By the time I returned to the hostel and reached my bed, the entire gang of girls in my cabin was already waiting for me like an investigative committee. I hadn't even sat down properly when they started bombarding me with questions.
Sastika raised her eyebrows. "With the principal? What did you do?"
"Meeting," I said simply, tossing my coat aside and sitting down on the edge of the bed.
Mahathi blinked. "So professional now?"
I shrugged, trying not to smile. "I'm serious. It was a proper meeting."
Prerna leaned in. "Not a warning?"
"Why would I get a warning?" I asked, half amused.
Amritha looked confused. "You mean you weren't scolded at all?"
I shook my head. "Nope. I didn't do anything wrong."
Sree Lekha narrowed her eyes. "Then why did you meet both the principal and vice principal?"
"Because I wanted to speak with them," I said calmly.
Pavani raised an eyebrow. "About what?"
I paused for a moment and looked at all their curious faces before answering.
"Okay," I said, drawing in a breath. "I want to start a student magazine. So I requested their permission for it."
For a moment, the entire room went quiet. It was like someone had muted the cabin.
Sastika broke the silence. "A school magazine? We can even do that?"
"Yes," I said with a nod. "And I got the permission."
Now that truly shocked them.
"What?" Prerna said, her voice rising. "Wait, wait… what do you mean you got permission?"
"She means," Harini jumped in proudly, "that she handled the whole meeting like a pro. You should've seen her!"
Mahathi looked from Harini to me, skeptical. "Are you not joking with us right now?"
I crossed my arms. "Nope. Very serious business."
Prerna tilted her head. "Just you?"
"No," I said, smiling a little. "Me and Nishanth."
And just like that, all the girls turned their heads in unison and shouted, "Nishanth?!"
The reaction was so loud that someone from the next cabin even knocked on the wall and said, "Why are you all screaming?!"
Sastika covered her mouth, giggling. "Okay, now it sounds serious."
Mahathi was still wide-eyed. "You both actually went to the principal's office… together?"
"Not just us," I said. "Computer sir and our class teacher were with us. We gave a full presentation in the meeting room."
Amritha blinked. "With a presentation?"
"Yep," Harini chimed in again. "They had slides and everything. Nila had written twenty articles already!"
"Twenty?!" Pavani gasped. "Since when did you even start writing this?"
"Since the day after our debate class," I replied, smiling.
Sree Lekha shook her head. "Unbelievable. And here I thought you were off studying some novel or hiding from homework in the study hall."
"Technically," I said, "I was writing a story. But this one's real."
They all burst into laughter.
"Okay," Prerna said, sitting up straighter. "Tell us everything from the start."
And so I did. I told them how the idea started forming after the debate encouragement, how I slowly began drafting, how Nishanth helped with the digital design and photo editing, and how Computer Sir supported the idea enough to help us put together a formal presentation.
"You should've seen the principal's face," I said, reenacting her raised eyebrow. "She was skeptical at first. But after we showed the layout and purpose, she gave us a one-month trial approval."
"This is wild," Mahathi muttered. "Do you even know what you're getting into?"
"Not entirely," I admitted, "but I know I'm excited. And determined."
"What's the name of the magazine?" Amritha asked.
I smiled. "Student Voice."
Sastika repeated it softly. "Student Voice... I like that."
"Good name," Pavani nodded. "So, can we be part of it too?"
"Of course!" I said instantly. "I'll need help for writing, editing, collecting updates, photography—everything. This isn't my magazine. It's all of ours."
There was a pause. Then Mahathi declared, "If you make me write sports articles, I will resign on day one."
Everyone laughed again.
"That's fine," I said. "We already have someone in mind for sports. But I'll need someone to help with entertainment, like cultural events, stories, poems, or even movie reviews."
"Ooooh!" Sree Lekha's eyes lit up. "I love writing about movies!"
Harini winked. "We've got a full-fledged editorial team now."
And just like that, the idea that had started quietly in the back of my head had become something real. Alive. Breathing. Ours.
It wasn't just about getting permission anymore.
