The second day of exams had ended, and the corridors buzzed with voices, dragging feet, and that sweet sense of temporary freedom.
Vaani and kriti walked out of the classroom together, swinging their bags over their shoulders, still immersed in the post-paper debrief.
Vaani groaned dramatically, tossing her head back.
"Mujhse toh last question solve hi nahi hua! Dimag hi freeze hogaya tha."
(I couldn't even solve the last question! My brain just froze.)
Kriti chuckled, brushing her hair behind her ear.
"Tu paper ke beech mein jo Vihaan ke saath panchayat kar rahi thi na... wahi tera loss ho gaya. Main toh tabhi likh rahi thi full speed mein."
(You were busy gossiping with Vihaan in the middle of the paper... that's where you lost time. I was writing at full speed then.)
Vaani pouted, sighing.
"Uff! Maine bhi likha hota agar us waqt dimaag blank na hota."
(Ugh! I would've written too if my mind hadn't gone blank at that moment.)
They both laughed softly, turning the corner near the stairs.
Just then, Nirma came into view, standing a little away from the crowd. A book was still open in her hands, but her eyes weren't on the pages.
They followed her gaze and spotted Ayaan standing near the notice board, his hands tucked into his pockets.
Before either could say anything, they saw Nirma slowly walk over to him. It was subtle, natural even. She said something, and Ayaan looked up, smiling softly. The two stood there talking in hushed tones. Nirma kept tucking her hair behind her ears, and Ayaan nodded with that warm expression he reserved for only a few.
Tara joined them just then, munching on a packet of chips and slinging her bag across her shoulder.
"Tum dono abhi tak wahin ho?" she asked, popping a chip in her mouth.
(You two still standing here?)
Kriti turned toward her.
"Bas abhi-abhi aaye. Dekh udhar kya chal raha hai..."
(We just got here. Look what's happening over there...)
Tara glanced in the direction and smirked immediately.
"Aree oh ho..."
(Oh wow...)
Meanwhile, Nirma stepped out of the class with her bag slung lazily on one shoulder, trying to act casual but the smile on her lips refused to fade.
Ayaan had offered her his extra pen during the paper. He didn't even ask just saw hers wasn't working well and quietly placed one on her desk. No words. Just the small gesture.
And she was thinking about it... on loop.
She spotted him near notice board, standkng calmly with his hands in his pockets.
Should she say something?
She quickened her steps and caught up beside him, pretending it was a coincidence.
"Aaj ka paper kaisa gaya?" she asked, voice a little too high-pitched.
(How did your paper go today?)
Ayaan looked sideways, calm as ever.
"Thik hi tha. Tumhara?"
(It was fine. Yours?)
"Main toh bas pass ho jaaun wahi kaafi hai," she grinned.
(If I just pass, that'll be enough for me.)
He chuckled.
"Don't worry. you will do great"
(Don't worry.)
She smiled back, eyes lingering a second longer than needed.
"Waise... thanks for the pen," she added softly.
(By the way... thanks for the pen.)
He gave a small nod and the faintest smile. But she noticed. And it made her day.
They all watched quietly as Nirma walked back toward them, cheeks glowing crimson, lips pressed in a tight line desperately trying not to smile too hard.
As she reached them, the three girls stared at her with wide, mischievous eyes.
Nirma blinked.
"Kya hua? Aise kya dekh rahe ho sab?"
(What happened? Why are you all looking at me like that?)
Kriti raised an eyebrow, grinning.
"Waise hi... bas ek khoobsurat si love story ka first scene dekh liya."
(Just like that... we witnessed the first scene of a beautiful love story.)
Vaani crossed her arms, leaning toward her.
"Tum dono ka kuch chal raha hai kya? Mujhe toh kuch pata hi nahi chala!"
(Is something going on between you two? I didn't get to know anything!)
Nirma's eyes widened.
"Kya?! Are you mad? Kuch nahi chal raha!"
(What?! Are you mad? Nothing is going on!)
Tara, ready with the punch, added with a knowing smile
"Kuch chal hi toh nahi raha. Nirma ko Ayaan bhaiya pasand hai itne saalon se... lekin madam kabhi batati hi nahi usse."
