The classroom was already buzzing with nervous whispers as the 11th-grade students settled into their seats. Vaani and Tara sat next to each other near the middle row, flipping through their notes one last time.
"Should we even revise now?" Tara asked, glancing sideways at Vaani.
Vaani shook her head. "I think at this point, it's just damage control."
Just then, the door opened, and the 12th-grade students began entering in groups, each checking the roll number sheet stuck near the board.
Vihaan walked in, casually chewing gum, holding the corner of his admit card. His eyes scanned the roll number list, his brows furrowed as he searched for his seat.
He walked past a few benches and then paused.
Kriti was already seated, nervously clutching her pen and glancing around.
Vihaan looked at the number on her desk, then down at his admit card.
"Yeh mera roll number hai?" he asked, holding the card up in front of her.
(Is this my roll number?)
Kriti blinked, a little surprised, then leaned forward to check.
"Check karo na, please?" he said again, pointing at the number.
(Check it for me, please?)
She looked from the desk to the card, then nodded.
"Haan, yehi hai."
(Yes, this is the one.)
He looked at her again, still unsure.
"Pakka na? Yehi hai?"
(Are you sure? This is it, right?)
"Haan pakka! Tumhari hi jagah hai." Kriti said with a bit of irritation.
(Yes, definitely! This is your seat.)
Vihaan's face instantly lit up.
"Yes!" he exclaimed under his breath, looking relieved and oddly proud of finding his seat on the first try.
Without a second thought, he turned toward the middle rows and yelled,
"VAAANIII!"
The entire class turned for a second, but more importantly, Vaani and Tara jerked their heads around in sync.
Tara frowned. "Why did he scream like that?"
Vaani raised an eyebrow. "That's Vihaan. He doesn't scream."
Vihaan couldn't contain his excitement. After yelling Vaani's name and catching her attention, he pointed dramatically toward the desk where Kriti was sitting.
Then, using exaggerated hand gestures, he pointed at Kriti, then at him,then back at the empty seat beside Kriti. His eyebrows wiggled as if to say, "Look who's going to sit next to me!"
Tara raised an eyebrow beside her.
"Yeh dono shuru ho gaye phir se," Tara muttered under her breath.
(They've started again.)
Vaani leaned forward slightly, then caught on. A wide smile crept onto her face as she mouthed, "Sach mein?"
(Really?)
Vihaan nodded enthusiastically and gave her a double thumbs-up.
Kriti looked between the two of them and rolled her eyes, though a small, amused smile tugged at her lips.
Tara squinted. "Kya kar rahe hai yeh?"
(What is he doing?)
Vaani leaned toward Tara and whispered, "She's sitting beside him!"
Tara sighed. "Great. That means they're gonna fail together."
But just then, the classroom door creaked open once more.
Ekansh entered,His hair was slightly messy, as if he'd rushed to make it on time, admit card in hand, hair tousled and jacket slightly askew. His gaze casually swept the room and landed right on Vihaan and Vaani, smiling at each other, practically having a conversation without saying a word.
He paused for a split second, and a subtle flicker crossed his face.
"Yeh log yaha bhi shuru ho gaye?" he thought, a faint tinge of irritation brushing his chest. (They've started here too?)
He shook the thought away and started checking the roll numbers stuck to the benches, walking slowly through the aisle. He stopped abruptly as his eyes met the number on the bench beside Vaani his number.
A surprised blink. A short silence. Then a flicker of something softer. Happiness. But he kept his face neutral.
Meanwhile, Vaani, lost in her own thoughts, finally looked up and froze.
There he was.
Right beside her.
Her entire face flushed. In a reflex that made no logical sense, she stood up. Straight up. On her bench.
Tara turned toward her, confused.
"Vaani?" she called once.
No answer.
"Vaani!"
"Huh? Haan?" Vaani blinked, snapped out of it.
