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𝐊𝐞𝐡𝐧𝐞 𝐤𝐨 𝐭𝐨𝐡 𝐰𝐨𝐡 𝐮𝐬𝐤𝐚 𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚... 𝐩𝐚𝐫 𝐮𝐬𝐤𝐢 𝐡𝐚𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐦 𝐫𝐚𝐤𝐡𝐧𝐚, 𝐮𝐬𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐧𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐳 𝐡𝐢 𝐭𝐨𝐡 𝐦𝐚𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐚।

⋆𐙚˚₊‧ ୨ৎ ‧₊˚𐙚⋆

The next morning, the school's ground was already filled with students standing in neatly arranged rows beneath the pale winter sun. The sunlight was bright enough to make everyone squint, yet the chilly morning air still carried a sharpness that made standing perfectly still feel like a punishment.

Hundreds of students stood in their respective class rows, some whispering among themselves, some yawning openly, and others desperately trying to steal a few minutes of sleep while standing.

Shourya stood somewhere in the middle of his class's row, directly behind Sahil. He shifted his weight from one foot to another, glanced toward the stage, then toward the sun, and finally looked at Sahil with an expression of pure betrayal.

"Itni dhoop me bhunenge kya bhaii ye hame??"

(Are they going to roast us in this sunlight or what, bro?)

Sahil turned slightly toward him, his expression far too calm for someone who was apparently standing in the exact same heat.

"Bhunenge!?.....bhai ye to starting hai normal assembly bhi nhi h ye upar se aaj hai bhi special assembly broo.....aaj to bhun ke fry karke mirch masala daal ke chabayenge ye log hame"

(Roast us?! Bro, this is just the beginning. This isn't even a normal assembly, and on top of that, today is a special assembly, bro... today they're going to roast us, fry us, add chilli and spices, and chew us raw.)

"Kyuu bhaii??" Shourya's eyes widened. He slowly turned toward Sahil as though he'd just received the worst news of his life.

(Why, bro?)

"Bss maza ata hai inlogo ko" sahil replied casually.

(They simply enjoy doing this.)

"He bhagwan kaha aake phass gya main?" Shourya stared at him for a few seconds before his shoulders dropped dramatically.

(Oh God, where have I gotten myself stuck?)

He barely finished muttering when a teacher standing behind the row noticed his posture.

"Stand straight shourya" The command came sharply from behind him. Shourya immediately straightened, pulling his shoulders back and fixing his gaze toward the stage.

For approximately five seconds, he looked like the most disciplined student in the entire school. Then his eyes slowly began drifting again.

Meanwhile, on the stage, Dhwani stood beside Rishabh.

As the Head Girl and Head Boy of the school, both of them had their own responsibilities during assemblies. They weren't there simply to stand around and listen. They were expected to help maintain discipline, assist teachers, and ensure everything went smoothly.

Dhwani stood with her hands neatly folded in front of her, her posture composed and professional despite the cold air.

From across the stage, her eyes instinctively travelled toward the rows of students. Unfortunately, they stopped at exactly the wrong person.

Shourya.

He was standing there, but barely.

His head had already started drooping every few seconds, his eyelids repeatedly falling shut before he'd suddenly jerk himself awake and pretend nothing had happened.

"Alag hi namoona hai ye bhi" Dhwani stared at him for a moment.She shook her head with a deeply unimpressed expression. 

(He's a completely different specimen altogether.)

"Kya hua??"Rishabh noticed her reaction and slightly nudged her.Dhwani simply shook her head, refusing to waste even a sentence explaining Shourya.

(What happened?)

She turned her attention back toward the stage.

Across the ground, however, another pair of eyes had been quietly following everything happening there.

In the Commerce section, Arav stood toward the back of his class's row with a calm and composed expression.

Unlike Shourya, he wasn't complaining about the sunlight or fighting sleep. He was listening carefully to every word being spoken from the stage or, more specifically, his attention kept returning to Dhwani.

She stood there looking completely normal and composed, carrying out her responsibilities with the same seriousness she seemed to bring to everything else.

