บท 43: Studying

"First, we will start with something simple." Rishinik Walta took out a thin-looking book from the pile, spreading it open. "We will first start with mathematics. This is only of the 5th standard level, something that might be easier for you to learn at present."

"But, that was what I was learning before I fell into a coma. To me, it is a difficult subject," Jyorta said, swallowing his saliva, nervousness plastered across his face.

"The human brain develops as you age. Even if you hadn't learnt anything, it is far easier for you to learn new things at an older age. Also, the rate at which you comprehend is vastly improved. Though, once you start aging beyond your fifties, your brain will start resisting new information. It will stop wanting to learn new stuff." Rishinik Walta picked up a black ballpoint pen, using it to scribble something in the notebook.

"We will start with arithmetic operations; the simple ones, starting from addition and subtraction." Rishinik Walta wrote a three-digit number at the top, writing another three-digit number at the bottom, adding a '+' sign to its left.

"Try to solve this. Let's see if you still remember the basics." Rishinik Walta said, pushing the notebook to his side.

Jyorta took the notebook, his stare boring into it. He picked up a pen, drawing a line below the number. One by one, he calculated, adding the answer below, finally ending up with a three-digit number, the sum total of the two numbers above it.

'It would take my main persona 2 seconds at most to solve something of this ease. But, using the same brain, I am only capable of solving it after 18 seconds had passed. So, even our methods of approach and thought processes differ.' Jyorta thought, rechecking his answer.

"Not bad," Rishinik Walta nodded, adding another set of numbers on the notebook, one three-digit while the other a two-digit. Jyorta took 15 seconds to solve it. The next question consisted of adding two two-digit numbers which Jyorta solved within 10 seconds.

"So, I can conclude that you are not stupid when it comes to maths. It seems your brain is quite attuned to solving mathematical problems. This makes things easier. At this rate, you can easily solve higher difficulty problems with ease." Rishinik Walta smiled, hinting at his smartness.

Hearing his words, Jyorta's face beamed, his interest in mathematics increasing, gaining his favour. Next, he began to solve all the questions posed by Rishinik Walta with renewed vigour. "Mathematics is really fun."

"Right?" Rishinik Walta laughed, "Once you get the method down, solving mathematical problems is a lot enjoyable. And, most of them are quite simple. Only the ones you learn in 11th standard will become tricky and tough. Until then, it will be a breeze."

Hearing his words, Jyorta laughed, throwing his hands, pumping himself up, "Then, I will first finish all these problems."

1:00 PM, Rishinik Walta closed the mathematics book, signalling for Jyorta to stop. Even after being told by him, Jyorta continued solving, only stopping after having solved two more problems.

"Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division; we have finished the basics. Tomorrow, we will begin fractions and decimals. Have a break for the next one hour; after that, we will begin another subject." Rishinik Walta said, getting up, planning to leave the house.

"Sir, please have lunch here. I have cooked your portion too." Heima walked out of her room, entering the living room.

"Oh, it is fine; my house is just a 10-minute walk from here." Rishinik Walta pointed with his hand, signalling that it wasn't a trouble.

"Please, I insist. You are taking a lot of effort to tutor my brother after all." Heima replied, indicating for him to sit in the dining table.

"If you insist," Rishinik Walta let out a chuckle, not intending to refuse any longer. He washed his hands in the washbasin—placed at the corner of the dining room—before proceeding to occupy a spot around the dining table.

The so-called dining room was just an extension of the living room, separated by a raised platform, one foot high. It was to create a sense of elevation and to differentiate the living and the dining rooms.

The dining table was shaped like a pentagon, supporting a circular, rolling platform in the middle. It was where all the food items were placed. Smelling the scent of the food, Jyorta looked bewitched, acting like a zombie as he trailed after it to the source.

Just when he reached out to grab it, Heima slapped his stretched hand, "Wash your hands first."

"Okay," With a laugh, he jumped off his chair, rushing to the washbasin and haphazardly washing his hands. As quick as he ran, he returned to his seat, digging into the food on his plate.

Heima had smartly added food to his plate first, lest he rubbed his saliva coated hand over the food while eating. After all, it was a customary practice for them to eat food with their hands, as a show of respect to the food.

After lunch, Rishinik Walta walked to the balcony, gazing at the streets filled with people walking to and fro. It seemed as if the afternoon sun didn't affect them in the least.