"Vaani, khadi kyun hai? Beth ja!" Tara hissed. (Why are you standing? Sit down!)
Flustered, Vaani quickly stepped down from her bench but instead of sitting, she started walking toward Tara.
Tara stared at her in disbelief.
"Vaani! Kya kar rahi hai? Apni bench pe beth na! Yaha kyun aa rahi hai?"
(What are you doing? Sit at your bench! Why are you coming here?)
"Huh? Haan haan... sorry!" Vaani stammered, realizing what she was doing, and awkwardly turned back toward her own bench.
She sat down beside Ekansh, cheeks still warm, silently cursing herself.
"Vaani yaar, kya karti hai tu... Hamesha inke samne khud ko embarrass karvati hai..."
(Vaani, what are you doing... You always end up embarrassing yourself in front of him...)
Ekansh leaned slightly toward her, voice gentle.
"Aap thik hai?" (Are you okay?)
She swallowed, then gave a sheepish smile. "Huh? Aap thik hai... ha...haan..."
(Are you okay... y-yes...)
Just as the students were settling down, the door opened once again. Ayaan strolled in with his admit card in hand, glancing around for his roll number.
As his eyes scanned the benches, he suddenly stopped and grinned.
"Aur monitor sahiba, tum ho mere baaju mein?" he said with a mock surprise, dropping into the seat beside Tara. (Well well, Miss Monitor, you're sitting next to me?)
Tara smiled, adjusting her pen. "Haan."
(Yes.)
Ayaan leaned closer and whispered dramatically, "Paper batana, theek hai?"
(Help me with the paper, okay?)
Tara looked at him with a raised brow. "Aap bade ho. Mai kaise bataungi aapko?"
(You're older than me. How can I tell you the answers?)
"Kyun? Tumne toh do class aage ka padha hoga. Toh aata hi hoga!" Ayaan teased.
(Why not? You've probably studied two classes ahead. You must know everything!)
Tara gave a small laugh. "Haan... lekin..."
(Yes... but...)
"Dekha! Mujhe pata tha," Ayaan declared triumphantly.
(See! I knew it.)
Tara raised a finger. "Haan lekin maine revision nahi kiya hai na. Toh kaise bataungi? Agar kuch ulta sidha bata diya toh?"
(Yes, but I haven't revised. How will I help? What if I tell you something wrong?)
Ayaan tilted his head thoughtfully. "Haan, yeh bhi sahi hai..."
(Yeah, that's true...)
Then his face lit up again. "Ek kaam karo, kal padh ke aana, fir batana!"
(Do one thing-revise everything today and help me tomorrow!)
Tara blinked. "Lekin kal toh seats change ho jayenge na?"
(But the seats will change tomorrow, right?)
"Haan yeh bhi hai... Chalo koi nahi," Ayaan shrugged, chuckling. "Tum apna karo, main bhi apna karta hoon. Main toh bas thoda mazak kar raha tha."
(Yeah, that too... Alright, no worries. You do your thing, I'll do mine. I was just joking.)
Tara gave him a half-smile. "Kya bhaiya, aap bhi! Mazak karne ke liye mai hi mili thi?"
(Wow brother, really? You found only me to joke with?)
"Sorry, sorry!" Ayaan laughed, holding his ears playfully. "All the best!"
"All the best," Tara replied, her smile softening as they both looked forward.
At that moment, the classroom door opened again, and the teacher walked in with a stack of papers in her hand.
She clapped twice to get everyone's attention.
"Students, get ready. I'll be distributing the question paper in five minutes."
The room instantly shifted from light banter to focused silence. Pens clicked. Bags zipped. Hearts raced.
The teacher began walking down the aisle, handing out the question papers one by one. The rustle of pages and the scratching of pens being uncapped filled the air. Nervous coughs. Deep breaths. Final prayers whispered under breath.
Vaani took the paper from the teacher with trembling hands. She placed it flat on the desk, took one look at the first page
And froze.
