The classroom buzzed softly as students settled into their benches, waiting for Shraddha mam. Honey adjusted his bag, notebooks stacked neatly beside him, and glanced around at the familiar faces—Tanmay whispering jokes to Aryan, Ayush quietly scribbling a note, Kartikey already organizing his books.
Shraddha mam walked in, her presence commanding attention. "Good morning, class," she said, her voice warm but firm. "Today, after I take attendance, we'll go to the lab. We have one hour thirty, because I've spoken to the lab sir to let us perform practicals today."
Students perked up immediately, a mixture of excitement and mild nervousness filling the room.
Mam quickly marked attendance and then went over instructions. "Remember to follow safety rules. No running, no shouting. Handle the equipment carefully. If you're paired, work as a team, and always check your experiment before recording results."
Once instructions were clear, the class moved to the lab. Honey didn't immediately pull out his sketchbook—today wasn't for observing or drawing. Today was for practical work, and he wanted to focus. He paired up with Puneet, setting up chemicals for their experiment with Mohr's salt.
At the next table, Priyanshi quietly set up her materials, working with her companion. She was focused, careful, and mostly silent—a sharp contrast to the teasing and chatter happening around her. Honey noticed her but didn't let her see he was observing. Something about her quiet concentration struck a familiar chord in him.
"Hey, Puneet, can you pass me the pipette?" Honey asked, keeping his voice low.
"Here," Puneet said, handing it over. "Try not to spill it this time. Last week was… messy."
I smiled faintly. "I've got it under control."
As they worked through the ring test and the Mohr's salt experiment, small exchanges passed between them—observations, reminders, light teasing—but Honey stayed focused. Occasionally, he glanced toward Priyanshi's table, noticing her careful movements and quiet demeanor. It reminded him faintly of himself when he first started high school, anxious but meticulous, trying to stay unnoticed while learning everything by watching.
The lab filled with faint chemical smells, clinks of glassware, and soft murmurs of students discussing results. For Honey, it was just another layer of patterns to observe—Puneet's impatience when a reaction went wrong, Kartikey double-checking measurements, Tanmay and Aryan whispering jokes across tables. And Priyanshi, quietly working beside her companion, drew his attention without him wanting to.
.
Honey and Puneet stared at the empty container of Mohr's salt, their experiment halted mid-step. The small pile of crystals had somehow fallen off the table, scattering across the floor.
"Uh… what now?" Puneet whispered, eyes darting toward Shraddha mam, who was checking measurements at the next bench.
"I've got an idea," Honey murmured, crouching slightly to slide the remaining crystals under the table with his foot. Puneet nodded, suppressing a laugh, both silently agreeing to keep it a secret.
They straightened up, trying to act casual, fingers hovering over their next experiment setup. But a problem remained—they couldn't proceed without more salt.
Honey's gaze shifted across the lab, and there it was—an extra container of Mohr's salt on Priyanshi's table, neatly placed beside her companion's notebook. She was focused on measuring, oblivious to the small crisis happening a few feet away.
"Puneet… look," Honey whispered, nodding subtly toward her table. "She's got some extra salt. Maybe we can… get her help."
Puneet raised an eyebrow. "Ask her directly? You sure? She's kinda quiet, man."
Honey shook his head, thinking fast. "No, not directly. We don't want to embarrass her… or ourselves. We need a way to ask without… well, asking first."
Puneet scratched his head. "Like… telepathy?"
I smirked faintly. "More like… using subtle hints. If we act like we forgot something, or need advice, she might offer it herself."
They exchanged a quick plan: Puneet would pretend to check the experiment instructions while Honey approached with a notebook in hand, pretending to be puzzled over the next step. The goal was simple—signal that they needed guidance without openly saying, 'Hey, give us your salt.'
Honey took a deep breath and walked slowly toward Priyanshi's table, notebook clutched under his arm, trying to appear absorbed in the instructions. He could feel the faint nervous flutter in his chest—the same he'd felt in his early school days when asking a question in front of the class—but he pushed it down. Observation first, nerves later.
Puneet gave him a small nod from the side, pretending to adjust his pipette. Honey kept his eyes on his notebook, taking slow, deliberate steps, inching closer to the extra salt.
And then… he noticed the tiniest detail: Priyanshi's hand hovered over the container, her fingers twitching slightly as if she was debating something. Honey felt a faint connection, a recognition of hesitation and thoughtfulness, and something clicked—he understood that quiet, careful part of her, the part that reminded him of his own anxious self.
Now the real challenge: how to make her notice their "problem" without forcing the interaction. Honey took a small step forward, pretending to glance at the instructions but subtly letting the notebook block part of the salt container, signaling he needed to reach it.
Puneet whispered from behind, barely audible: "Dude… you really hope she notices, huh?"
I whispered back, keeping my calm facade: "Yeah… it's not just about the salt. If she notices, it's easier to ask… indirectly."
The lab hummed with soft clinks and murmurs, the faint smell of chemicals in the air. All around, students were engrossed in their experiments, but Honey's focus narrowed entirely on Priyanshi, her quiet concentration, and that tiny chance that she might offer help first.
The clock ticked on, and every second stretched, making Honey acutely aware of his heartbeat in the silent pause between movements.
Honey hovered near Priyanshi's table, pretending to squint at his notebook while keeping the edge of the Mohr's salt container in his peripheral vision. His pencil tapped lightly against the notebook, a nervous rhythm he couldn't quite control.
He noticed Priyanshi's eyes flick up briefly, catching his movement. She tilted her head slightly, expression neutral but curious. Honey froze for a split second, heart thudding in his chest. She noticed… okay, stay calm.
"Uh… Puneet, did we mess up this step?" Honey whispered, glancing back toward his partner without making it obvious. Puneet shrugged, stifling a laugh, pretending to check the instructions.
Priyanshi's companion glanced at her, then at Honey, and she shifted the salt container just slightly toward the edge of the table—enough that it was almost inviting, without her having to speak. Honey's eyes widened ever so slightly.
"Thanks…" he murmured under his breath, still pretending to study the notebook. He nudged it subtly closer to the salt. His hand hovered for a moment before carefully scooping some crystals into the test tube.
Priyanshi glanced back at him briefly, her gaze calm but observant, as if she had noted his little maneuver. Honey quickly returned to his notebook, scribbling down the next steps while keeping his face neutral, though his chest still fluttered slightly from the silent acknowledgment.
Puneet leaned over, whispering, "Dude… smooth. She didn't even say a word, but we got it."
"Yeah…" Honey murmured, eyes still on the salt, "sometimes… actions speak louder than words."
The lab carried on around them—clinks of glass, murmured instructions, and the faint hum of equipment—but in that small, shared moment, Honey felt a subtle bridge forming between him and Priyanshi. Not a conversation yet, not a friendship, but a quiet recognition, a hint that maybe they weren't so different after all.
He slid the remaining crystals back to his area, careful to avoid any spillage, and glanced up once more. Priyanshi was busy with her experiment, but her calm focus, her careful movements—it reminded him of the part of himself he'd once struggled to control, the part that had taken years to quiet down.
Honey leaned back slightly, letting out a silent breath. Okay… that wasn't too bad. And she noticed. That's… enough for now.
Honey's fingers hovered over the test tube again, but his mind wasn't on the experiment anymore. Okay, she noticed… but did she think it was weird that I stared at her table? His pencil tapped nervously against the notebook. No, no… maybe she didn't even care. Maybe she's thinking I'm just another clumsy guy.