Chapter 34: Queen of Novel

7 Years Ago

Date: April 16th

The living room was filled with the chaotic, high-pitched shrieks of a dozen eight-year-olds running in circles. Colorful balloons clung to the ceiling, and a large banner reading ’Happy 8th Birthday Ananya!’ hung lopsidedly over the television set.

Sitting at the center of the dining table, wearing a frilly pink dress she absolutely despised, little Ananya tapped her fingers impatiently against the wooden surface. She looked at her mother, who was busy arranging paper plates in the kitchen.

"Mummy, please bring the cake quickly!" Ananya called out, adjusting her glasses. "I have to go read my new science book."

Her father, who was handing out juice boxes to the running children, stopped and walked over to her chair. He knelt down to her eye level, offering a warm, gentle smile.

"Look, beta," her father said softly. "Everyone has come here just for your birthday. They are all so happy to celebrate with you. You should stay out here and have fun with them. Go play with the other kids."

Ananya frowned, looking at the kids who were currently fighting over a plastic toy.

"No, Papa," Ananya replied, her voice remarkably serious for an eight-year-old. "I don’t like playing. It has no logic, and it’s so boring. I like studying. When I study, I get to learn so many new things about how the world works."

Before her father could argue, Ananya slipped off her chair, completely ignoring her own party, and walked straight down the hall, shutting the door to her bedroom behind her.

Her father stood up, sighing heavily. Her mother walked out of the kitchen, holding a lighter for the candles, and watched the closed bedroom door with deep, evident worry.

"I worry about Ananya a lot," her mother whispered, stepping closer to her husband. "She is so different from the other children. She never wants to play, she just studies all the time. She is eight years old, and she doesn’t have a single friend."

Her father placed a comforting hand on his wife’s shoulder. "She’s just smart. Give her time. She’ll find someone who understands her."

The next morning, the peaceful silence of the house was shattered.

"Ananya! Wake up quickly!" her mother’s voice echoed from the kitchen, accompanied by the clanking of a spatula. "If you don’t get out of bed right now, you are going to be late for school!"

Ananya’s eyes snapped open. She immediately threw off her blanket, her mind already shifting into its daily, structured routine. She brushed her teeth, ate her breakfast of buttered toast and milk with mechanical efficiency, and strapped on her oversized school bag.

She ran downstairs where her father was already waiting on his old, blue scooter. Ananya hopped onto the pillion seat, grabbing onto the metal railing.

As they weaved through the morning Delhi traffic, Ananya leaned forward. "Papa, make sure you come to pick me up early today! If you are late, I will be late for my evening tuition class, and we are starting a new math Chapter today."

"I’ll be there right on time, Madam General," her father chuckled over the noise of the engine.

He dropped her off at the heavy iron gates of the primary school. Ananya adjusted her uniform, gave her dad a quick wave, and marched straight to her classroom.

During the first period, the homeroom teacher walked in holding a stack of report cards. The noisy classroom instantly fell silent.

"Before we begin today’s lesson, I have a very special announcement," the teacher said, smiling warmly. She looked directly at the second row. "Once again, Ananya has come first in the entire class. Not only that, but she scored perfect marks in Mathematics and Science. Let’s all clap for her."

The class broke into polite, unenthusiastic applause. Ananya simply nodded, accepting the praise as a factual confirmation of her hard work rather than something to brag about.

A few hours later, the sharp ring of the recess bell echoed through the corridors.

While the rest of the classroom instantly erupted into chaos, grabbing their lunchboxes and sprinting toward the playground, Ananya quietly pulled out a thick reference book and a neatly packed sandwich.

A group of three girls from her row stopped by her desk.

"Hey, Ananya," the tallest girl said, holding a skipping rope. "We need one more person for our game outside. Do you want to come play with us?"

Ananya looked at the skipping rope, quickly calculating the repetitive, mindless nature of the game, and shook her head.

"No, thank you," Ananya replied politely. "I want to finish reading this Chapter during the break."

The girls exchanged weird looks, whispered something to each other, and ran outside, leaving Ananya entirely alone in the quiet classroom. She didn’t feel sad; she felt relieved. She opened her book, perfectly content in her isolated, predictable world.

At exactly 3:00 PM, the final school bell rang.

True to his word, her father was waiting outside the gates on his blue scooter. He navigated the afternoon traffic, eventually dropping Ananya off in front of a small, two-story house in their neighborhood where her daily tuition classes were held.

"Have a good class, beta! I’ll pick you up at five," her father said.

Ananya nodded, walking through the front gate and heading straight into the designated study room. She took her usual seat in the front row, placing her perfectly sharpened pencils and notebooks precisely on the desk.

A few minutes later, her tuition teacher, Mr. Sharma, walked into the room.

Usually, he would immediately turn to the blackboard and begin writing down equations. But today, he stopped at the front of the classroom, clapping his hands once to get everyone’s attention.

"Alright, everyone, settle down," Mr. Sharma said, looking toward the doorway. "Before we start the class today, let me introduce you all to a new boy who will be joining our batch."

Ananya looked up from her notebook as a skinny, quiet boy with messy hair slowly walked into the room.