Her eyes widened.
Her jaw dropped.
She slowly placed her hands on her head.
"lag gye bhagwan ji...." she muttered under her breath, staring at the paper like it had personally betrayed her.
(I'm doomed, oh god...)
Next to her, Ekansh had already begun writing, his expression calm and focused. He flipped to the second page, underlining a keyword with clinical precision.
Vaani looked at him, then at her own blank answer sheet. Her heart thudded.
"Bas likhna shuru karti hu... ho hi jaayega..." she whispered to herself, clutchee into pen like it was a sword in battle.
(Let me just start writing... it'll somehow work out...)
Meanwhile, in the back row, Kriti had bent over her paper, already filling in the first few lines. Her brow was furrowed, lips pressed into a thin line.
Vihaan, beside her, had flipped his paper upside down.
Then back again.
Then upside down again.
He whispered, "padhne ka kuch toh fayda hua."
Kriti shot him a glare without lifting her head. "Shhh!"
Vihaan slumped in his seat and dramatically whispered to himself, "RIP me..."
Across the room, Tara was scribbling at a quick pace, her handwriting neat and fast. Ayaan, beside her, looked at his paper, then at her, then back at his.
He leaned slightly toward her and whispered, "Tum bullet train ho kya?"
(Are you a bullet train or what?)
Without pausing, Tara whispered back, "aap abhi focus karo. Mazak baad mein."
(You focus. Jokes later.)
Ayaan sighed dramatically and finally started writing, occasionally glancing at the ceiling like he was waiting for divine intervention.
Vaani finally wrote her first line. Her hand trembled slightly but she didn't stop.
One line. Then another.
A quiet confidence started building.
"Dekha? Likha jaa raha hai..." she thought, biting her lip and focusing hard.
(See? I can write...)
The classroom, now filled with the sound of pens against paper, felt like a battlefield some charging in with full force, others trying not to trip on the first step.
After what felt like an eternity of scribbling random thoughts and praying for inspiration, Vaani stared down at her answer sheet.
Five lines.
Six, if she counted the half-finished one.
She groaned softly, resting her forehead on the desk for a second.
"Bas... itna hi likha?"
(That's all I've written?)
She lifted her head and glanced to her left. Tara was furiously writing, her eyes never leaving the paper, her wrist moving with machine-like speed. Vaani stared at her with a glimmer of hope.
"Bas ek baar toh dekh le... ek chhoti si help..." she thought desperately.
(Just look at me once... just a tiny bit of help...)
But Tara didn't even blink. Didn't look up. Didn't move.
Vaani glared at her.
"Kaisi dost hai yeh..." she muttered under her breath, cursing her.
(What kind of friend is she...)
She leaned back with a long sigh, then closed her eyes dramatically, head tilted as if surrendering to fate.
"Main toh so jaati hu... paper bhi khatam hojayega aur ek nind bhi puri hojayegi..."
(I am going to sleep now... The paper will be over and
But just as she tilted her head to the side-
There he was.
Ekansh.
Pen in hand, focused, calm, the soft light from the window tracing the outline of his face. His jaw was set, brows slightly furrowed in concentration, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up neatly.
He looked really good.
Too good.
Vaani forgot all about her paper. Or the exam. Or the world.
She just stared quietly, dreamily, as if watching a movie.
"Kitne sundar hai yeh... likhte waqt bhi hero lagte hai..." she thought, resting her chin on her hand.
(He looks so handsome... even while writing he looks like a movie hero...)
And then-
He noticed.
Ekansh's eyes flicked up for a second, met hers. He paused.
Vaani froze.
He blinked once. Then looked back at his paper.
Tried to focus.
Failed.
He smirked.
Without looking up again, he leaned a little toward her and whispered just loud enough for her to hear:
"Mujhe dekhne se mann bhar gaya ho toh apne paper pe dhyan de do."
