Flashback — Indhu's POV (continued)
Days passed.
The seating never changed.
But something else did — quietly, slowly.
Conversations.
I noticed Swetha and Rohan talking more. Every day, their laughter grew louder, easier. Swetha was surprisingly comfortable with him — more than anyone expected. She did try speaking to Aditya too, once or twice, but he didn't really respond. He stayed quiet. Unbothered.
Swetha didn't talk to me.
Not out of hatred —
just because there was nothing holding us together anymore.
Meanwhile, Naira and I had something simple and sweet. A series we both watched. Our conversations were easy — about new episodes, plot twists, and guessing what would happen next. With her, nothing felt forced.
Leanor sat with us too. She joined our talks, laughed along, and seemed to enjoy them. But I noticed she kept a distance from Naira. Most of the time, she spoke only to me.
Sometimes, Leanor would suddenly laugh out loud at something said somewhere else in the class. I'd turn around to see what it was — but Naira would pretend she hadn't heard anything, quietly missing the moment. I noticed that too.
One day, during a free period, Aditya turned around.
Nothing dramatic.
He leaned back slightly, looked at me, and asked casually,
"Did you finish the homework?"
That was it.
I usually didn't talk to boys at all. But this — this was just a simple question. Still, something about the way he spoke, so calm and natural, made me feel something unfamiliar.
He was clearly an introvert.
Quiet. Unreadable.
Yet that one moment told me he wasn't as closed-off as everyone thought.
After that day, he would sometimes turn around. Ask a quick question. Give a small smile. Then turn back — like nothing had happened. It never lasted more than a minute.
Rohan, meanwhile, had clearly become Swetha's favorite person. They shared jokes, exchanged glances. Their vibe clicked easily, naturally.
Slowly, a pattern began forming in the class.
Swetha and Rohan — constant laughter.
Aditya — quiet, but with small cracks in the silence.
Naira and me — casual comfort.
Leanor — moving between closeness and coldness.
Then came a little chaos.
Before the unit test, the class teacher asked Leanor and me to help Naira study.
I agreed immediately. Leanor didn't say much, but she joined.
But Naira suddenly stood up, angry.
"I don't need them. I'll study by myself."
Her voice was sharp — not at me, but clearly at Leanor.
The class went silent for a moment.
Later, when no one was watching, Naira still came to me for help — quietly, like nothing had happened.
She didn't speak to Leanor at all.
Thats the day I understood that they dont like each other .. well i never knew tge readon but now iam stuck between the chaos. Wow what a wsy to start my senior year.