
The Mumbai sun spilled through the sheer curtains like golden syrup, warming the freshly painted walls of their new apartment. Anushka Kaur sat cross-legged on the floor of her room, surrounded by a fortress of cardboard boxes labeled Books, Clothes, and Misc - Handle with Care. She tugged at a piece of packing tape, her fingers already sticky from hours of unpacking.
"Anu, dear! Check the kitchen boxes, okay?" her mother called from the hallway, voice slightly muffled behind a tower of utensils and bubble wrap.
"Coming, Maa," she replied softly, dusting her hands on her kurti before getting up.
Everything felt unfamiliar. The walls, the sounds, even the air. Mumbai was louder, faster, and a little more chaotic than Chandigarh. Their old house had creaky floors and neighbors who dropped by uninvited with mango pickles. Here, everything felt like a clean slate. It was exciting-but also terrifying.
She wandered into the living room where her younger sister, Tara, had already claimed the best spot on the couch and was setting up her PlayStation like it was a matter of national security. She barely looked up.
"You gonna help or just be the quiet ghost haunting the cardboard boxes?" she teased, not unkindly.
Anushka rolled her eyes but smiled faintly. "At least I'm not trying to plug in a PS5 before the Wi-Fi is set up."
"Maa!" Tara called dramatically, "She's bullying me again!"
Their mother walked in, her dupatta slipping off one shoulder, balancing a tray of chai cups. "Enough, both of you. Have some tea, everything will start to feel better."
Anushka took her cup gratefully and stepped out onto the balcony. The street below was alive-cars honking, kids playing cricket in the narrow lane, the scent of street food wafting up from somewhere close. This wasn't home yet, but maybe it could be.
She sipped her tea, letting the warm liquid ground her, steady her. Tomorrow would be her first day at her new school. A new uniform, new faces, new expectations.
And if Anushka Kaur was anything, she was ready.
Anushka stepped back into her room, determined to make this unfamiliar space feel a little more like her own. The bare walls looked stark, almost cold, but she had a plan.
From one of the boxes, she pulled out a small collection of posters and stickers she had carefully packed before the move - her secret treasures. Her fingers trembled a little with excitement as she peeled the backing off a vibrant BTS sticker, smoothing it onto the wall above her study desk. Next came a BLACKPINK sticker, sleek and bold, which she placed just beside it.
For a moment, the room felt warmer, livelier-like a tiny window to the world she loved. The music she listened to, the dreams she chased, all anchored in these colorful images.
She arranged her textbooks neatly on the shelf, stacked her notebooks by subject, and placed her favorite notebook-one covered in pastel pink with glitter-right on top.
A soft smile spread across her face. Maybe Mumbai wasn't so intimidating after all.
She glanced at the clock. Time to unpack more, but for now, the BTS and BLACKPINK stickers were little sparks of comfort in a new, bustling city.
[No one will judge 🙂😭, what do you mean, I also have stickers in my room 💅]
Anushka reached for her phone and plugged in her earphones. The moment the opening notes of BTS's "Butter" filled her ears, a smile tugged at her lips. The upbeat rhythm seemed to breathe life into the quiet room.
As she sorted through her clothes, folding each shirt carefully, the music made the task less tedious. She bobbed her head slightly to the beat, her fingers tapping along as she arranged her wardrobe by color-from soft pastels to bold hues.
The sticky notes she used to mark important school reminders fluttered on her desk, catching the sunlight. Between folding and stacking, she hummed quietly, letting the music erase some of the nervous energy buzzing inside her.
She pulled out a photo of her friends from Chandigarh, tucking it gently into her notebook as a small anchor to her past.
With each BTS song that played, her room slowly transformed-from a blank space to a little corner of comfort, a place where she could be herself-even if everything else around her was new.
The final sticker found its place near her desk: a tiny pastel heart with the words "Love Myself" - a quiet promise she whispered to herself.
[Yeah, because why would anyone love you 😔]
Till the evening, most of the unpacking done and the room finally feeling like hers, Anushka decided to step out. Tara had already devoured the last of the snacks and declared the house to be in a "chip emergency." She volunteered to make a quick run to the local kirana store.
The air outside was humid but buzzing with energy. Streetlights flickered to life, and the sounds of honking and laughter wrapped around the city like background music. The shop was just around the corner, tucked between a stationery store and a chai tapri.
She walked in, eyes scanning the shelves for her favorite blue Lays packet.
There it was.
She reached out to grab the last one when suddenly-
"I'm taking this," a voice declared, fingers brushing the packet just as hers closed around it.
Anushka turned, her brows furrowed. "No, I will. I took it first."
"I said I'm taking it, na," he repeated casually, with an edge of arrogance that made her blink.
"No, I will. I touched it first," she insisted, refusing to let go.
He chuckled, tilting his head. "I saw it first."
Anushka narrowed her eyes. "Oh? Then by your logic, since I saw you first, you're mine?"