(Nothing is going on because Nirma has liked Ayaan for years... but madam never tells him anything.)
Vaani gasped.
"Sacchi?! Yeh baat mujhse chhupayi gayi? Kya yeh dosti mein dhokha nahi hai?"
(Really?! You hid this from me? Isn't this a betrayal in friendship?)
Nirma tried to speak, flustered.
"Mujhe laga bas... bas waise hi tha, time hi nahi mila batane ka-"
(I just thought... it was nothing really, I just didn't get the time to tell-)
Vaani smirked like a villain.
"Toh time ab hai! Bata de! Kahin koi aur uda na le jaaye tere Ayaan ko."
(Well, now's the time! Say it! Before someone else steals your Ayaan.)
"Vaani!" Nirma whined, hiding her face behind her hands, cheeks even redder.
"Chup ho jaa warna sach mein chhod dungi tujhe yahin!"
(Shut up or I'll seriously leave you here!)
Tara laughed, pulling Nirma along playfully.
"Chalo chalo ab ghar chalte hain. But we're not letting this go, samjhi?"
(Come on, let's go home. But we're not dropping this, understood?)
Kriti linked her arm with Vaani.
"Main toh aaj pura dinner isi topic pe karungi!"
(I'm dedicating tonight's dinner to this topic!)
Vaani winked at Nirma.
"Aur main toh kal Ayaan se poochhungi, unka favourite colour kya hai... shaadi ke card ke liye!"
(And I'm going to ask Ayaan tomorrow what his favourite colour is... for the wedding card!)
All four of them burst into laughter, walking away together like the chaos of exams had melted into the sweet madness of friendship.
As they made their way home, Nirma finally let herself smile genuinely, completely, uncontrollably.
And in that moment, she didn't even care if they teased her forever.
Because maybe, just maybe... they were right.
Today was the third day of exams.
Vaani entered the classroom with Tara, both of them scanning the room, searching for their seats.
As Vaani finally spotted hers, a jolt of shock ran through her. Sitting in her seat, casually flipping through the question paper, was none other than her only brother Ritvik.
"Tujhe kya zarurat thi yaha baithne ki?"
("What was the need for you to sit here?")
Vaani asked, clearly annoyed. Her voice echoed slightly in the silent hall, turning a few curious heads in their direction.
"Yeh meri place hai, isliye yaha baitha hoon,"
("This is my place, that's why I'm sitting here,") Ritvik replied coolly.
"Yeh nahi ho sakta," Vaani muttered, still stunned.
("This can't be happening.")
"Yeh ho gaya hai. Ab aur natak mat kar aur baith ja," Ritvik said, pulling her hand and forcing her to sit beside him.
("It already happened. Now stop being dramatic and sit down.")
Meanwhile, Ahaan stood near the door, bursting into laughter after witnessing Vaani's situation. Still grinning, he began looking for his own seat.
After locating it and realizing who his bench partner was, he blurted out, shocked-
"Bhaiya, aap yaha?!"
("Bro, you here?!")
"Haan, kyunki yeh meri bhi seat hai," Ekansh replied with calm authority.
("Yes, because this is also my seat.")
Seeing both Vaani and Ahaan's unlucky pairings, Tara, Ayaan, Kriti, and Vihaan couldn't hold it in. They burst into laughter, clutching their stomachs as if it were the funniest thing they had seen all week.
Just then, the teacher walked in, holding a thick stack of papers.
"Okay students, back to your seats. I'm going to distribute the paper," she announced.
Everyone quickly settled down, adjusting their belongings. As the rustling settled, Ritvik leaned toward Vaani and said in a low voice,
"Jo jo aata hai, woh likh ke so jaana. Mujhe tang mat karna."
("Write whatever you know and go to sleep. Don't bother me.")
"Main kisi ko tang nahi karti," Vaani replied indignantly.
("I don't bother anyone.")
"Haan, sahi baat hai. Woh toh tere aane se hi ho jaata hai," Ritvik muttered with a smirk.
("Yeah right, things start going wrong the moment you arrive.")
Vaani shot him an annoyed smile and thought to herself, "Agar aaj iska kaam na hota toh batati."
