The Girl in the Assembly Hall
Class 10. A time of pressure, expectations, and sudden emotions.
One morning during assembly, Aviraj saw her.
A girl whose smile made the fluorescent lights of the hall feel dim. A girl who looked like she didn't belong to the madness of the world around them. A girl who was three years younger, but carried herself with more maturity than many older students.
He nudged his friend. "What's her name? Is she single?"
His friends laughed. "Forget it, bro. She's rude. She won't even talk to you."
But something inside Aviraj refused to give up.
Still… board exams were near.
He pushed the thought aside.
Then the world stopped. COVID hit.
Everything went online.
He didn't know her name.
He didn't know anything about her.
But he kept a small hope alive.