Arav didn't know why his eyes kept finding her. Perhaps it was simply because she was the Head Girl or it was because she was standing on the stage or perhaps he was just becoming a little too interested in noticing her. He didn't dwell on the thought.

Some time later, the assembly finally concluded. The students began dispersing into their respective areas while the teachers and prefects started handling the usual post-assembly responsibilities.

Dhwani and Rishabh remained behind to check uniforms. Rishabh was assigned to inspect the boys, while Dhwani took responsibility for the girls.

One by one, students passed in front of them. Most were perfectly dressed. Some weren't.

"You please come here....your socks are not from uniform." Dhwani stopped one girl who was trying very hard to look innocent.

"Didi please iss baar chod do....next time se pakka pehen ke aungi" The girl immediately looked down at her socks and then back at Dhwani with an expression that practically screamed please forgive me.

(Didi, please let me go this time... I'll definitely wear the proper ones from next time.)

"I'm sorry dear but I've told not to show any leniency." Dhwani's expression softened for a second, but her responsibility remained her responsibility.

(I'm sorry, dear, but I've been told not to show any leniency.)

She gently directed the girl toward the designated area where all the uniform defaulters were being gathered.

Eventually, Dhwani and Rishabh reached the students from their own classroom. One by one, everyone passed through. Until only one person remained......Shourya.

Rishabh looked at him from head to toe and immediately spotted the problem.....No school tie.

"You come out" he pointed at him

(You come out.)

"Phir se nahi" Shourya's shoulders dropped.He reluctantly stepped forward. 

(Not again.)

"Where's your tie?" Rishabh folded his arms.

(Where is your tie?)

"Ghar pe h yrr." he replied lazily.

(It's at home, yaar.)

"To tum bhi ghar per hi rehte school kyu aaye?" Rishabh raised an eyebrow.

(Then you should also stay at home. Why did you come to school?)

"As if mujhe to yaha aane ka shouk chadha hai" Shourya muttered without much interest,

(As if I was dying to come here.)

"What did you say?" rishabh raise his eyebrow

"Nothing." Shourya immediately shook his head.

By then, Dhwani had finished checking the girls' uniforms as well.

"Chalein?" She approached Rishabh, expecting them to finish up and return to their classes.

(Shall we go?)

"Ha bss tumhare chachundar ko pakad lu" Rishabh glanced toward Shourya and grinned.

(Yes, just let me catch your idiot first.)

"Eww..... don't call him my chachundar" Dhwani immediately made a disgusted face.

(Eww... don't call him my idiot.)

"Tum apna muh band nhi rakh skti kya?....jab dekho tab che che che che lagi hi Rehti Ho" Shourya's patience, which had already been hanging by a thread, finally snapped.

(Can't you keep your mouth shut? Whenever I see you, you're constantly going 'eww, eww, eww'.)

"I k to uniform defaulter ho upar se itna muh chale rhe ho....have you got any manners from home or not?" Dhwani immediately turned toward him.

(First, you're a uniform defaulter, and on top of that you talk so much... have you got any manners from home or not?)

"Ha to ik tie hi to nhi lagayi h baaki sab to sahi hai" Shourya looked down at his uniform as though examining it for the first time.

(So what? I only haven't worn a tie. Everything else is fine.)

"Socks dikhana jaza apne??" Dhwani folded her arms.

(Then show me your socks?)

The confidence immediately disappeared from Shourya's face.

"K...kyu...kyu dikhau main?" he stuttered slightly.

(W-why... why should I show you?)

"Kyu nhi dikhaoge?....hairs bhi bade hain tumhare to...iska bhi fine ayega....see itte lambe baalo ki to ponytails bnti hain" Dhwani's eyes narrowed.

(Why won't you show them? Your hair is long too, so there'll be a fine for that as well... look, your hair is so long you could even make ponytails with it.)

Before Shourya could react, Dhwani reached forward and grabbed a handful of his hair.

"Ahh ahhh....baal nhii....baalo se majaak nhi....maar Dunga main"He winced and immediately tried to pull away. 