(If you're done admiring me, maybe focus on your own paper.)
Vaani blinked, caught completely off guard. Her eyes widened before she blurted out without thinking,
"Jitna aata tha utna ho gaya... ab aap pe dhyan de rahi hu."
(I've written all I know... now I'm focusing on you.)
The moment the words left her mouth, her eyes shot open.
Oh no... kya bol diya yaar!
She turned red, looking away quickly as if trying to rewind time.
Ekansh raised an eyebrow, amused.
"Kya?"
"Nahi... mera matlab... jitna aata tha, ho gaya bas," she mumbled quickly, fidgeting with her pen.
(No... I meant... I've just written whatever I knew.)
He tilted his head slightly, deadpan expression intact.
"Itni jaldi?"
(This quickly?)
"Haan! Naam, roll number likhne mein kitna hi time lagta hai."
(Yeah! How long does it take to write your name and roll number?)
He just stared at her.
Long.
Blank.
Stare.
Vaani slowly turned to face him again, awkwardly smiling, mouthing a small "What?"
He sighed.
"Kuch padhi nahi kya?"
(Didn't study anything?)
She shrugged, whispering like a guilty kid,
"Padhi hoti toh abhi paper likh rahi hoti na?"
(If I had studied, wouldn't I be writing the paper now?)
Ekansh blinked. Then leaned in again with a mock serious tone,
"Toh yeh jo 1-2 hafte se aap log group study kar rahe the... usme kya kiya?"
(So the group study you all were doing for the last couple of weeks... what was that about?)
Vaani made a face and said,
"Padha tha... lekin maine chemistry nahi padhi. Nahi pasand mujhe."
(I did study... but I didn't study chemistry. I don't like it.)
Before Ekansh could respond, the teacher's voice echoed sharply across the hall,
"Vaani! Apna paper likho. No talking!"
Vaani jumped and sat straight. Then, grinning like it was a badge of honour, she muttered,
"Kitni famous hoon main... sab jaante hain mujhe."
(I'm so famous... everyone knows me.)
"Ya to hum log ko padha ti bhi nhi, fir kesa janti hai mujhe." Vaani said only to hear Ekansh.
["You never even teach us, so how do you know me?"]
Ekansh gave her a sly smile, his hands casually stuffed in his pockets.
"Kyuki aap staff room mai bohot famous ho."
["Because you're very famous in the staff room."]
Vaani's eyes widened in surprise.
"Sachi!"
["Really!"]
"Han, parso jab mai staff room gaya tha tab aapki hi baat chal rahi thi." Ekansh said with a casual nod, but there was a teasing spark in his tone.
["Yes, the day before yesterday when I went to the staff room, they were talking about you."]
Vaani instantly looked up with curiosity lighting up her expression.
"Kya baat kar rahe the?" She asked eagerly.
["What were they talking about?"]
"Yahi ki kisiko vishvas nhi hota ki aap Ritvik ki behen hai." Ekansh said, laughing a little.
["That no one believes you're Ritvik's sister."]
Vaani threw her hands in the air dramatically, rolling her eyes.
"Yeh sari teachers hamesha disappoint kar deti hai."
["These teachers always disappoint me."]
Ekansh chuckled. Expected this reply from her.
While the hall was drowned in the sound of rustling papers and occasional whispers from bored students, Vihaan sat two rows behind Vaani, diagonally, scribbling at full speed. His brows furrowed in concentration, lips slightly pursed as he worked through a complicated numerical. He paused for a second to stretch his fingers when something caught his eye a familiar scribble on the desk beside his, slightly tilted to the right.
Kriti.
She was chewing her pen cap again. Something she did every time she was either lost in thought or mildly annoyed. Her fingers moved swiftly, jotting down an answer to a chemical equation, but Vihaan's eyes narrowed.
That's wrong... he thought, scanning what she had written.