("If he didn't have work today, I would've shown him.")
On the other side of the classroom, Ahaan was stealing glances at his brother's lightning-fast writing pace. Ekansh noticed and raised an eyebrow.
"Paper likh. Mujhe kya dekh kar soch raha hai?"
("Write your paper. What are you staring at me for?")
"Yahi ki kaunsi train chhut rahi hai aapki," Ahaan replied.
("Just wondering which train you're trying not to miss.")
"Matlab?" Ekansh asked.
("Meaning?")
"Matlab itni speed mein kyun likh rahe ho?" Ahaan clarified.
("I mean, why are you writing so fast?")
"Kyuki mujhe paper khatam karna hai. Aur haan, disturb mat kar," Ekansh snapped and continued writing.
("Because I want to finish the paper. And yeah, don't disturb me.")
Vaani had finished her paper and was now staring at Ritvik with big, pleading puppy eyes. He noticed and sighed.
"Kya hai?"
("What is it?")
"Apni chhoti aur masoom behen par daya nahi aati?" Vaani asked sweetly.
("Don't you feel pity for your little and innocent sister?")
"Jahan tak main jaanta hoon, hum do hi bhai-behen hain. Aur na toh tu chhoti hai, na hi masoom. Theek hai, paper likh," Ritvik replied firmly.
("As far as I know, we're the only siblings, and you're neither little nor innocent. Understood. Now write your paper .")
"Tujhse toh accha tere dost hain," Vaani pouted.
("Your friends are better than you.")
"Haan toh ja, Vihaan ke saath hi baith," Ritvik said.
("Then go sit with Vihaan.")
"Main Vihaan nahi, Ekansh ki baat kar rahi hoon," Vaani added, making Ritvik freeze.
("I'm not talking about Vihaan, I'm talking about Ekansh.")
"Kya bola tune?" Ritvik asked, stunned.
("What did you just say?")
"Haan, mujhe unhone paper likh ke diya tha," she said with a smug smile.
("Yes, he gave me the answers.")
"Tujhe jo puchhna hai puchh, bas yeh statement change nahi honi chahiye," Ritvik warned.
("Ask me whatever you want, but that statement better not change.")
A smile spread across Vaani's face.
"Kaunsi?" she asked innocently.
("Which one?")
"Yeh Ekansh wali," he replied, rolling his eyes.
("The one about Ekansh.")
"Theek hai," Vaani nodded.
("Alright.")
Ritvik sighed and started dictating the answers while she quickly wrote them down.
"Kya baat hai, monitor sahiba, aapka toh time se pehle ho gaya," Vihaan teased as Tara joined him.
("Wow, monitor madam, you finished before time.")
"Aapka bhi toh ho gaya," Tara replied.
("You finished too.")
"Haan, woh paper easy tha, isliye," he grinned.
("Yeah, the paper was easy, that's why.")
Tara's eyes scanned the classroom, and suddenly widened in shock. Vihaan followed her gaze - and he, too, froze.
Ritvik was whispering answers.
To someone.
That someone was... Vaani.
"Yeh sach hai?" Vihaan gasped.
("Is this for real?")
"Mujhe bhi yakeen nahi ho raha hai," Tara murmured.
("I can't believe it either.")
The bell rang, marking the end of the third exam.
Students spilled out into the corridor some sighing in relief, some groaning in despair. The tension broke like a wave crashing against freedom.
Vaani and Tara strolled toward the stairwell, talking animatedly, though their tired eyes betrayed their exhaustion.
"Yeh paper toh bas dimaag ka dahi bana gaya," Tara sighed, rubbing her temples.
("This paper just turned my brain into curd.")
"Aur mera toh dahi ke saath chhachh bhi nikal gaya," Vaani groaned dramatically.
("And mine turned into buttermilk too.")
As they reached the corridor, they spotted Ritvik leaning against the wall, scrolling on his phone with a furrowed brow.
Ekansh approached him casually, with a friendly grin-
"Ritvik, sun yrr-"
("Ritvik, listen man-")
THWACK!
Ritvik's fist slammed hard into Ekansh's arm.
