Runu is a Class 5 student living in the misty hill town of Kasauli. He loves the chirping of birds, the crunch of leaves under his shoes, and the smell of damp pine forests. But there is one thing he dreads more than anything—mathematics.
Math feels like a maze with no exit. And Mrs. Das, his stern math teacher, doesn’t help. “Runu! Concentrate!” she barks almost daily, and he shrinks in his seat, feeling the heat rise to his ears. The numbers on the blackboard blur. Every minute in that class feels like a heavy stone on his tiny chest.
One cloudy afternoon, after yet another scolding, Runu decides to take the long route home—through the forest. The trees rise like giants, the path is narrow, and soon, he realizes—he’s lost. His heart beats faster. Tears prick at the corners of his eyes, but he blinks them back.
Just as panic sets in, he spots a faint glow between the trees. Curious, cautious, and a little desperate, he follows it and stumbles upon an old, wooden cabin, half-eaten by time but strangely welcoming. The forest around it is eerily silent, like it’s holding its breath.
He knocks. The door creaks open.
“Uh... hello?”
Out floats a young man—late twenties, tousled hair, bomber jacket, sneakers.He glows softly in the fading light.
“Whoa, relax,” the man says with a grin. “I’m a ghost. But a friendly one. Promise.”
Runu takes a step back. “A... ghost?”
“Yup. Name’s Neil. Used to live around here. Actually, used to study around here.”
Neil invites Runu inside. The cabin is dusty but warm. A small fire crackles in a stone hearth. On one wall hangs a faded poster of Einstein. On another—an old IIT Delhi hoodie. There’s an air of longing in the air, like the cabin is still waiting for something—or someone.
“You studied?” Runu asks, curious now.
Neil nods. “Got into IIT Delhi. Loved math. Hated how people feared it.”
“I hate math,” Runu admits, his voice barely above a whisper.
“I figured,” Neil chuckles. “But it’s just a puzzle, really. Want me to show you?”
What begins that evening is a friendship like no other. Neil teaches Runu math not with formulas and fear, but with games and stories. They count stars to learn multiplication. They build shapes with twigs to understand geometry. Neil explains how early Artificial Intelligence worked using acorns and pine cones, drawing patterns in the dirt.
In the warmth of that forgotten cabin, something inside Runu begins to shift. Numbers stop being enemies. They start becoming clues, like treasure maps to understanding the world.
Back in school, Mrs. Das notices the change. At first, she’s suspicious. How did Runu improve so suddenly? She watches him closely, half-expecting him to slip up. But when he solves a problem on the board with confidence and grace, and explains it to others without fear—her heart softens.
Soon, Runu begins solving puzzles faster than ever. He starts participating in math olympiads and science fairs, slowly climbing up the ranks. He wins scholarships, earns school accolades, and even begins to help other students who struggle with math just like he once did.
One day, she says quietly, “I’m proud of you, Runu.”
Runu beams. It feels like the world just gave him a high-five.
When the time for school-leaving exams comes, Runu works harder than ever. Neil cheers him on, meeting him in the cabin every evening. They revise, joke, and even sneak in some cricket with a twig and pinecone between problems.
Runu tops the district in the board exams. His photo appears in the local newspaper. His parents are overjoyed. Even Mrs. Das has tears in her eyes.
Sometimes, Neil visits Runu’s home too—when no one’s around—and savors parathas made by Runu’s mother. “These are divine,” he says with a happy sigh, licking imaginary butter off his ghostly fingers.
Eventually, Runu walks through the gates of IIT Delhi. To his surprise and wonder, he is allotted a room in the hostel—the same room Neil once lived in. On the old wooden desk, the initials N.P. are carved faintly, like a hidden blessing.
College life is busy. Runu dives into projects, academics, and even extra-curriculars. He excels, pushing his limits, building models, leading teams, and coding into the night.
But Neil doesn’t appear. Not even once.
Runu misses him deeply. On quiet nights, he sits on his bed, looking at the initials, wishing he could just talk to Neil again. But the cabin is too far. And maybe... maybe Neil has moved on.
One day, during campus interviews, Runu lands a job with one of the top multinational companies specializing in AI. His project receives applause. He is offered a record-breaking package.
As the applause dies down and the room empties, Runu steps out into the corridor alone—and suddenly, there he is.
Neil.
Leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets, smiling with pride. “Told you math wasn’t so bad, huh?”
Runu rushes toward him, heart bursting. “You came!”
Neil nods. “Always watching, buddy. Always proud.”
And just like that, with a playful wink and a warm smile, Neil begins to fade into the soft hallway light—leaving behind the sound of laughter and the warmth of dreams fulfilled.