(Ahh, ahh... not my hair... don't mess with my hair... I'll hit you.)

"Chup chaap se sab cheezo ka fine bhar ke ana....aise dikh gaye na to dekhna tum" Dhwani released his hair and gave him one final warning look.

(Quietly pay the fine for everything... if I see you like this again, just wait and see.)

She turned around to leave.Shourya stared after her for a moment before irritation overtook him again.

"why should i obey you.....kahi ki prime minister ho kya tum?" he said in pure irritation.

(Why should I obey you? Are you the Prime Minister or something?)

Dhwani stopped. Before she could turn around, Rishabh answered for her.

"head girl hai vo....teachers ke baad ussi ki chlti hai" he mentioned

(She's the Head Girl... after the teachers, what she says goes.)

"haa to main nhi maan rha iss double batterry ki baat" Shourya still didn't seem convinced.

(So what? I'm still not going to listen to this double-battery girl.)

"ok...then i will just report you to the principal" Dhwani turned back toward him, completely calm now.

"Haa to darta hu kya main....mere papa trustee hain school ke.....ukhaad le jo ukaadna hai" Shourya's expression hardened.

(Yeah, do you think I'm scared? My father is a trustee of this school... do whatever you can.)

There was an unmistakable note of pride in his voice. Dhwani's jaw tightened. She stared at him for a moment before answering calmly.

"ok...fine, aage jo hoga uske jimmedaar tum khud ho"And with that, she turned around and walked away. 

(Okay, fine. Whatever happens next will be your own responsibility.)

The moment she disappeared from view, Shourya released a long, frustrated sigh.

"Kyaa hai yrr isko....ikdam detol se naha ke peeche hi pad gyi hai....kaise jhelte ho bhai tum sab isko?" he said with irritation visible in his voice.

(What is wrong with her, yaar? She's completely obsessed with following me around... how do you all tolerate her?)

Rishabh looked at him, this time without laughing."bro vo sach main bol degi principal se....why did you say that?" 

(Bro, she really will tell the principal... why did you say that?)

"kyaa?....sach hi to bola maine" Shourya shrugged.

(What? I only told the truth.)

"are you sure tu iss school ke trustee ka beta hai?" Rishabh studied him for a moment.

(Are you sure you're the son of this school's trustee?)

"ha.... ofcourse.....mahesh singh mehrotra is my father.....see shourya mehrotra....mahesh mehrotra" Shourya looked almost offended by the question.

(Yes... of course. Mahesh Singh Mehrotra is my father... see, Shourya Mehrotra... Mahesh Mehrotra.)

"matlb vo girl's washroom wala incident tune hi kiya tah?" Rishabh's expression changed.His eyes widened as the pieces suddenly fell into place.

(You mean you were the one involved in that girls' washroom incident?)

The moment those words left Rishabh's mouth, Shourya went completely still. The earlier arrogance disappeared from his face for a brief second.

Around them, the other boys who had been standing nearby also looked toward Shourya. Some exchanged surprised glances. Some looked genuinely concerned. Others stared at him with visible disapproval. A few seemed more interested in the drama than anything else.

The sudden shift in the atmosphere made Shourya's earlier confidence feel strangely misplaced.

"Ewww brooo.....chii bhaii tu yaha kyu aya?....should have gone somewhere else" Rishabh took a small step backward.

(Eww, bro... seriously, why did you come here? You should have gone somewhere else.)

For the first time that morning, Shourya didn't have a sarcastic comeback ready. He simply stood there.

The boy who had spent the entire morning joking, arguing, and acting as though nothing in the world could embarrass him suddenly found himself surrounded by expressions that made him feel much smaller than he had a moment ago.

______________

The class buzzed back into its usual tiered chatter after barely surviving the chemistry lecture in the morning itself.

Students were still discussing the previous period, some flipping through their notebooks while others were simply trying to recover from the mental exhaustion of the first half of the day.

But then came the worst of all lectures.....Physics.

For Shourya, the situation couldn't possibly have been worse. He had barely survived chemistry, and now he had to somehow surpass the torture of physics as well.

