Noor was getting ready for school.
His body felt stiff.
"Miss Rosy… I don't see her anywhere. Maybe she's busy."
Yawn.
"Wait—Mr. Rahim isn't here either."
He sighed. "Guess I have to walk. Man, I'm going to be late for school."
Some time later
"Wait… where am I? No, the place is right…" Noor blinked.
Everyone around him was in fancy clothes. Most of the girls wore sarees, and many boys wore panjabi, the traditional dress of the country.
"It's like I walked into a wedding."
"Noor! Oi!"
Ashraf and Suvro waved at him from afar.
"What's with you guys?" Noor asked, confused.
"Man, you came dressed so casually." Ashraf slapped his forehead. Suvro looked disappointed.
"Why? Is something special going on?" Noor scratched his head.
"Don't you remember what day it is?" Ashraf asked, annoyed.
"Nope."
"Today is Valentine's Day."
"Valentine's wha—" Noor cringed.
"Aww, I knew things like this fly over your head. Let's go," Suvro said.
"Nah, I'm going back home." Noor turned around.
"No, you're going nowhere."
Suvro and Ashraf dragged Noor away.
"Okay, okay, fine! I'm not going!" Noor struggled.
---
Some time later
Noor stood on the rooftop alone.
"The people down there look like ants… I mean, pairs of ants. I didn't know we had this many lovebirds in our school."
He chuckled.
"If my parents were truly in love… they would've been here. A place like this…"
He chuckled again, then sighed.
"What am I even thinking…"
His expression faded.
"Noor! I got the potato chips you wanted—spice flavor!" Suvro called from behind.
"Oh—coming."
---
The trio walked across the school field. The place was crowded, filled with couples everywhere.
"Bro, look—everyone is so happy. Why do you always look so sad and grumpy?" Ashraf said while munching snacks.
"Where?" Noor asked.
"Your face always looks like that," Suvro added.
"Oh…" Noor looked away.
"I mean, before you were so expressive. Now you look like a bully rather than a victim. Oh—Noor, you look buffed! Your arms and chest look bigger. I hardly noticed before because you always wore jumpers." Suvro said, surprised.
"Oh, this? I just do some bodyweight workouts—push-ups, sit-ups, squats. Also, I stopped skipping meals," Noor replied casually.
"Yeah, keep going." Ashraf nodded approvingly.
---
"Noor! I've been looking for you everywhere!"
Ria called from behind.
"Oh—Ri… oh my god."
All three froze.
Ria wore a long blue gown. She looked beautiful—like a princess.
"Woah… looks like we found a second princess," Ashraf whispered.
"Hmm," Suvro added.
Noor quickly covered his eyes with his arm.
(This amount of elegance is going to burn an ugly rat like me. Urrgh… I should have gone home early.)
Badump. Badump.
His heart raced from embarrassment.
Ria smirked slightly.
"It's just because I've never been in a situation like this and I dressed so casually. That's why," Noor said coldly, walking away.
Ria's expression dropped.
Pfft. Suvro and Ashraf giggled.
"Huh… man, the embarrassment, I can't take it anymo—"
Thud.
Noor bumped into someone.
"Ahh—I'm really sorry. I didn't see you the—"
He froze.
Jenne stood there.
She wore a long red-and-black dress, fully covering her, holding a bouquet of flowers like a bride ready for a wedding.
Twenty girls stood behind her, giving Noor death glares.
"Did he just—" one girl began, but Ria raised her hand. She immediately went silent.
(Who ARE these people…? I made the biggest mistake coming here. My social anxiety is killing me.) Noor thought.
"Noor, I want to say something to you," Jenne said, stepping forward.
"What—?" Noor's voice cracked as he took two steps back.
"Where are you going?" she asked softly.
"No… nowh—" His voice cracked even more.
Badump. Badump, badump.
His heart raced uncontrollably.
