---
School had started again. Not properly—just for ten to fifteen days of "extra classes."
I should've groaned about it. I should've complained. But, truthfully? I was… excited. A little too excited.
Though, there was also a lazy voice in my head whispering—staying home wasn't bad either. Vacations had been a blur of late mornings, endless carrom games, mindless fun with neighbors, and those marathon chat sessions with Siya from Division A.
Yeah, Siya. The introverted Siya.
We'd always known of each other, but during the holidays something changed. One random text for notes turned into hours of conversations. One "hey" became laughter, jokes, secrets. She wasn't as nerdy as everyone thought. Or maybe she was, but in a soft, sweet way. The kind that made her… real.
The funny part? She was like me in so many ways. We thought alike, liked the same things, had the same quirks. The only difference? I was loud. She was quiet. That was it.
So yes—I couldn't deny it. I was excited to see her again.
But then… there was Anisha.
My Anisha.
We hadn't met all vacation, but our calls and texts kept us updated. I knew every detail of her breakup with Tanev. She had been brave enough to tell him the truth—"We can only be friends." Tanev had resisted at first but later accepted. Still, Anisha was scared. Scared of being blamed. Scared of whispers and stares. She acted fine, but I knew she wasn't.
And today? Today, I would finally see her too.
I grinned the moment I saw the school gates. The old walls, the buzzing crowd, the smell of chalk dust—it felt good. Like stepping into a memory.
But as I entered, reality struck.
Dozens of classmates passed me. Not one bothered with a "hi." Not one smile. I sat at my bench, my grin fading.
Anisha had already said she might not come. I had begged her to, but deep down I wasn't sure. Without her, I'd be… stranded. Especially because of Shela. She never accepted me as a friend, and the idea of facing her after weeks apart made my stomach twist.
The bell rang. Era wasn't there. Anisha wasn't there.
And then Shela walked in.
I smiled at her out of habit—don't ask me why. To my utter shock, she came and sat beside me.
"Don't get too happy," she said sharply, tossing her bag down. "Anisha isn't here, so I have no other option. The other girls are worse than you."
I laughed awkwardly. That was the closest thing to kindness Shela had ever given me.
Meanwhile, Ayyan was absent. So was Tanev. But the rest of the class was alive with chatter—Nayyan, Vish, Kunal, Praan, even Ayesha.
The lecture had just begun when a familiar voice echoed at the door.
"Ma'am, really sorry! Please let me come in."
My heart jumped. I knew who it was before I even turned.
Don't look. Don't you dare look. If I did, I wouldn't be able to stop. Not because I liked him, obviously not. Just… because he was him. Attractive. Effortlessly so.
But my eyes betrayed me.
And there he was—Ayyan. Sliding into the bench next to mine, close enough to notice the way my breath hitched.
I quickly looked away, cheeks warm.
"Why are you late, Ayyan?" the teacher asked, raising an eyebrow.
He smirked. "Vacation, ma'am. I forgot how to wake up early."
The class erupted in laughter. Even ma'am chuckled. Of course. Teachers adored him. Everyone did.
I told myself again: It's not a crush. Just admiration. He's good-looking. That's all.
But deep down, the denial didn't feel so solid.
The rest of the day blurred—me teasing Shela, Shela snapping back, the same boring rhythm.
Days passed this way. Until Anisha came back.
And everything changed.
We weren't talking.
Because she hadn't kept her word. She had promised to come earlier, but she didn't. And when I got upset, she didn't even say sorry. Instead, she accused me.
"You've got Siya now. You don't need me anymore."
Her words stung. They burned. She was wrong. Yes, Siya was special. But Anisha… she was Anisha. My first. My always. But there was no point explaining. With Division A and B combined, Siya and I naturally spent more time together. Anisha noticed. And she drifted further and further away.
I hated it.
Meanwhile, Shela had transformed into a serious student. She barely bothered with me anymore. Maybe she was fine with Anisha's behavior. Maybe she had grown immune to me.
And Ayyan? I avoided him like my life depended on it. Sometimes, we exchanged notes—strictly important stuff—but nothing beyond that.
The real torture, though, came from the teachers.
"Work hard! Your boards will decide your life! Focus! No distractions!"
Every. Single. Day.
I swear, school had been better when it was closed.
And as if fate wanted to make it worse, Vani ma'am reshuffled our seats.
Anisha—front row.
Shela—second row.
Siya—far away.
Me—first bench. With the most irritating boy in class. Right next to the door, where the sunlight blinded me every morning.
Sometimes I truly believed Vani ma'am had a personal vendetta against me.
But complaining was useless. She was Muhi ma'am's best friend, and Muhi ma'am was our class teacher. So I kept quiet.
Life sucked.
No Anisha. Siya too far. Benchmate annoying. A-division kids all around.
Except one.
Ayesha.
Yes, that Ayesha.
Somehow, against all odds, we became friends. I don't even know how it happened. Maybe it started when I told her about Tanu, about what I'd seen. She listened, quietly, and then she told me her side.
Her voice trembled as she spoke. Her words were sharp, but her pain… it was real.
I didn't know if she was lying, or if she was telling the truth. But I believed her. Or maybe, I just wanted to.
Because for the first time, I saw her differently. Not the untouchable, group-queen Ayesha. Not the girl people envied.
But a girl who was broken in ways no one else cared to see.
And maybe, just maybe, that's why… I couldn't stop listening.
That night, lying in bed, Ayesha's words kept replaying in my head.
About Tanu.
About Ayyan.
About truths I didn't want to hear.
And suddenly, I wasn't so sure anymore.
Did I really not care about Ayyan?
Or was my heart lying to me all along?