It had been nearly a week since Aarohi joined the new school. By now, she had settled in and grown comfortable with most of her classmates—except a few: Nirvay, Shreya, and Shreya's inseparable friends, Riya and Piya.
Aarohi never tried to approach them.
Why would someone like him even think of being friends with me? she often told herself.
He already has too many friends. I'd just be extra—completely unnecessary.
To her, Nirvay had everything: too popular, too good-looking, too smart, and probably too rich. Basically, too much of everything.
On the other hand, Nirvay was genuinely confused.
He had tried speaking to Aarohi a few times that week, but she always brushed him off—as if he didn't even exist.
Why does her ignorance bother me?
Why can't I ignore her, like I ignore the rest?
The thought irritated him more than he could understand.
A New Week Begins
One morning, as school started, Aarohi was bubbling with excitement.
"Sukhi, guess what? My brother's going to buy me a scooter soon!" Her eyes sparkled.
"Wow!" Sukhi beamed. "No more depending on anyone else! Freedom, baby!"
As they approached the school gate, Nirvay was waiting nearby. He greeted cheerfully, "Hi Sukhi, and hello to your friend, too."
"Good morning, Nirvay," Sukhi replied politely.
Aarohi, as usual, completely ignored him.
Shreya, standing nearby, smirked and whispered to Nirvay, "See? She didn't even bother replying. She's so full of herself. Too much ego."
Nirvay didn't reply, but her coldness quietly gnawed at him.
Near the Canteen
During lunch break, Sukhi and Aarohi sat outside the canteen, munching snacks and laughing.
"You're so lucky," Sukhi pouted. "You eat so much and never gain weight! Me? Even oxygen makes me fat!"
Aarohi laughed. "You're already cute! But seriously, I'm dying. Physics test next week! You know how amazing I am at physics and maths."
Sukhi teased, "Yeah, as amazing as rats love for cats "
They burst out laughing just as Nirvay walked up to them.
"Hey Sukhi, have you seen Ayush?" he asked casually.
Before Sukhi could answer, Nirvay noticed a crumb on Aarohi's cheek. Without thinking, he gently brushed it away.
"There was something on your cheek. It's gone now," he said naturally.
Aarohi instantly pulled back, her eyes blazing.
"How dare you! Why did you touch me?"
"I was just helping you."
"You could've told me! I would've cleaned it myself."
"Why are you overreacting? It was just a touch."
"My cheek is still part of my body. You don't have the right to touch it," she snapped.
Sukhi quickly added, "She's right. You should've asked."
Without another word, Aarohi grabbed Sukhi's hand and walked away, leaving Nirvay standing there, utterly confused.
To make it worse, Shreya, Riya, Piya, and half the school had witnessed everything. Whispered gossip followed them as they left.
Nirvay ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
Why does she always react like this? Why does it bother me so much?
Shreya's mocking voice rang behind him. "See? I told you she's crazy. Just ignore her."
But Nirvay's mind was stuck on only one thing — her.
The Next Morning
Aarohi and Sukhi rode to school on her brand-new pink scooter. Freedom and excitement all over their faces.
Nirvay was already waiting near the gate, holding out a chocolate.
"Sorry. You were right. I shouldn't have touched you without asking."
Aarohi folded her arms. I should just ignore him. But… chocolate?
"Fine," she said, still cold.
"Take it. So I'll know you've actually accepted my apology."
Before Aarohi could grab it, Sukhi snatched it playfully. "Sure, I'll give it to her."
"Sukhi!" Aarohi glared. "Seriously?"
"What? I helped you. Eat it!" Sukhi giggled.
Meanwhile, Piya had witnessed the scene and rushed to Shreya.
"Bae! Nirvay just apologized to that lizard Aarohi… and gave her chocolate too! What's going on?"
Riya added, "You need to control him now."
Shreya's face turned dark. "Unbelievable."
After School
As school ended, Sukhi looked thrilled.
"Aarohi, Ayush wants to meet me after school."
"Oooh, date time?" Aarohi teased.
Sukhi blushed. "You'll be okay going home alone, right?"
"Yeah, I've got my scooter now!"
But when Aarohi reached the parking lot, her smile vanished. Two boys had knocked her scooter over. It was scratched and damaged.
Furious, she stormed towards them.
"Who are you? Why did you mess with my scooter?"
Boy 1 smirked. "What happened to your scooter can happen to you."
"Really?" Aarohi's eyes burned.
Boy 2 shoved her. "Change your section or leave this school."
"I'm not going anywhere."
Boy 1 raised his hand again, but Nirvay appeared, catching his wrist.
"Aarohi, go stand near my car. I'll handle this."
"Why should you handle it alone?" Aarohi snapped.
Before anyone could react, she punched the boy in the face. Hard.
Nirvay's jaw dropped. "Whoa."
Together, they fought back fiercely until the boys ran away.
"You can fight? Where'd you learn that?"
"At home. Years of practice fighting with my brother," she grinned.
But when she looked at her scratched scooter, tears filled her eyes.
"Now why are you crying?" Nirvay asked softly.
"It's new… my brother just bought it yesterday."
"Don't cry. I'll get it fixed. My driver will take it to the mechanic. I'll drop you home."
Her hand hurt, but she agreed.
In the car, Aarohi sat quietly, wiping her tears. Nirvay glanced at her.
Why does she look even cuter when she cries? he wondered.
As he dropped her near home, he realized something.
"So you and Sukhi are neighbors too."
He wanted to wipe her tears but stopped himself, remembering the canteen.
"Take care," he said, driving away.
Was this just the start of friendship? Or something else?