Without even realizing, he leaned slightly forward and whispered under his breath, just loud enough,
"Yeh galat hai."
(This is wrong.)
Kriti froze for a second and looked at him sideways, her expression irritated.
"Maine pucha tumse?"
(Did I ask you?)
Vihaan shrugged casually, his voice low but confident.
"Nahi pucha, lekin main bata raha hoon na."
(You didn't, but I'm telling you anyway.)
He held out his hand toward her paper.
"Ek minute, idhar do."
(One minute, give it here.)
Kriti rolled her eyes, sighed dramatically, and made a face half annoyed, half surrendering. But without meeting his eyes, she slid her paper over.
"Fine. Lo."
Vihaan didn't say anything. He pulled the sheet gently toward himself, clicked his pen, and with the smooth, quiet ease of someone who'd done this a hundred times before, corrected the reaction and balanced the equation. As he slid the paper back, his fingers brushed the corner of hers not intentional, just a fleeting contact. He looked up.
And smiled.
A soft, crooked smile that was there for just a second but enough to make her heart stutter.
Kriti stared at the paper... then at him. And for a second, everything else in the room scraping chairs, rustling papers. A small smile crept up her lips, uninvited but warm, like a secret slipping past her guard.
Vihaan noticed.
Of course he did.
He cleared his throat quickly and turned back to his paper, tapping his pen as if nothing had happened.
Kriti blinked, as if snapping out of a dream, then gave her full attention back to her answer sheet. She bit her lip slightly and began to write again, more confidently now. As her pen moved, she muttered softly-so only he could hear,
"Thank you."
Vihaan didn't look up.
But the edge of his mouth tugged upward again.
Just a little.
But enough.
The other examination room was quieter slightly cooler too, with the ceiling fan making a dull rhythmic creak above. Most students were still hunched over their papers, but in one of the back rows, Ritvik and Ahaan had just put their pens down at the same time with synchronized sighs of relief.
Ritvik stretched his arms above his head and let out a quiet, exaggerated yawn. Then, turning slightly toward Ahaan, he leaned in, a curious glint in his eye.
"Ek baat bata?"
(Tell me something?)
Ahaan, still flipping the last page of his paper, raised an eyebrow.
"Haan, pucho."
(Yeah, ask.)
Ritvik smirked.
"Tu Vaani ke dost kaise ban gaya? Matlab... voh itni mastikhor hai. Humesha kuch na kuch karti rehti hai. Ek second shanti nahi hoti usme."
(How did you become friends with Vaani? I mean... she's such a mischief-maker. Always up to something. Never calm.)
Ahaan chuckled, shaking his head.
"Toh aap Bhaiya ke dost kaise ban gaye? Matlab... Bhaiya toh bilkul shaant hai. Kisi se koi matlab hi nahi. Akela rehna pasand karte hain. Aur aap... aap toh..."
(Then how did you become friends with Bhaiya? He's so quiet. Doesn't bother with anyone. Likes being alone. And you... you're the opposite.)
Ritvik raised both his brows and pointed a finger at him.
"Aree... valid point!" He leaned back in his chair, a playful grin on his face.
"Lagta hai hum dono ke paas hi jawab nahi hai."
(Seems like neither of us has the answer.)
Ahaan laughed under his breath, nodding.
"Sahi keh rahe ho."
(You're right.)
Then Ahaan leaned forward again, practical as ever.
"Chalo, ek baar apne-apne paper recheck kar lete hain."
(Come on, let's recheck our papers once.)
Ritvik groaned dramatically.
"Ughh, mere toh nerves hi khatam ho gaye. But haan... dekh lete hain. Kya pata galti se kuch glt likh diya ho."
(My nerves are fried. But yeah... let's check. Who knows, maybe I accidentally wrote something right.)
They both smiled and bent down to flip through their answer sheets again, the relaxed air between them warm with quiet understanding two very different people with strangely similar friendships.
