Ara's POV
What do you mean my bad luck in when you just wake up? Falling in the gutters, brush with your brother's shaving cream, or eating banana but you think you're eating and apple.
But for me,
Just Realised that I still have silver chain on my neck, but it's not mine. It's his. Means that boy from yesterday who played a game with me...
Yah you're right, i forgot to return his silver chain.
And it's not enough, i remembered I'm late for my school. Leo and Liza sleeping on their heaven like bed and I just want some adventure you know. That's why I'm going.
But, now I'm regretting.
There should be a warning sign on certain mornings.
Something like:
"Caution... This Day Might Punch You in the Face."
I walked into class with decent hopes, some caffeine in my veins, and one mission:
To sit on my bench.
My bench.
The universe had other plans.
There she was.
Yaori.
On my throne. Legs crossed, hair perfect, expression cool like a main character with theme music playing in the background.
Beside her?
Aarav. Of course.
And Gaurav? Just sitting behind him...
"Uhm… you're on my seat," I said, blinking at the betrayal.
Yaori glanced at me and smiled—falsely sweet. "Good morning to you too."
Stupid.
I looked at Gaurav, hoping for backup.
He threw up his hands. "Don't look at me. I've been displaced too."
Yaori rolled her eyes. "It's just a bench, Ara."
"It's my bench."
Aarav was silent through all this, flipping his pen between his fingers like he hadn't just participated in organized seat snatching.
Fine. Fine.
I didn't need this energy in the morning.
So I did the unthinkable. I turned and walked—like a tragic movie character—straight to the last bench.
Again.
Day 2 of Exile.
Population be like:- 1 angry girl and her crushed soul.
The fan above buzzed but didn't spin. The desk wobbled. The chair was squeaky.
Classic.
From the front, I heard Yaori laugh at something Aarav said.
Must be nice, I thought bitterly, being part of the main cast.
Meanwhile, I was stuck in the filler episode.
Ten minutes later, it got worse. Because Mrs. Hansda walked in holding a stack of doom—aka, papers.
"Surprise class test today!" she chirped. "Let's see how much you remember from last year."
Cue the collective groan of 11th Sage.
Even Aarav blinked in surprise. Yaori raised an eyebrow. Gaurav whispered, "I barely remember what I had for breakfast."
I was still recovering from the seat robbery. A test? Now?
I also don't remember what was the temperature of water when I'm bathing.
Now.
The Test of Nonsense
Q1 Define osmosis.
Look, I know what it is. I just don't feel like knowing it right now.
Q2 Translate this Hindi poem into English.
Was this a literature test or a sentence-level torment session?
Q3 Name three Mughal emperors.
Okay, fine Akbar, Babar, and… Yaori the Seat Snatcher.
Q4 Which triangle has all sides equal?
Isosceles? Equilateral? I guessed "Love triangle" just to mess with the checker.
Q5 Describe the reproductive system of a frog.
Excuse me?
I blinked.
Then blinked again.
How was this legal?
By Q7, I was convinced Mrs. Hansda hated joy.
By Q9, I was writing answers in bullet points because life is short and I was tired.
Q10 What motivates you to study?
I wrote:
"Fear, snacks, and guilt. Not in that order."
I looked up to find Gaurav shaking his paper in the air like a defeated warrior.
Samridhi had her head in her hands.
Yaori was actually smiling while writing.
And Aarav?
Of course, the golden boy was calmly writing neat sentences like the test asked for a TED Talk.
Wait...What!!!?!
Yaori was neatly copying Aarav's answer sheet.
Whatever,
Then Aarav turned a little, casually—just enough for me to catch the glint of that silver chain peeking from under his collar.
My hand instinctively went to mine.
Still there.
...Still playing the game, huh?
When the bell rang, it was like the world was reborn.
We dumped our papers, dragged ourselves out, and collectively exhaled the stress of useless questions and scientific frog facts.
"Was it just me or was that test designed to ruin lives?" I asked no one in particular.
Yaori passed by me on her way out, not even a glance. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and disappeared like the villain in a slow-motion scene.
Sammie said, "She really just… took your seat like it was on sale."
"I know, right?"
"She really likes sitting beside Aarav," she added, voice low.
"To copy his answer sheets, I know." I muttered.
I didn't say it, but it stung.
More than I wanted to admit.
And as we walked toward the corridor, Aarav caught up and passed me, slow, casual, like always.
He didn't say anything.
Just tapped the wall as he walked by and murmured—without looking—
"You could've fought harder for your seat."
I froze.
Turned.
But he was already walking away.
Fought harder?
What was that supposed to mean?
I didn't get a chance to answer.
Because in the next second, Samridhi pulled me aside to rant about the frog question, and Gaurav tripped over a dustbin.
Just another day in paradise.
Gaurav's foot collided with the dustbin like destiny meant for it to happen. The crash echoed so dramatically, even the pigeons outside were judging.
Sammie whispered, "He's such a walking disaster."
"I want to send this disaster to yaori" I muttered, " but he's our disaster."
Gaurav clutched his foot and wheezed dramatically. "I think I've fractured my leg."
"Shut up," Samridhi and I said in unison.
Just then, the bell for the next class rang—short and sharp, like it didn't care we were emotionally dismembered by surprise frogs and triangle trauma.
I was still stuck on Aarav's words.
You could've fought harder for your seat.
Like what? Smack Yaori with a ruler and yell Uno reverse!?
Ugh. I hated how that line played in my head like an annoying ringtone. Not because he said it. But because I wanted to care less than I actually did.
Back in class, I trudged to the last bench again—my new kingdom of isolation. If I started seeing cobwebs here, I wouldn't even be surprised.
But there was one good thing—outside view...
The class buzzed like usual—papers rustling, Gaurav humming something cursed, and Yaori leaning way too close to Aarav while pretending to explain the test answers.
I didn't care.
Mrs. Hansda returned with graded test papers.
Too early.
God.
No warning. No ceremony.
She slammed the stack on the desk and started calling names like a battle announcer.
"Aarav—I expected nothing less. Full marks."
Of course.
"Yaori—20 out of 25. Careful with translations."
She nodded, smug as ever.
"Samridhi—uhh… creative handwriting."
Translation: Barely passed.
"Gaurav—I guess you read wrong questions by mistake."
He grinned. "It's the effort that counts, ma'am."
She didn't laugh. "Ara."
I stood.
She handed mine over with a neutral face.
"Hmm," she said. "Interesting answers. 18 out of 25. But your triangle response? That was… unique."
Unique...
I nodded solemnly. "Love triangle. It felt right in the moment."
The class snorted.
Even Aarav turned slightly, like he wanted to smile.
But I didn't care to look at him long enough to check.
The day dragged on with the weight of average grades, seat politics, and lowkey emotional turbulence.
When the final bell rang, it felt like being released from a hostage situation—with air, light, and freedom on the other side.
I grabbed my bag and walked out, already dreaming of crashing on the couch.
That's when I felt it.
A sudden tug.
Not physical.
But the kind that makes your neck itch and your thoughts rewind.
I reached up.
The silver chain.
Still there.
Still cold.
Still not mine.
And for a second, just a second, I remembered the boy behind the mask. His voice. That eerie calm.
Was I still playing?
Did I even get the rules?
Before I could spiral further, Sammie grabbed my arm. "Wait up, Ray! Nick wants to buy chips and he's trying to convince me to sponsor his broke wallet again."
"Classic," I muttered, letting her pull me along.
But as we walked away, I didn't stop touching the chain.
Because sometimes, the smallest things feel the heaviest.