He dropped his shoulders dramatically and looked around the classroom as though searching for an escape route.

"Kaha phass gya yrr main" He groaned, spreading his arms across the table in an attempt to stretch before yawning loudly.Dhwani immediately glanced at him. 

(Where the hell have I gotten myself stuck, yaar?)

"Tum theek se baith nhi skte kya ik jagah?"She made an annoyed face as Shourya had somehow managed to occupy almost the entire table. 

(Can't you sit properly in one place?)

Instead of listening to her, Shourya deliberately shifted even farther toward her side. Dhwani's eyes narrowed. He was doing it on purpose now.

"Aree....hatt bhi jao thoda.... Main stretch nhi kar paa rha"His voice was lazy, his expression completely unbothered. 

(Hey... move over a little... I can't stretch.)

Dhwani stared at him for a couple of seconds. Then, without saying a single word, she simply stood up from her seat and that was all it took.

Shourya had been leaning against her side without realizing that his support had completely disappeared. The moment she moved, he lost his balance and fell straight onto the ground.

"Ahhh" The loud yelp immediately attracted everyone's attention.

Several students turned around. A few burst into laughter as Shourya sat on the floor, rubbing his elbow with a deeply offended expression.

Dhwani looked down at him. Then came the sweetest smile she could possibly manage.

"Hogyi body stretch... Mr. Chachundar" she said in mocking tone.Shourya slowly looked up at her.

(Did you get your body stretched enough now, Mr. Idiot?)

"You...." His glare could have burned a hole through the desk. Dhwani, however, looked completely unaffected.

"Chal chal chal.....side hatt baithna hai mujhe"

(Come on, come on, move aside. I have to sit.)

She simply shoved him aside and calmly returned to her seat as though nothing had happened. Shourya stared at her in disbelief before getting back onto his seat.

"Isko to kisi din achhe se dekhunga main"He muttered it under his breath, clearly making a mental note of revenge. 

(I'll deal with her properly one of these days.)

Unfortunately for him, revenge would have to wait. The physics teacher entered the classroom. The transformation was immediate.

Students straightened in their seats, notebooks opened, and the entire room suddenly adopted the serious expression of students who had definitely been paying attention all along.

Dhwani was one of the few who genuinely was.

She listened to the teacher attentively, following every explanation with interest. Unlike Shourya, who seemed to consider physics a personal attack, Dhwani actually loved the subject.

She answered questions confidently whenever the teacher asked something, occasionally making notes while listening carefully.

Meanwhile, beside her, Shourya was fighting a completely different battle.

His eyelids became heavier with every passing minute. He tried to keep them open. He really did, but every time he dozed off even slightly, Dhwani's voice beside him somehow managed to wake him up again.

After several failed attempts at sleeping peacefully, Shourya finally leaned slightly toward her.

"Tum please chup raho.... mujhe neend aa rhi h" he complained.

(Please be quiet... I'm feeling sleepy.)

Dhwani completely ignored him. Instead, she calmly raised her hand.

"I've a question sir" Her voice was loud enough to make sure Shourya heard every single word. And perhaps—just perhaps—she had deliberately chosen the moment. "Why do we have to take a test charge what can't we take just any other charge there"

"Hmm....good question" The teacher smiled.

"Does anybody wants to answer it?" He looked around the classroom.

For a moment, there was complete silence. Not the peaceful kind. The nobody-knows-the-answer-so-everyone-is-suddenly-very-interested-in-their-notebooks kind.

No one raised a hand. No one even looked toward the teacher and then the teacher's eyes landed on Shourya. The new student was practically sleeping with his eyes open.

"You....new student....answer this question" The teacher pointed directly toward him. Shourya didn't move.

He was still staring ahead with the blank expression of someone whose brain had temporarily disconnected from his body.

"Stand up and answer" The teacher's voice rose slightly.....Still nothing.

Dhwani glanced sideways at him. Then, with absolutely no sympathy, she pinched his arm lightly.