"Oye! Dimaag kharab hai kya?!" Ekansh yelled, stumbling back.
("Hey! Have you lost your mind?!")
"Ek nahi... do nahi..."
(Not once... not twice...)
Another punch. And another. And another.
"Bhai ruk! Yeh kya kar raha hai?!" Ekansh shouted, shielding himself.
("Bro stop! What are you doing?!")
"Jo nahi hona chahiye tha, woh kar diya tune!" Ritvik bellowed, eyes blazing.
("You did what should never have happened!")
"Kya?! Hua kya hai, pehle yeh toh bol!" Ekansh demanded, confused and breathless.
("What?! What happened? At least tell me first!")
Vihaan and Ayaan came rushing over, eyes wide in alarm.
"Ritvik bhai! Chill! Kya ho gaya?!" Vihaan shouted, grabbing his arm.
("Ritvik bro! Chill! What happened?!")
"Haan bhai, maarne pe kyun utar aaya hai?" Ayaan added, trying to pull them apart.
("Yeah bro, why are you going full WWE here?")
Ritvik yanked his arm away, furious.
"Tum dono bhi haath saaf kar lo, fir batata hoon is mahaan aadmi ne kya kiya hai!"
("You both throw a punch too, then I'll tell you what this great man has done!")
"Yrr aisa kya kar diya isne jo tu todne pe laga hai?!" Ayaan asked, stunned.
("Man, what did he even do that you're about to break him?!")
"Ek hi din Vaani ke saath baith ke puri tarah bigad gaya tu!"
("He sat with Vaani for just one day and he's completely spoiled now!")
"Excuse me?!" Vaani exclaimed, arms crossed, clearly offended.
("Excuse me?!")
"Maine kya kiya? Itni sweet aur helpful hoon... har jagah bezzati hi milti hai mujhe!"
("What did I do? I'm so sweet and helpful... and still I get insulted everywhere!")
Tara smirked, arms folded.
"Main toh pehle hi bol rahi thi, yeh bhi ek din sach bahar aayega."
("I said it before - this guy would explode one day.")
Ekansh rubbed his arm, visibly irritated.
"Bhai, pehle bata toh sahi galti kya hai meri?! Uske baad jitna maarna hai maar lena!"
("Bro, at least tell me what I did wrong! Then you can hit me all you want!")
Nirma and Kriti arrived too, eyes wide like they were watching a dramatic movie unfold.
Tara leaned toward them and said dryly,
"Cinema chal raha hai live, bas 3D chashma aur popcorn ki kami hai."
("Live cinema is happening. All we need is 3D glasses and popcorn.")
Vaani gasped.
"Popcorn! Shit yrr, leke aani bhool gayi!"
("Popcorn! Damn, I forgot to bring it!")
Silence. Everyone turned to her slowly like she'd lost her mind.
Tara rolled her eyes and said,
"Tera bhai Ekansh bhaiya ki pitaayi kar raha hai... aur tujhe popcorn ki padi hai?"
("Your brother is beating up Ekansh... and you're worried about popcorn?")
Vaani blinked innocently.
"Ohh sorry yrr, entertainment mein sab bhool gayi thi."
("Oh sorry, I forgot everything in the middle of all this entertainment.")
"Tum sab log seriously pagal ho kya?!" Ritvik yelled in disbelief.
("Are you all seriously insane?!")
He turned sharply toward the group, his voice dangerously calm.
"Vaani... tujhe paper kisne bataya tha?"
("Vaani... who told you the answers?")
Vaani gulped. All eyes turned to her. Then, confidently, she pointed-
"Ekansh ne."
("Ekansh did.")
"KYA?!" almost everyone gasped together.
("WHAT?!")
Except Tara, who just crossed her arms and muttered to herself,
"Main toh pehle se hi sab jaanti thi."
("I already knew it. You guys are just slow.")
Ritvik folded his arms, eyes blazing.
"Kaise bataya tha? Yeh bhi toh bata sabke saamne."
["How did you he tell you? Say that in front of everyone too."]
Vaani, slightly hesitant now but still honest, muttered,
"Answer sheet pe likh ke."
["By writing it on the answer sheet."]