That caught him off guard for a split second. Then, a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
"You're funny," he said, still holding onto the packet.
"And you're annoying," she muttered.
What started as playful tension quickly turned into a full-on staring contest, neither of them willing to back down.
Just then, his phone buzzed.
"Ugh, Maa," he mumbled, glancing at the caller ID. He sighed dramatically and let go of the chips.
"Keep it."I'll see next time," he said with a small, challenging smirk before turning on his heel and walking out.
Anushka stared after him, still gripping the chips like a trophy.
"What kind of psycho says I'll see next time over a packet of chips?" she mumbled under her breath.
And just like that, her evening snack turned into the beginning of a silent war.
[I also had a fight with a monkey over chips, and I won too 💅💅 so I thought, why not just write it like this]
Anushka stood at the entrance of the new school building, clutching her timetable like a lifeline. Her brows were furrowed, her lips slightly parted as she looked from one corridor to another. Everything felt like a maze. Section B... second floor... but which wing?
"Ugh," she muttered, adjusting the strap of her bag and starting down the left hallway, hoping it was the right direction.
The halls buzzed with voices, laughter, and the occasional ringing of a bell. She wasn't used to so much noise. It was overwhelming.
As she turned the corner, still buried in the paper, she collided hard into someone. Her books nearly flew out of her hand.
"Ouch-"
"Are you serious?" the voice snapped, familiar and irritating.
Her head snapped up.
It was him. Shop boy.
Of course.
He looked just as smug and annoying as he did the other night. Except this time, in school uniform, with his hair slightly messy like he didn't care-and clearly didn't have to.
"You again?" she said, clearly annoyed.
"You should say sorry," he said, crossing his arms.
"Why would I?" she asked, hands on her hips.
"Because you bumped into me, obviously," he said, eyes narrowing slightly.
She scoffed, rolling her eyes with pure dramatic flair.
"Ohhh pardon, Your Highness! I've committed a grave sin. Please don't have me beheaded." she said, voice dipped in sarcasm as she mock-bowed.
His brows shot up in disbelief. "Wow."
Just as he opened his mouth to say something equally fiery, a voice called from the other end of the hall.
"Ishaan! Sports teacher is looking for you!"
He gave her one last look, a smirk playing at the edge of his lips. "To be continued, Miss Attitude." And with that, he turned and walked away.
Anushka blinked.
Ishaan, huh?
Great. So the guy who tried to steal her chips and now collided with her in the hallway was not only in the same school-but also clearly someone important.
She turned to finally find her classroom, muttering to herself, ""My very first day is already ruined."
Anushka finally found her way to XII-C, slipping quietly into the classroom just as the bell rang. She chose a seat near the window, hoping to blend into the background. Her heart was still racing from the corridor clash, and she prayed the universe wouldn't throw him her way again.
But of course, the universe was petty.
The classroom door burst open, and in walked Ishaan Vashist-Mr. I'll-Take-the-Chips-and-Your-Sanity-laughing at something his friend said, confidently striding to the third bench... right across from her.
Of course.
As luck would have it, he turned, spotted her, and gave her a smirk that screamed "Welcome to my world."
She rolled her eyes and pulled out her notebook, determined to ignore his existence. But her peace didn't last long.
Midway through the Accountancy period, the teacher called Ishaan to the board.
"Ishaan, solve this journal entry," the teacher said, pointing to the question.
He walked up casually, solving it with flair-almost too fast, like he was showing off.
When he stepped back, there was a murmur among a few students, some unsure glances.
Anushka glanced at the board, frowning slightly.
"That's wrong," she said without thinking, softly-but the teacher heard.
"Miss... Anushka, right?" the teacher said. "Would you like to correct it?"
She hesitated for a second, but then stood up, walking calmly to the board.
With quick, precise strokes, she corrected the entries. Every number, every account title-spot on. She underlined the total and turned to face the class.
Silence.
Then, a soft clap from the back. A few nods. One guy whispered, "Damn."
Anushka returned to her seat, not looking at Ishaan.
He, however, stared at the board like it had personally betrayed him.
He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, lips tight.
"Nice," he muttered toward her, not exactly kindly.
"Better than your chips-stealing ego," she muttered back.
He smirked, eyes narrowed.
"Let's see who wins the next round, Miss Topper."
She looked straight ahead, but a small, satisfied smile tugged at her lips.
""Let's see, Mister Topper"
[Yesss Anushka 💅💅… feeling super proud proud right now!]
˚˖𓍢🌷✧˚.🎀⋆
Thank you for reading🌷.
Feel free to share your thoughts.
How was the chapter?
I know it wasn't that exciting-maybe even a little boring (oops!)
But haan, it's just the beginning.
Chapter 1 is all about setting the stage, right?
The fun, drama, and dil-dhadak romance is waiting just ahead.
So stay with me...
Things are about to get interesting-I pinky promise!