Day 2 of Exams - Morning, Classroom
The sun filtered through the high classroom windows, painting faint gold
en patterns across the dusty benches. The usual buzz of pre-exam chaos was already in full swing-fluttering pages, nervous murmurs, last-minute revisions.
Tara, Kriti, Nirma, and Vaani stepped in, clutching their notebooks, the weight of another exam hanging in the air but their chatter still light, trying to shake off the stress.
Vaani nudged Tara with a hopeful grin.
"Tara... revise with me na," she said, already sliding into the seat next to her, not waiting for a response.
"Haan haan, aaja," Tara replied with a fond sigh, used to this ritual by now. She opened her book, flipping to the important page.
They began reading together, but within minutes, Vaani's restlessness took over.
"Tara... yeh kya tha? Wait yeh samjha na doobara sun na-Tara yaar ek min-"
Tara's eyes twitched. Her pencil halted mid-air.
"Paper hai na. Shaanti! Revise kar rahe baaki sab bhi dheere se bol Nahi toh kuch nahi bataungi." Her tone was stern but laced with affection. Vaani huffed and made a zipping motion over her lips, eyes rolling, though her foot kept tapping.
Just then, the classroom door creaked, and Ekansh walked in, calm and composed, his expression unreadable. He glanced at the seat chart posted on the wall and walked straight toward Tara's desk.
He paused beside her and said, his voice low but clear,
"Tara... that's my seat."
Tara looked up and gave a light shrug, barely reacting.
"Koi nahi..." she began, but she knew she wouldn't get far. Next to her, Vaani was too deep into her textbook, fingers fidgeting as she tried to cram everything in.
(No worries)
Tara nudged her elbow slightly.
"Vaani..."
But Vaani didn't even glance up.
"Stop it, let me revise!" she snapped, brows furrowed.
"Tu hi bola padh shaanti se, ab padhne de."
(You said that to study quietly now let me study)
Ekansh chuckled silently, exchanging a look with Tara. With a playful raise of his brow, he silently gestured, "I'll handle her."
He pulled his pen from his pocket, leaned forward, and tapped it lightly on the desk.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
No response.
"Padhne de na yaar... tune hi bola na shaanti se padh, ab padhne de." Vaani mumbled, still not realizing who was in front of her.
Ekansh cleared his throat this time loud enough to echo a little in the quiet room. He leaned down more, until his face was closer to hers, hovering at the edge of her vision.
Vaani, still mid-thought, turned slightly, saying,
"Tara, maine-"
(Tara,I–)
And then... she saw him.
Their eyes met.
A pause.
The world faded for a second.
Vaani blinked. Once. Twice. She couldn't look away.
Ekansh didn't blink. Didn't move.
Then he smiled calm, a little smug and said,
"Yeh meri seat hai."
"Huh?" Vaani's voice was soft, caught off guard.
"Jaha tum bethi ho... voh meri seat hai."
(The place where you have sat..it's my seat)
Her cheeks flushed slightly.
"Haan thik hai, betho phir. Main kaha mana kar rahi hoon?" she replied, trying to act casual and failing adorably.
(Yes then fine, sit. When did I deny you?)
She turned to Tara, trying to focus.
"Tara... yeh unki seat hai. Ja!"
(Tara... It's his his seat. Go!)
Tara sighed, snapping her book shut.
"Yeh meri seat hai. Aur teri seat toh baaju wale bench pe hai. Tu yahan bethi hai!"
(This is my seat. And your seat is beside my bench. You are sitting here!)
Vaani smacked her forehead, exasperated with herself.
"Ohhh... sorry sorry! Okay, beth jaiye yahaan."
(Ohhhh... Sorry sorry! Okay, sir here)
Ekansh crossed his arms.
"Haan... hatogi tabhi toh."
(Yes .. when you move from here)
"Oh... haan haan, jaati hoon," she mumbled, quickly gathering her things and moving. Her heart was still racing not because of the exam.