(Shit… I'm having trouble breathing…)
---
"Noor! Here you are—we were looking for you," Ashraf and Suvro came rushing in. Ria followed behind.
"I LIKE YOU, NOOR."
Jenne held out the flower bouquet.
"Huh—"
Ashraf and Suvro's jaws dropped, freezing like mummies.
"WHAAAAAT?!" the other girls screamed.
Ria looked up at the sky… turning completely grey.
It felt like time had frozen.
Woosh.
Thud.
Noor fell backward like a bamboo stick hit by the wind—eyes wide open, face stuck between cringe and shock.
"OOAAHHHHH!"
The crowd went crazy.
---
Some time later
"Where am I…?" Noor sat up.
"The infirmary, of course," Ashraf said, adjusting his glasses.
"Dude—what just happened?" Suvro shook Noor.
"Like I would know. Everything happened so suddenly—I have no clue."
"But the school princess did confess her love for you," Ashraf teased.
Noor picked up his shoe.
"You can't silence everyone like this… everybody saw what happened," Suvro added.
"Guys, stop— cough … arrgh, my chest…" Noor groaned, holding his chest.
"Sigh… whatever. I want to go home."
He opened the door—
FLASH. CLICK. FLASH.
"Ah! My eyes!" Noor slammed the door shut.
"What are these crazies doing?!" Huff. Huff.
"Did you think they'd let you go easily after what happened?" Suvro teased.
"We protected you for three straight hours. I haven't even pooped…" Ashraf said casually.
"Then go shit. I'm awake now," Noor snapped.
"Okay, boss!" Ashraf ran to the washroom.
"Suvro… I want to go home."
"But the gate is blocked by hundreds of students."
Sigh.
Noor looked at the window.
"Noor—you're not serious. This is the fifth flo—"
Before he could finish, Noor jumped out the window and climbed down within seconds.
"No way…" Suvro whispered.
---
Noor ran.
Several students chased him.
"Sir! Is it true you're dating our princess?!"
Click. Flash. Flash.
Some even took photos while running.
"GO AWAY, YOU CRAZIES!" Noor yelled, sprinting faster.
---
Some time later
Noor reached home, panting.
"Huff… huff… finally lost them."
He entered the mansion.
In the hallway, Jenne was standing.
Noor ignored her and walked past.
"Aren't you going to give me any response?" Jenne asked softly.
Noor stopped.
"Huh? What response?" he asked, confused.
"About what happened earlier," she said.
"Woah, that? That was Oscar-worthy—the biggest prank of all time! People actually believed that! Haha—" Noor laughed.
"I wasn't joking," Jenne said, looking down.
"Ah come on, miss. You can drop the act now. People were chasing me like zombies. Even Ashraf, Suvro, Ria believed it. I have to admit—you've got perfect acting skills."
"I said I wasn't joking."
Jenne snapped.
Noor froze.
"What?"
"Whatever I said to you was real. I wasn't acting or making fun of you."
She looked sad.
"Aw come on, miss, there's no way that's re—"
"Shut up. Why do you keep calling me miss? Why not my name?"
"It's… because of respect."
"Curse your respect," she said sharply.
"You used to say that to Ria, but later that changed. You only act good with me because you're scared of me."
"No—that's not true—"
"Then why did you faint?"
"Because I—"
(Shit… I don't have any answer.)
"I gathered the courage to say that to you… but you accepted Ria, and you ignore me every time."
Her eyes turned teary.
Noor's eyes widened.
What is really happening? I've never seen her like this…
"But miss… that's not the case—It can't happen because…"
Noor tried to explain.
"Because what?" she whispered.
"Because—"
(Shit… my mind went blank. My heart is beating too fast. I don't get it…)
"Because I'm just a bloodthirsty monster… right?"
Jenne forced a weak smile.
Noor shocked
"Okay then… I won't bother you anymore."
Woosh.
She disappeared.
Noor stood frozen, confused about what just happened.