The entire group went dead silent for a second.
"WHAT?!"
Gasps echoed.
Even the noise from other students in the corridor felt distant for a moment.
Kriti almost dropped her water bottle.
Nirma's jaw hit the floor.
Ayaan blinked like his glasses had fogged up.
Vihaan looked like he'd just seen a ghost.
Then, Ahaan raised a finger dramatically,
"Matlab... tujhe answer sheet pe likh ke diye?! Mujhe toh aaj kuch bhi nahi bataya. Jab maine pucha bhi tha, toh bola 'main kisi ko nahi batata.' Mere doston ko bhi nahi batane diya... yeh toh gaddari hai!"
["So... you gave her the answers on the answer sheet?! You didn't tell me anything today. Even when I asked, you said, 'I don't tell anyone.' You didn't even let me tell my friends... this is betrayal!"]
Tara, with her trademark savage flair, jumped in,
"Ahaan, gaddari nahi... priority list ka game hai. Tum toh 'last seen recently' waale ho, yeh 'pinned chat' ban chuki hai."
["Ahaan, not betrayal... it's a priority list game. You're the 'last seen recently' guy, she's the 'pinned chat' now."]
"Shut up, Tara! Let me talk to my brother!" Ahaan snapped, glaring.
Tara made a mock-hurt face and crossed her arms.
Then, leaning towards Ekansh, she teased in a sing-song voice,
"Bhaiyaaa... pichle saal toh aapne apni baaju wali ladki ki complaint kar di thi teacher se... jab usne aapse paper pucha tha. Toh parso kya hua? Mann badal gaya?"
["Brooo... last year you complained to the teacher about the girl sitting next to you... when she asked you for the paper. So what happened the day before yesterday? Changed your mind?"]
Nirma snorted, joining in.
"Haan! Us waqt toh bade rules follow kar rahe the. Ab kya syllabus change ho gaya?"
["Yeah! That time you were all about following rules. Has the syllabus changed now?"]
Kriti smirked.
"Ya fir subject special ho gaya?"
["Or did the subject become special?"]
The heat turned up. Ekansh looked down, clearly overwhelmed, but Ritvik wasn't done.
"Tu sach-sach bata... kya chal raha hai?" Ritvik asked, his tone quieter now, more serious, more piercing.
["Tell the truth... what's really going on?"]
Ekansh let out a deep breath, glancing once at Vaani, whose face was unreadable.
"Bas yrr... unhone paper mein kuch likha hi nahi tha. Naam, roll number... aur 2-3 answer the, vo bhi galat.
Mujhse dekha nahi gaya. Fail hoti toh tujhe kaisa lagta? Teri behn hai. Isliye bata diya. Bas. Aur koi reason nahi hai."
["She didn't write anything on the paper. No name, no roll number... just 2-3 answers, and even those were wrong.
I couldn't watch it. How would you have felt if she failed? She's your sister. That's why I helped. That's all. No other reason."]
Silence.
Everyone turned to Vaani. Her expression... completely changed.
Her lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes stung-but she didn't let a tear fall.
She looked at Ekansh like she'd never seen him before.
"Oh... toh sirf sympathy thi?" she whispered, voice low but heavy.
["Oh... so it was just sympathy?"]
No one could answer.
Without another word, she turned around and started walking away.
"Vaani!" Tara called out, concern flooding her voice.
Nirma and Kriti immediately followed her.
"Arey, yeh toh kisi baat ka bura nahi maanta, isse kya ho gaya?" Vihaan said, confused.
["Hey, she never takes anything to heart, what happened to her?"]
Ayaan glanced at Ekansh and then toward where Vaani left.
"Koi baat nahi... shaayad jaldi ghar jaana hoga. Mood off lag raha tha."
["It's okay... maybe she had to go home early. It looked like she was in a bad mood."]
Ahaan sighed, patting Ekansh on the back half-heartedly.
"Chalo... kal bhi paper hai. Padhna bhi hai. Let's go, guys."
["Let's go... there's a paper tomorrow too. We have to study."]
The group began dispersing slowly, their chatter quieter than before.
Behind them, only silence lingered.