'Technically, he's not a lost cause. He's quick on the uptake. As long as I give him enough motivation and pep talk at appropriate times, he would be eager to learn. Well, they are only expecting passing grades from him; after all, he has to learn the syllabus of 5th to 10th standard in these 7 months and sit for the exams in October.' Rishinik Walta pondered about his afternoon lessons, the content he should teach and the teaching methods he must employ to make them interesting.

Jyorta sat on the sofa, lazing around. He suddenly stretched his hands, pulling them to the top of his head, inching them towards the back. A faint gust of wind was stirred up, faint enough to be unnoticeable. Jyorta raised his head, looking at the ceiling, at the fan that was still.

2:00 PM, Rishinik Walta entered the living room and resumed the afternoon session. It was a history class, teaching Jyorta about major events in the form of stories. It was a fun session, making Jyorta enjoy it even more than the morning.

4:30 PM, Rishinik Walta closed the history book, signalling the end of the class. "We'll begin at 8:30 AM sharp, tomorrow."

"Thank you, sir." Jyorta stood up, waving at his back as Rishinik Walta exited the house. He turned his head, noticing his sister standing near him.

"Sister, are you in a job?"

"Yes," Heima replied, taking a look at his curious face, "It is just a desk job in the military."

"Then," Jyorta placed his hand over his jaw, supporting the weight of his head, a look of thought on his face. "Are you having holidays?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because, you were at home from the morning; If you are free, let's go out shopping and buy some clothes."

"Well, it won't be possible today." Heima looked away, noticing the state of the living room. Even though she had cleaned it the day before, it still didn't look elegant enough to facilitate guests. "Your friends will be paying a visit here."

"Really?" Jyorta's face widened with surprise, turning into one of joy. "That is awesome! When are they coming?"

Heima turned to look at him, her gazing flashing across the wall clock, a slight smile flashing across her face, "Now."

…

At a certain gift shop, one filled with all sorts of toys stood a boy, almost tall enough to be a man. He looked through the row filled with game CDs, the genre ranging from RPG to nursery rhymes. His gaze settled on a certain game, one filled with nostalgia.

The game had long since lost its craze, shadowed by new games that had better lore, graphics, and game mechanics. Currently, there was only a single copy of the game CD on the shelf, retained due to the only reason that the store featured all game CDs, irrespective of whether they were popular or not, to showcase their variety.

Just when he was about to take the CD, a hand reached out to it before him, claiming the CD. Tracing the hand to its source, the boy noticed a petite girl come into view. She looked young, bursting with the charm and innocence that came with the age.

"Oh sorry, were you planning to take it? Then I will let you have it," The girl shoved it towards him, walking towards another section, leaving the boy dumbfounded. Gazing at her back, his heart throbbed, giving him the feeling of blood rushing to his head.

"Never knew I would be attracted to a girl upon our first encounter." The boy let out a self-deprecating comment, walking to the counter to pay the bill and gift-wrap it.

The man behind the counter had a grumpy face, taking the game CD and presenting the bill back. By the time the boy paid the bill, the grumpy man had finished gift-wrapping the game CD, in a pink coloured paper filled with floral patterns. A pinkish-red ribbon with blue embroidery was tied to its top, making the boy embarrassed to even touch it.

With a sigh, he took it, putting it inside a cover he had prepared beforehand. As he turned around, he noticed the girl from before standing in the queue behind him, holding an ivory chessboard. Noticing his embarrassment as he hid the gift, she let out a chuckle, walking past him as she handed her item to be gift-wrapped.

Unable to hide his embarrassment, the boy hurried out, exiting the gift shop. He then headed towards the nearby metro station, "Man, it has been many years. This is going to be one awkward meeting."

After waiting in the station, he finally spotted the metro train heading to his destination. He boarded it with familiarity, sitting at a spot in the corner. He also noticed the girl from before getting in, sitting on a seat next to the door.

"Maybe, this is fate?" The boy laughed, admiring the back of the girl, his mind wandering to the dreamland.

Sometime later, he noticed the girl getting up, alighting after the train had stopped at a particular station. "What a waste; it would have been better if she had sat for a few more stops." The boy muttered in a daze when he noticed the name of the station.

"Ah, shit." The boy hurriedly jumped off his seat, rushing towards the door, exiting moments before it closed.