It was about giving all of us a voice.
After I changed out of my uniform and freshened up, I walked over to the dining hall to check if there were any snacks left. It was nearly 5 p.m., and I didn't expect much. But to my surprise, there was still some sundal left—the chickpea one. Maybe because it's the "healthy" option, not many students had turned up for snacks today. Lucky for me.
I grabbed a small paper cup of hot milk and filled a bowl with sundal, then found an empty spot to sit. The hall was quieter than usual, just a handful of students chatting in low voices, some scrolling on their phones. The air smelled faintly of boiled chickpeas and soap—someone had just finished mopping the floor.
I was finishing the last spoonful when I looked up—and froze.
Sitting directly opposite me, with a paper cup of tea in her hand and an unreadable expression on her face, was our PT ma'am.
"Why haven't you come to the ground this past week?" she asked, without looking up. Her tone wasn't angry—just curious. "I thought you'd be a regular. You looked like you had potential."
I wiped my mouth quickly with a tissue, suddenly feeling like a student being caught bunking a class.
"I'm serious about it, ma'am. I really wanted to come," I said quickly. "But I was… caught up with freshers week preparation. From tomorrow, I'll definitely be back on the court."
She finally looked at me. "Did you participate in the event?"
I shook my head. "No, ma'am. I was working behind the scenes."
"Then what were you doing exactly?" she asked, setting her cup down.
I took a breath. I hadn't planned this, but maybe this was the perfect opportunity.
"I've started a student magazine," I said. "It's a new initiative… called Student Voice."
Her eyebrows lifted slightly. "A magazine?"
"Yes, ma'am," I nodded. "It's both a print and digital version. I've already written the first few articles and presented the idea to the principal and vice principal today. We got permission for a one-month trial edition."
She didn't speak immediately, but she seemed intrigued. That was something.
"If you're free, ma'am… I actually wanted to discuss the sports section with you," I continued. "I've been thinking we should have a column that highlights school-level sports achievements. Not just cricket and football—but every sport. Even ones like kho-kho, volleyball, and athletics."
She raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. So how do you plan to do that?"
"I was hoping you could guide us," I said, sitting up straighter. "We want to publish the inter-house sports scoreboard in every issue. Maybe some short profiles of students who perform well in tournaments. Updates on upcoming events. Even coach insights or fitness tips if possible."
PT ma'am leaned back slightly in her chair, now fully listening. "That sounds like a good idea. Usually, these achievements are just announced during assembly and then forgotten."
"Exactly!" I said, excited now. "This way, the students who work hard on the ground will get regular recognition. And those who don't attend or follow matches closely can still stay informed. We even plan to do photo features of the teams."
She tapped her finger on the edge of the cup. "So you'll need access to event dates, player names, and match updates."
"Yes. And your help to verify them and maybe help us get a few quotes or quick interviews."
She considered that for a moment. "Will there be a separate student in charge of the sports section?"
"Yes, we've asked one of the boys, Ishanth, to take care of collecting updates from boys' teams. I'm planning to speak with Anika for the girls' side, if you agree."
"Anika's a good choice. She's responsible and already on the volleyball team. But you'll need to make sure the information is accurate and respectful."
"Of course, ma'am," I nodded quickly. "We want to keep everything professional. We're calling it a student voice, but it also reflects the school. So we'll follow all guidelines."
She smiled slightly. "You've thought this through. I'm impressed."
My face flushed with pride. Coming from our PT ma'am, that meant a lot.
"I'll support it," she said. "Send me a rough outline or template by next week. I'll help you gather the needed data. But you'll have to come to the ground too. No escaping fitness."
I laughed. "Deal, ma'am. I'll be back on the court tomorrow."
She stood up and gave me a nod. "Good. Let's make sure your Student Voice doesn't forget the students who speak through their actions."
As she walked away, I grinned into my cup of milk. This project was growing faster than I'd imagined. We now had the support of three teachers, a name, a design, and a mission.
And now, a sports section too.
Student Voice was no longer a small idea in my notebook—it was becoming a movement.