I walked faster, blinking rapidly so that the blur in my eyes wouldn't turn into actual tears. I didn't want them to see. Not Ekansh, not Ritvik bhaiya, not even Ahaan with his dramatic complaints.
Why did it sting so much?
Maybe it was the way he said it - "Teri behen fail hoti toh kaisa lagta?"
["How would you feel if your sister failed?"]
Like I was someone's responsibility. Like I didn't matter beyond being Ritvik's sister. That's all I was to him?
A tight knot formed in my throat.
Just when I thought I'd managed to escape the stares, I heard familiar voices behind me.
"Vaani!" Tara's voice was the first to reach me, a little breathless but firm.
I slowed down, closing my eyes for a second before turning around.
"Kya hua?" I asked, trying to sound neutral - but my voice cracked slightly.
[What happened?]
Tara crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes.
"Aise kaun chala jaata hai? At least sath chalne ke liye bolti toh sahi."
["Who walks off like that? You could've at least told us to come with you."]
Nirma tilted her head, frowning.
"Abhi toh popcorn ki baat kar rahi thi... ab tera muh kyu popcorn bangya?"
["You were just talking about popcorn... now why does your face look like one?"]
Kriti stepped forward, gentler in her tone.
"Ekansh bhaiya toh aise hi hai... thode awkward. Unhone tujhe bataya, yeh toh shock tha hi... par jab bola ki 'Ritvik ki behen hai isliye,' tab mujhe bhi laga ki shayad bas tension mein bol diya hoga.
Tujhe bura laga kya?"
["Ekansh bhaiya is just like that... a bit awkward. It was already a shock that he helped you, but when he said 'Because she's Ritvik's sister,' even I felt maybe he just said it in stress.
Did it hurt you?"]
I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to say anything.
But Tara placed her hand on my shoulder.
"Vaani yaar... sabke saamne achanak bola na. Toh panic ho gaye honge. Voh bahot achhe hai tujhe pata hai na. Dil pe mat le. Tera reaction bhi genuine tha... unka bhi ho sakta hai."
["Vaani... everything happened suddenly in front of everyone. Maybe he panicked. He is a very nice guy you know it too. Don't take it to heart. Your reaction was genuine... his might've been too."]
I nodded slowly. Not because I was convinced, but because I didn't want them to worry more.
But inside?
Inside, I felt like something had snapped.
Then Kriti suddenly asked, her eyes twinkling with mischief,
"Par sach-sach bata... tujhe Ekansh bhaiya pasand hai kya?"
["But tell the truth... do you like Ekansh bhaiya?"]
Before I could even fake a reaction, Nirma gasped dramatically,
"Haan haan, pasand hai tabhi toh muh ban gaya na! Varna kya farak padta?"
["Yeah yeah, you like him, that's why you got upset! Otherwise why would it matter?"]
My face flushed hot.
"Nahi toh... kuch bhi mat bolo..." I mumbled, looking away.
["No I don't... don't talk nonsense..."]
"Bas bas, itna nhi chidhate bechaari ko!" Tara laughed, looping her arm with mine.
["Okay okay, don't tease the poor girl so much!"]
"Ispe baad mein proper discussion hoga. Abhi ghar chalte hain... kal ka paper bhi toh hai!"
["We'll have a proper discussion on this later. Let's go home now... there's a paper tomorrow!"]
We began walking back together, our footsteps lighter, their teasing wrapping around me like a hug I didn't know I needed.
But even as I smiled at their jokes, part of my heart still felt heavy.
Does it really not matter to him?
Was I just... someone to help, out of duty?
I bit my lip, staring at the path ahead.
"Ab se unki taraf dekhungi bhi nahi..." I told myself.
["From now on, I won't even look at him..."]
"Aise kaise keh diya? Jaise... main kuch bhi nahi hoon."
["How could he say that? Like... I mean nothing."]
I didn't say it out loud.
But I knew the words were already tucked somewhere deep, right between disappointment and something I couldn't name.
We reached home, changed into pajamas, half-heartedly opened our books, and tried to study for the next exam.
But Ekansh's voice echoed in my mind.
And I wondered if he even realized what he said and how much it hurt.
Write a comment ...