(Oh...yes yes, I am going)
Meanwhile, just a few desks away, Vihaan entered the room, scanning the seating list. He spotted Vaani immediately but saw she was busy.
He called her name once. No response.
He walked up to her desk, smiled and leaned forward.
"Vaani... kaha khoyi hai? Tab se awaz de raha hoon."
(Vaani...where are you lost? I have been calling you for so long)
She looked up, surprised, then laughed softly.
"Kuch nahi yaar, padh rahi thi na... wahi yaad kar rahi thi. Tum bata... aaj kiske saath beth raha hai?" Her grin was teasing, eyes dancing.
(Nothing yaar, I was studying... So I was learning that... With whom are you sitting today?)
Vihaan gave a full, toothy grin.
"Aaj toh tere saath."
(Today with you)
Her smile widened.
"Sachhi?! Wah yaar... accha hua tu hai, maze karenge aaj toh!"
(
Really? It's really nice having you we will enjoy today!)
But Ekansh heard every word.
He froze, fingers twitching, jaw tightening just for a second.
He glanced down.
In his hand was Tara's pen-he'd picked it up while leaning forward earlier.
Crack.
The plastic snapped clean in two.
Tara whipped her head around.
"MERA PEN!"
Ekansh blinked at the pieces in his hand, as if confused how they got there.
" So sorry tara I'll get you my pen" he muttered, placing the broken pieces down.
Tara narrowed her eyes.
"yeh dono ek dusre ko dekh ke weird kyu behave krne lagte hai?"
(
Why do both of them starts behaving weird around each other)
Ayaan stepped into the room, a soft breeze entering with him through the open door. He looked around casually, searching for his name on the seat chart. His eyes landed on a desk beside Nirma.
She was already there brows furrowed, lips moving wordlessly as she revised with laser focus. Her world, for now, was just her notebook and the formulas scrawled inside.
Without saying a word, Ayaan pulled out the chair and sat beside her.
The moment he sat, Nirma, still not looking up, blurted out sharply-
"How can you sit here?! It's my place!"
A quiet beat.
"It's mine too," Ayaan replied, his tone smooth, slightly amused.
His voice broke through her fog of concentration. She froze, blinked and slowly looked up.
The moment she saw him, her eyes widened in horror.
"Oh god... sorry!" she stammered, heart racing, mind scrambling.
Trying to play it off, she added quickly, "Aap sach mein yaha baithe ho?"
(
You are really sitting here?)
"Haan... kyun? Koi problem hai?" he asked, eyebrow slightly raised, a half-smile teasing the edge of his lips.
(Yes... Why? Any problem?)
"Nahi nahi... mujhe kyu hogi..." she laughed nervously, brushing back her hair with one hand. Then, under her breath, she murmured with a tiny smirk"Kya hi problem hogi... agar aap saath baithe ho toh."
(No no...why would I have...)
(What kind of problem will I even have when you are sitting with me)
Ayaan's ears perked.
He tilted his head toward her.
"Kya kaha tumne?"
(What did you said?)
Nirma's eyes widened.
"Nahi nahi... kuch nahi! Bethiye na!" she said quickly, covering her embarrassment with a forced smile and ducking her head into her book.
(No no ... nothing! sit)
Ayaan chuckled softly to himself and leaned back in his chair.
She tried to focus again, but her cheeks were glowing. Her heart fluttered when he turned slightly toward her and asked-
"Itna kyun muskur rahi ho?"
(Why are you smiling so much?)
"Kuch nahi... bas aise hi and all the best." she replied, smiling to herself.
(
Nothing...just casually and all the best)
He replied with "all the best"
On the other side of the room
Vihaan was leaning slightly over his desk, cracking jokes with Vaani, who had her hand under her chin, laughing with her entire face. Her nose scrunched up adorably every time she giggled. It wasn't loud, but something about the way she laughed it lit her up.
