As soon as we returned to class, the history teacher resumed the lecture without taking a breath. It was as if she had been waiting all day just to dump a century's worth of knowledge on us in one go.
I sighed, slumping in my seat. "I just don't get it. Why do we even study history? What are we supposed to do with it?" I muttered, pressing my pencil between my lips and nose, balancing it like a seesaw.
Nami, who sat beside me, was dutifully pretending to listen. I turned to her, my boredom transforming into mischief. "Nami, what if we could actually step into history through this book?" My eyes sparkled, and I whispered the words like I'd just uncovered a great secret.
She didn't even look up. "Aira, shut up. If the teacher catches us, she'll make sure we step out of this class instead."
"As if I'm scared of her." I tilted my chin up, feigning confidence.
Nami sighed dramatically, glancing at the teacher. "Okay, okay. You're not scared. But please, just keep quiet." She folded her hands, begging the universe to silence me.
I huffed, making a face at her, and started doodling absentmindedly in my notebook. But as my pencil scratched against the paper, I couldn't resist pushing the limit. "What if we—"
"Aira, stand up."
The teacher's sharp voice sliced through the classroom, and every pair of eyes snapped toward me. My heart stuttered for a second, but I quickly masked it with a casual stance as I got to my feet.
"Yes?" I asked, trying to sound like I had been listening the whole time.
Her gaze burned with suspicion. "Tell me, which paragraph are we on? Read from there."
I hesitated, scrambling for an answer. "Uh… actually…"
She narrowed her eyes. "What 'actually'? Start reading. The rest of you, eyes on your books!" She adjusted her glasses, already convinced I was lost.
I hesitated again, but my mind worked quickly. "Teacher, before that, I have a question."
She let out a heavy sigh. "What is it now?"
"You said the people of Harappa didn't fight or engage in wars. Is that true?" I asked, my voice dropping into the tone of someone about to crack a historical mystery.
"Yes, absolutely true," she replied confidently.
A mischievous glint lit my eyes. "Then… if they never fought, was their way of arguing just puffing up their cheeks and sulking in a corner?"
The class erupted into laughter, and I could feel Nami beside me stiffen, trying to hold it in. Even she couldn't resist a quiet giggle.
The teacher's face turned beet-red. "Are you here to study or to mock history?" she snapped, her voice slicing through the amusement.
I grinned. "Teacher, I'm just trying to bring history to life!"
Her patience snapped. "OUT! Get out of my class right now!" she yelled, pointing at the door.
I opened my mouth to protest, but she wasn't having any of it.
Just like that, I was exiled, standing outside the classroom like a fallen warrior. I sighed, leaning against the cool wall, staring out at the empty corridor. The muffled voices from inside the class barely reached me now. A part of me was annoyed, but another part… well, it wasn't so bad. The breeze from the window was nice.