"Ouchhh" Shourya jolted awake instantly. Dhwani turned toward him with an innocent expression.

"Hnjii mister.....hogyi neend poori?"The teacher looked at him with unmistakable sarcasm.

(Yes, mister... have you finished your sleep?)

"Sone hi nhi deti hai ye double battery....chutti kaat Li isne"Shourya rubbed his arm and immediately complained. 

(This double-battery girl doesn't let me sleep at all... she's ruining my break.)

The entire class burst into laughter.

"Silence" The teacher's stern voice echoed through the room. The laughter disappeared almost instantly. "Class m sone aate ho tum?"

(Do you come to class to sleep?)

Shourya finally seemed to realize exactly what he'd just said in front of the teacher. He straightened immediately.

"Idiot"The teacher shook his head. He muttered it under his breath before returning to the actual question. "Anwere me....why we took this test charge here?"

(Answer me... why did we take this test charge here?)

Shourya looked at the teacher. Then at the class. Then back at the teacher and, apparently deciding that honesty was the best policy, answered without hesitation.

"Vo to sir aapko pta hoga.....apne liya hai usko" he said casually

(That, sir, you would know... you were the one who brought it.)

The classroom exploded into laughter again. The teacher's expression went completely blank.

It was the look of a teacher who had just realized that dealing with this student was going to require significantly more patience than the school timetable had accounted for.

"What's your name" His tone had become frighteningly serious.

"Shourya sir" he answered.

(Shourya, sir.)

The teacher stared at him for another second then said, "Meet me after this class"

The words instantly changed the atmosphere around Shourya. Several students looked at him with sympathetic expressions. Even a few who had been laughing moments ago now looked genuinely worried for him.

Dhwani, on the other hand, couldn't help the tiny smirk that appeared on her face. She knew exactly what was coming.

"Main baith jau sir?" Shourya looked toward the teacher with the most innocent expression he could manufacture.The teacher gave a small nod.Shourya immediately sat down.  

(May I sit down, sir?)

"Chutti kyu jaati mujhe?"He muttered it as he settled into his seat. 

(Why would I get my break taken away?)

"Tumhe jagane ke liye" Dhwani leaned slightly toward him.She didn't even spare him a glance. 

(To wake you up.)

"Ha to chutti katogi??" Shourya raised an eyebrow.

(So will you have your break taken away too?)

Dhwani paused. Then, surprisingly

"Sorry" she apologised.

Shourya turned toward her, caught completely off guard. For once, he hadn't expected her to apologize. But before he could react, Dhwani pressed her foot onto his toes.

"Ahhhh" Shourya winced loudly. Several students looked toward them again.

"Agli baar aise jagaungi" Dhwani finally looked at him.

(I'll wake you up like this next time.)

"Are you mad or whatt?" Shourya's eyes widened.

(Are you mad or what?!)

Before Dhwani could answer, the physics teacher looked at Shourya with an expression that suggested his patience was rapidly disappearing.

"What's your problem shourya"

(What's your problem, Shourya?)

"It's her sir.....she can't let me sit properly" Shourya immediately pointed toward Dhwani.

(It's her, sir... she doesn't let me sit properly.)

"No sir....he was again sleeping i just woke him up" Dhwani immediately defended herself.

(No, sir... he was sleeping again. I just woke him up.)

"Itni zor se maar ke kon jagata hai?" Shourya looked at her in disbelief.

(Who wakes someone up by hitting them that hard?)

"Ha to itni gehri neend min kon sota hai" Dhwani didn't even hesitate.

(Then who sleeps in such a deep sleep?)

"Enough you both.....shut up" The teacher finally raised his voice.

(Enough, you both... shut up.)

"You come at the front and sit here" The teacher pointed toward the front. Shourya looked toward the first bench.

His face fell. But there was no point arguing anymore. He reluctantly collected his belongings and moved toward the front.

As he picked up his notebook, he glanced back at Dhwani. A mischievous spark appeared in his eyes. He stuck out his tongue at her in victory.

Dhwani's blood practically boiled. She immediately responded by making an even more disgusting face and sticking her tongue out at him as well.

