The Teacher's Silent Vow
I had something like dream last night. I don't really tell it's a dream or my one of the old memories but I can do tell it was real....
Moonlight spilled softly into the quiet hospital room, washing everything in a pale, almost dreamlike glow. The faint scent of antiseptic lingered in the air, and the steady beep of a monitor echoed gently in the background.
I sat on the bed, leaning slightly toward the window.
Beside me, she sat close enough for me to feel her warmth.
We were both looking at the moon.
"The moon is beautiful tonight…."
"That's true..... I'm glad we could meet before the moon get waned," she spoke in a low and humble voice as she seat next to me on the bed.
Her voice was calm… but there was something hidden in it. Something fragile.
"Hmmm? What do you mean? Oh, you mean you prefer the full moon as opposed to the crescent moon....?" I questioned her in confused.
She let out a deep sigh.
"Sigh... You want to become a teacher right? You haven't studied enough. You should read more books."
Even under the soft moonlight, I could see it—her slightly puffed cheeks, the way she looked at me with quiet disappointment.
I couldn't help but laugh.
"Hahaha, you become quite matured.... Aaishu. You're right i should also study More. When I'm discharged from the hospital, i should go to library."
I brushed it off lightly, but she didn't.
Her expression changed.
She lowered her gaze, fingers tightening slightly on her lap.
"... I will take responsibility for your injury, Yuvraj."
Her voice carried weight.
Regret.
Guilt.
I turned toward her, surprised.
"You don't need to worry... This is something that I did on my own."
I tried to ease her, to lighten the heaviness in her heart.
But she shook her head.
"No, I've already decided. My mind has been made up... I heard from my father, my family has been like this for generations... When we set our heart on someone, we never hesitate again."
She stood up from the bed.
Step by step, she came closer.
Closer than before.
"Ananya…."
My voice softened.
There was something different about her now.
Determination.
A resolve that didn't belong to a child.
"It's a promise. When I become a grown up....."
She leaned in—
And kissed my cheek.
Soft.
Warm.
Fleeting.
But it stayed.
Even now.
---
I still remember that promise.
And the softness of her lips.
That night—
Under the pale moonlight—
Was the last time we were together before we were separated.
---
"My name is Yuvraj Hulwan."
The memory faded.
Reality replaced it.
"I mainly teach English now at this private jr. College."
Years had passed.
I kept my promise.
I studied hard.
I became a teacher.
At least… that's what I told myself.
But—
"Ah…."
I stopped walking.
In front of me, a group of students had gathered.
At the center of it all—
Was her.
"Student council president! Good morning! WOW, you look great today too!"
"I saw the get together meeting with the other school last week! It was very interesting in a deep topic."
Voices overlapped, full of admiration.
Excitement.
Respect.
And in the middle of it—
She stood calmly.
Elegant.
Composed.
"Thanks. I also think that I was able to spend a very meaningful time."
Her voice was clear, confident, yet gentle.
Like someone used to being admired.
"To think that the next day, i would see the person herself who is appeared in my dreams....." I mumbled under my breath.
Her name—
Ananya Rathore.
The student council president.
Top of her class.
Excellent in sports.
Talented in everything she touched.
Someone people looked up to.
"You've truly became a wonderful person…."
I whispered, watching her from a distance.
She probably didn't remember.
But once—
She was different.
A little wild.
A little stubborn.
And somehow—
Close to me.
Back then, she used to come to me often after I helped her once.
We talked.
We laughed.
We called each other by our names.
But now—
She had grown.
And I had stayed behind.
"What am I thinking…" I muttered.
"She is almost about to be 18, i think. She really grew up wonderful without being held by my guilt… Compare to her, I am….."
"Hey, that's Mr. Hulwan. Is he coming this way? He is grinning....!"
"I wonder if that rumour is true, that he used to sexually harass the female students!"
The whispers cut through my thoughts.
As I walked down the corridor, those voices followed me.
Again.
Always the same.
I didn't even know where it started.
But it never stopped.
Compared to her—
The admired, respected student council president—
I was just a teacher surrounded by rumors.
A miserable one.
"What a gap…"
I exhaled quietly.
Then—
"Mr. Hulwan, good morning."
A soft voice, sweet like honey, came from behind.
I turned.
A woman stood there, holding a few files close to her chest.
Warm smile.
Gentle eyes.
Miss Samiksha Patel.
"Oh... Miss Patel! Good morning!"
I replied, a little surprised by her sudden appearance.
"The weather is wonderful today. The sunshine is warm and it feels good."
Her smile was bright, genuine.
For a moment—
It felt like the heaviness around me faded.
"That's true! When it sunny like this, it makes one feel good…"
"Yes, that's true. When it's a monsoon season, i know it's how it is, but when it's rains all the time, i also feel kind of down...."
We talked.
Just small things.
Weather.
Mood.
Nothing important.
And yet—
It felt peaceful.
For a while, I forgot everything.
The rumors.
The gap.
The past.
"I'm lucky…" I thought quietly.
"Being able to talk to her like this from the start of the day…"
Maybe—
Just maybe—
Something good would happen today.