At the backbench of the classroom sat four shadows—Bashundhara, Madhu, Tania, and Deepa. Even though the bell had rung, the hum around them hadn't quieted. At the center of their discussion was the new Physics teacher—Anirban Sir. There were suppressed smiles on their lips, a mysterious glint in their eyes, shared glances, and playful teasing through body language.
Suddenly, Tania said,
"When I look at Anirban Sir, my heart starts racing!"
Madhu rested her chin on her hand and added,
"Same here! I was once watching him through the window, and suddenly our eyes met… uff! It felt like something inside me trembled."
Tania leaned a little closer to Bashundhara and whispered,
"Bashu, when Sir was writing on the board today, I couldn't take my eyes off his hands… he writes so beautifully!"
Madhu laughed softly and said,
"If that hand gently touched my cheek and said, 'You got it right,' I swear I would melt on the spot!"
They all burst out laughing. Then Bashundhara, growing slightly serious, lifted her chin and said with a clear note of pride in her voice,
"I know men very well. The kind who appear serious on the outside are often the most vulnerable inside. Just a bit of touch, a lingering glance, and the right understanding of body language—that's all it takes to make them melt. And Sir is no exception."
There was a flicker of triumph in her eyes. Madhu and Tania looked at her with awe. Deepa said quietly,
"Listening to you, it feels like you've placed your hand right over Sir's heart and figured out exactly how to get to him."
Bashundhara let a sly smile dance at the corner of her lips, her eyes sparkling with mockery.
— "You guys just don't get one thing—men always fall for women with the sexiest bodies. Most men are drawn to the kind of girls they can build fantasies around. 'Perfect body'—that idea drives them crazy. You know what my bra size is? E-cup. When it's rare to even find C-cup girls around here, if I show up somewhere, how can I not turn heads? And it's all completely natural. Not a drop of plastic—pure genes, baby. I'm the real deal."
Her friends stared at her in shock.
Tania said in a soft voice,
"If I had even a fraction of your confidence, maybe I could've found a tiny space in Sir's heart too."
By now, Bashundhara was running her fingers through her hair with a mirror-like self-admiration, and she said,
"To win over men, beauty is just the base—you need the right smile at the right time, and just the right way to move your body. I know exactly how to lean, how much to show, when to soften my voice, when to stay quiet, and when to speak—depending on who's in front of me. I've mastered it."
Madhu, filled with admiration, said,
"We should learn from girls like you how to make men fall at our feet."
Bashundhara responded with arrogant pride,
"You'll never be worthy of even the tip of my toenail."
Her friends were hurt by the comment, but said nothing—because they knew, "She's the one in power."
There was a shiver-inducing confidence in Bashundhara's voice. Then, lowering her lashes slowly, she said,
"I know exactly when to let a little smile touch my lips so that his eyes freeze. I know when to soften my tone, how much to lean in while talking, how much cleavage to reveal, and how long to hold a gaze so that he feels—I'm standing just outside his boundary. He can't quite reach me, but he won't be able to look away either."
Tania was almost stunned. She said slowly,
"Bashu, I've never seen this kind of confidence in anyone. You really are dangerously beautiful. You can charm anyone with your looks."
Bashundhara pulled a mirror from her bag and said while looking at herself,
"I know how I look. These eyes, these lips, this curve of my waist—I've learned how to use them. I know that when I walk, how many heads turn. I know that even someone like Sir can't help but notice—whether he wants to or not."
Deepa nodded and said,
"You play your game with your beauty, and we remain your servants in that game."
Bashundhara laughed and said,
"There's no girl in this entire city as beautiful as I am. I know how to turn beauty into a weapon. I've learned how to present myself in such a way that men think, 'She's within reach, yet untouchable.' That's an addiction, baby. And I spotted that weakness in Sir the very first day."
Madhu, unable to hold back anymore, said,
"Even the way you walk is different, Bashundhara! I've noticed—Sir glances at you when he enters the class."
With victory shining in her eyes, Bashundhara said,
"You all don't understand—men are afraid of eye contact when they know the woman in front of them is fully aware of her own allure. One day you'll see—Sir will come to me himself and say, 'Bashundhara, just looking at you makes me feel different.' And then you'll realize—I don't just fantasize… I predict the future."
Then Bashundhara laughed softly and added,
"Just wait and watch. One day, you'll hear Sir say—'Bashundhara, I can't help myself when I'm around you.' That day, you'll understand—I wasn't imagining it… I knew it was coming."
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That day around 3:30 in the afternoon, a group of girls from Meghmala Girls' High School had been taken to a cottage industry fair. Along with the young students, a few teachers were also present at the fair.
The afternoon had a gentle sunlight, and the girls' laughter created a festive atmosphere in the fairgrounds. Colorful stalls displayed handicrafts, wooden dolls, handmade jewelry—altogether, the place felt like a small joyful world.
The girls wandered around in groups. Some were eating fuchka (puffed crisp snack), some were buying clay pendants, others were getting henna applied on their hands. Some matched bangles on their wrists, while others picked up wooden toys. In one corner, music played; in another, vendors sold coconut sweets and kadama (a type of local sweet).
Amidst the crowd, the sparkle of glass jewelry, handmade clay dolls, and the scent of freshly fried jalebi floated in the air, creating an ambiance of celebration.
Suddenly, Basundhara appeared with her friends Deepa, Madhu, and Tania, heading straight toward the new Physics teacher, Anirban. The newly joined Anirban Sir was handsome but quiet, speaking little and focusing more on work.
Basundhara, with a sly smile in her eyes, said, "Sir… can I say something?"
Anirban Sir looked at her, "Yes, Basundhara, go ahead."
"I really, really want to eat ice cream. Very much." She smiled a little dramatically at the corner of her lips, her tone playful, and a naughty glint sparkled in her eyes.
Sir wasn't quite sure what she meant.
Hearing this, Deepa immediately joined in, "Yes sir! We want to eat too." Madhu and Tania giggled from behind.
Sir looked a bit surprised.
Basundhara, still playing her role, said, "Sir, I'm terribly thirsty. My throat feels completely dry." Then, sensually, she moistened her lips with her tongue.
Matching her tone, Deepa, Madhu, and Tania chimed, "Yes sir! It's so hot! Please get us some ice cream!"
Anirban Sir was a little startled but straightforwardly said, "Alright, you four want it? Okay then, come with me."
The girls cheered happily, shouting, "Yes! Sir is the best!" and "Sir, you're so nice!"
Sir took them to a nearby ice cream vendor and said to the seller, "Brother, give four ice creams, whatever flavors they want."