The teacher, who had apparently witnessed enough of their nonsense for one lifetime, stared at both of them.

"Muh banana hogya ho to baitho jaldi yaha pe" he said and both immediately straightened.

(If you're done making faces, sit here quickly.)

Shourya turned toward the front with an exaggeratedly innocent expression. Dhwani returned her attention to her notebook.

The lecture went by with surprising ease for Dhwani. With the teacher completely occupied with Shourya sitting right at the front, she finally got to enjoy the class without having to deal with the constant chaos happening beside her.

Shourya, on the other hand, was having the exact opposite experience.

Being shifted to the first bench had officially ruined whatever little hope he had of surviving the lecture peacefully. Every time his eyelids even dared to become heavy, the teacher's sharp gaze would immediately land on him. Not even a five-minute nap was being spared today.

By the time the physics lecture finally came to an end, Shourya looked completely done with life.

Just as the physics teacher began gathering his things, a knock echoed through the classroom. Everyone's attention automatically shifted towards the door.

"May i come in sir," the sports incharge entered the class as the physics teacher nodded with a polite smile.

"I've a short announcement to make." The sports incharge said.

"Yeah sure sir...go ahead," the physics teacher nodded happily.

The man stepped a little further inside and turned towards the students.

"So good morning students..... I'm Vivek Oberoi your sports incharge and basketball coach." Vivek continued.

A few students immediately became more attentive at the mention of basketball. Sports announcements were usually enough to wake up even those who had been half-asleep throughout the previous lecture.

"Since basketball trials are going to be held in upcomming days.....so anyone from you who's interested in joining school's elite basketball team...they you may come and give your trials for the same," Vivek said to the whole class.

The moment he mentioned the school's elite basketball team, a few students exchanged excited looks. For some, it was just another announcement. For others, it was an opportunity they had been waiting for.

And then Vivek suddenly seemed to remember something.

"And yess...is there any shourya Mehrotra?" Vivek asked, making Shourya look at him.

For a second, Shourya's expression changed from bored to confused.

How did this man already know his name?

"Yess sir... it's me," Shourya raised his hand. Vivek immediately smiled upon spotting him.

"You have to come to the trail for sure....we need you in our team," Vivek smiled as Shourya nodded.

Shourya simply nodded back, though the confusion on his face hadn't disappeared.

"Inko kaise pta ?" He leaned slightly towards himself and muttered under his breath,

(How does he know?)

Dhwani, who had been listening to the announcement, caught the movement from the corner of her eye. Her gaze briefly shifted towards Shourya, who was still looking at the basketball coach with a puzzled expression.

---------------

The lunch break finally began after what felt like an unnecessarily hectic first half of the school day. The moment the bell rang, the classroom instantly came alive with conversations, laughter, lunchboxes opening, and students moving around freely.

As usual, Dhwani had settled down with Ritika and Sahil, the three of them casually eating their lunch while talking about random things happening in their class.

Dhwani was halfway through her lunch when someone entered the classroom. She didn't notice him at first but the moment the person walked over and quietly sat beside her, Dhwani's attention shifted.

She turned her head and found Rishabh sitting right next to her. A tiny, almost involuntary fluster crossed her face before she quickly composed herself.

"Hi...paltan log," Rishabh greeted everyone.

"Hii rishiii," Ritika said, while Sahil simply passed him a knowing smile.

"Hiii," Dhwani smiled as well.

"Kya hogya....aaj science section min kaise aagya tu?" Ritika asked, taking a bite from her paratha.

(what happened...how come you are here in science section?)

Rishabh shrugged casually, looking completely pleased with himself.

"Aree kuch nhi yrr aise hi...ik good news batani h tumlog ko," Rishi said excitedly.

(nothing guyss...i just have a good news to tell you all)

"Ha bol na," Sahil said.

(yes go ahead)

Rishabh leaned slightly forward, clearly unable to contain his excitement.

"Vivek sir aye honge na class main tumhare bhi basketball ke trails ke liye," he asked, to which the three of them nodded.