"Arre Vihaan... Kriti... ka kya chl rha baat Hui ya nhi hui?" she teased, nudging him with her elbow, her eyes gleaming with mischief.
(Heyy vihaan.. what's going on with kriti did you talk to her or not?)
Vihaan groaned, throwing his head back theatrically.
"Bas kar yaar! Tu bhi na voh toh bahot pyaari haii!"
(Enough yarr! You are ...she is so cute)
Vaani laughed again, resting her hand on the desk,. She tried to hide her grin behind her palm, but it was useless.
And on beside their bench , Ekansh sat still, pen in hand, eyes on the page but ears everywhere else.
He wasn't listening on purpose, but their laughter kept hitting him like waves. He clenched his jaw, knuckles slightly tightening around the pen. His eyes didn't lift, but his mind refused to stay still.
"Yeh mere saath aise toh nahi has rahi thi kal..."
His throat went dry.
"Haan... kyun hasengi? Mujhe jaanti hi kaha hai..."
A sigh.
"Aur main yeh soch hi kyun raha hoon? Focus kar Ekansh. Paper hai."
But even as he scolded himself, he found his eyes flicking toward her without permission. And in that moment, he saw Vaani tilt her head slightly and smile just a little too much at something Vihaan said.
His stomach twisted.
Meanwhile on other hand:—
The classroom buzzed with anxious energy.
Students rustled through notes, exchanged last-minute doubts, and tapped pens against desks like it might magically summon forgotten formulas. Desks were scribbled with faint equations, seat numbers double-checked, hearts pounding.
Ritvik slipped into the room, backpack slung lazily over one shoulder. His eyes scanned the room quickly before they landed on Kriti, already seated near the window, flipping through her notes.
Without a word, he walked toward her desk and dropped into the empty chair beside her.
Kriti looked up, surprised, but not displeased.
"aap mere paas baithoge?" she whispered.
(You are sitting with me?)
He shrugged, giving her a soft smile.
"Tum toh topper ho na. Thoda vibe le lunga."
(You are topper. So I will consider some vibe)
She rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at her lips.
"Bas vibe lo. Dekhne ka bhi try mat karna paper mein."
(Just take some vibes. Don't even try to peak into paper)
He chuckled.
"Tum likhti rahogi toh dekhne ka time hi nahi milega."
(You will continuosly write so i won't get time to look)
Before Kriti could reply, the door creaked open and in walked the invigilator, stern-faced, holding a thick stack of question papers.
Silence fell like a blanket.
Chairs scraped. Shuffling began. Pens clicked nervously.
The teacher began distributing papers.
A pause. A prayer.
And then-
"You may begin."
The room filled with the sound of pages turning, pens gliding, the occasional sigh. Time slowed, then sped up. Some brows knitted in confusion, others moved quickly like machines.
Minutes turned into hours.
The final bell rang, sharp and freeing.
Pens dropped. Shoulders relaxed. And one by one, students began stretching their tired backs and exchanging sighs of relief like they'd just survived a battlefield.
Vaani exhaled deeply, leaning back in her chair with a dramatic groan.
"Finally..." she muttered, brushing her hair back and turning to Vihaan.
"Chal bata tujhe kitna yaad tha? Tu. toh mujhe topper lag rahe tha aaj."
Vihaan smirked.
"Jitna yaad aaya, likh diya. Baaki toh Bhagwan bharose."
She laughed, nudging his arm.
"Wahi Bhagwan meri sheet pe bhi likh ke gaye hai lagta hai."
From the side, Ekansh was gathering his papers, silent but his eyes were elsewhere.
He hadn't spoken a word to anyone since the paper ended. His jaw was set, brows furrowed. Even as he walked toward the front to submit his answer sheet, he found himself glancing back... just once... at Vaani.
She was still laughing still smiling with someone else.
Tch.
He slid his paper on the desk a little harder than needed.
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