. Good luck, tho, because whenever there’s a cousin meetup, it’s unlikely to get any work done,” I said with a fond smile.
A polite cough interrupted our chat. We turned our attention back to Professor Trivedi.
He spoke, “I hope everyone has got their topics. I wish you all the best in your research. Please remember to submit your reports after the vacation; those reports will be officially published. So, be very careful in how you present them. Goodbye, everyone, and enjoy your holidays.” He left the room..
We all stood, stretched, and sighed. The room buzzed again—but this time, it was a lighter kind of noise. The semester had officially ended. Assignments or not, a break was a break.
Write a comment ...