Deaf Ears

"Role Number 43"

The classroom was abuzz with chatter and commotion as the teacher began to call out the role numbers from the official register book of the college. Her voice grew louder and more aggressive with each passing moment, and she finally bellowed out the name of the next student on the list, who may have been male or female.

Despite her efforts to gain their attention, many of the students continued to ignore her, chatting and covering their ears as she called out each name. Annoyed by the lack of respect and discipline in the classroom, the teacher thundered once again, "Is the student with ROLE NO. 45 present in the class?!"

Frustrated, the teacher yelled out, "Class, be silent, I'm taking attendance!" but her words fell on deaf ears.

As I looked around the room, my eyes fell upon a student who had been sleeping soundly for the past 45 minutes of the zero period. It was clear that he had stayed up all night playing video games and was now paying the price for his lack of sleep. I rolled my eyes in annoyance at the sight of him, wondering why he had even bothered to come to class.

Unable to resist, I leaned over and whispered to him, "Are you interested in attending today's class?" But even as I spoke, I knew that my words would likely fall on deaf ears, just like the teacher's.

When he didn't respond, I reached out and shook his arm gently. He let out a groan and slowly opened his eyes, looking at me with a mixture of confusion and annoyance. I explained to him that the teacher was taking roll calls and asked if he was present. He nodded his head, and I went to inform the teacher.

However, the teacher was suspicious of his absence and asked me where he was. I replied, "Roll 45 is doing project work while discussing with his partner, and he couldn't hear due to a lack of concentration in the class." After hearing my explanation, the teacher marked him present, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes when I saw how deeply he had been sleeping for the past 45 minutes.

I noticed a hint of suspicion in her eyes as she scanned the room, trying to locate the missing student. "Where?" she demanded, clearly not satisfied with the lack of information I had provided. I stood up from my seat and replied, "Roll No. 45 is doing project work while discussing with his partner, therefore he couldn't hear due to a lack of concentration in the class." Even after my explanation, the teacher continued to scan the room, her eyes moving from one student to another. After hesitating for a moment, she marked him present when she saw him writing with deep focus. I was shocked at how well he knows how to act!

The student in question seemed oblivious to the commotion around him, muttering to himself as he worked on his project. "I am so glad I slept over my projects, or else I would have messed them up," he said, shaking his head. His childlike behaviour was endearing, but it was clear that he needed to focus on his work. "I would have died thousands of years ago if you weren't present in this world," he cursed, slightly irritated. Despite his complaints, he seemed content to continue his work at his own pace, occasionally nodding off to sleep.

As I watched him doze off yet again, I couldn't help but feel a sense of fondness for him. "How many times will I have to save you?" I muttered, half-jokingly. "Do some progress in your project; you are in charge of the annual exhibition." Despite my frustration, I knew that he was a talented student, and with a little guidance, he would be able to achieve great things.

As I watched him sleep, a mischievous smile spread across my face. He murmured something in his sleep, chuckling softly, and I wondered which girl he was dreaming about. Suddenly, my annoyance got the best of me, and I screamed at him, "Mr, please wake up!" His eyes half-closed, he yawned lazily and muttered, "Come on, girl, you covered me up; now let me sleep." I couldn't believe his audacity! "Okay, great. Sleep some more," I patted his head sarcastically, and he smiled and whispered, "Thank you."

My friend noticed my smirk and whispered to me, "Are you mad or what?! Did you just put him to sleep again?!" I couldn't help but giggle at his innocent demeanour. "Mind your own business" he muttered, his irritation evident on his face. "Come on now, focus on your work," I chided him.

But he wasn't having any of it. "Nope, I'm sleeping," he said with a cute, sleepy baby voice, making my heart skip a beat. Oh god, is he 19?! I couldn't help but wonder. Suddenly, he fell asleep again, and I rolled my eyes in frustration. "How many times will I have to protect you? Do some progress in your project, bitch! You are in charge of the annual exhibition," I whispered and shouted at him, hoping to get him to take his work seriously.

"My dear lady is dangerous indeed.." He chuckled in his sleep. God knows which girl is in his sleep now.

My friend, who had been standing next to me the whole time, whispered in my ear, "Are you mad or what?! Did you just put him back to sleep?!" I couldn't help but smirk at her comment. Despite my annoyance, I found Mr.'s sleepy demeanour to be endearing, and I didn't want to disturb his rest any further.

?? POV

Earlier today, I observed a conversation between a girl and a boy. The girl seemed to be upset about a guy who was sound asleep, although his roll number was about to be called. However, to everyone's surprise, when his roll number was called, she covered him up and patted his head, putting him back to sleep. I was left bewildered and didn't know what to make of it. Confused and unsure of what to do next, I muttered "What the heck?" under my breath, as I watched her actions closely. Suddenly, she opened her water bottle and my eyes widened in fear.

I couldn't help but shout, "No!"

The girl looked at me with confusion and asked, "What's wrong? I'm just drinking my water. It's not poisoned." I realized that I had overreacted and sighed, feeling embarrassed. "Sorry, I just thought you were going to do something crazy."

As I sat in my classroom, I couldn't help but feel confused about the situation that had just unfolded. The class teacher suddenly stood up from her seat and informed me that I had received two hours of detention after classes. It was an unexpected turn of events that left me wondering, "Such a cruel punishment to a smol baby"

To my surprise, the class teacher had been observing the entire situation. She must have noticed something that I hadn't. She didn't finish her thought, but simply said, "Anyways, it's just a waste to utter so many things, so yeah. Thank you, class. Have a nice day." With a sigh, she left the class.

I was left sitting in my seat, trying to figure out what I had done wrong. "What the heck did I do? Just for a small thingy, Mam scolded me?" I rolled my eyes in annoyance, feeling frustrated by the lack of clarity.

The school bell rang. Just as what I had predicted, my friend poured water on another student's head, making him wake up. Rubbing his eyes, he shouted at my friend, "What the heck is wrong with you?"

HER POV

"Your snoring was annoying me in the early morning, so I decided to wake you up." I got up from my seat, intending to visit my locker on the ground floor of the college where my classroom was located.

My heart wanted to go there as if someone forced me, but it was not anything romantic. It was just my mind asking me to check if my locker had my things and the key in the pocket. I put my hand in my skirt's pocket, and my heart froze when I didn't find the cold silver metal inside the round cloth pocket. "Where the heck did it go?!"

Realizing my mistake, I rushed outside and headed downstairs where my locker was located.

As I made my way towards my locker, a voice suddenly called out my name. "Jena," it said, and the word vibrated in my ears, causing my breath to stop. I whispered in surprise, "You?"