(vivek sir may have come to your class as well to announce the basketball trials...right?)

"Ha to is saal i might become the basketball captain for our team," Rishabh said excitedly.

(so this year i might get the chance to be our school's basketball captain)

Before Dhwani could even react, Rishabh casually reached towards the sandwich she was holding. He basically held her hand along with the sandwich and took a bite from it.

Dhwani froze.

For a second, it felt as though her brain had completely stopped processing what had just happened. Her breath caught, while her heart seemed to suddenly decide that running a marathon was an excellent idea.

Rishabh, completely unaware of the tiny chaos he'd caused inside her head, simply continued chewing as if nothing unusual had happened.

"That's really good news," Ritika chimed.

"Hnn broo....agar captain bnn gya na tu then I need party from you," Sahil demanded.

"Haa mujhe bhi...momo party," Ritika chimed.

"Nhi pizza party," Sahil interrupted.

"Nhii yrr...momo please naa," Ritika pleaded.

"Are dono kha lena tum chill karo," Rishabh said, calming down both of them.

The little argument between Sahil and Ritika continued for another moment before Rishabh's attention eventually shifted back towards Dhwani.

She had gone unusually quiet. He leaned slightly towards her, concern replacing his earlier excitement.

"what happened dhwani.... everything's fine right?" He asked, making her look at him. Dhwani blinked a couple of times, almost as if she'd been pulled out of her own thoughts.

"Huh....ha haaan... congratulations in advance," Dhwani said with a smile.

"Tu bta tujhe konsi party chahiye?" Rishi asked.

(tell me what kind of parti you want?)

Before Dhwani could answer, Ritika immediately jumped in.

"Are ye to choki choki m khush ho jayegi," Ritika said, making Dhwani glare at her. The others immediately broke into laughter.

Dhwani shook her head, trying her best not to smile at Ritika's teasing. Rishabh, however, seemed to have another thought occupying his mind.

"Achha guyss...." Rishabh interrupted in between, gaining everyone's attention. The laughter slowly faded as everyone looked towards him.

"do you thinks riya will like me back once i become the captain?" Rishabh looked at his friends with hope in his eyes.

The question immediately changed the atmosphere around the little group. Dhwani looked at him quietly. Ritika's eyes shifted towards Dhwani.

And Sahil, for once, kept his expression completely neutral as he continued eating his paratha.

"vo to bhaii uske taste pe depend karta hai na.....agar usko sport guys main intrest hoga then she'll obviously like you," Sahil said casually, taking another bite of his paratha.

(that depends totally on her intrests bro...if she likes sports guys then she'll obviously like you)

"Hmmm....and vaise bhi i don't think so she's into sports guys," Ritika commented.

"kyuu?" he asked.

"vibes nhi aati usse aisi mujhe," Ritika said.

"achhaa aisa kyaa!" Rishabh said, making an expression as if he was genuinely thinking about it.

Everyone nodded, though each of them seemed to have their own thoughts about the matter. Dhwani, meanwhile, remained unusually quiet. She looked at Rishabh for a moment before lowering her gaze towards her lunch.

The bell suddenly rang through the corridor, marking the end of the lunch break. The entire classroom immediately began shifting back into its usual routine.

Rishabh sighed, clearly disappointed that the break had ended so quickly. He got up from beside Dhwani, adjusted his uniform and gave his friends one last smile before heading towards his own classroom.

"Bye!" he waved before disappearing through the classroom door.

Dhwani watched him leave for a few seconds longer than she probably should have. And Ritika, who had noticed it all, quietly exchanged a glance with Sahil. Neither of them said anything.

---------------

The basketball court was already buzzing by the time Shourya made his way towards it.

A few students were already gathered around the court, stretching, dribbling basketballs, and casually talking among themselves while waiting for the trials to begin. The atmosphere was completely different from the classroom louder, more energetic, and competitive.

Shourya stepped onto the court, glancing around at the students already present and then his eyes landed on someone familiar.it was Rishabh.

Rishabh noticed him almost immediately. The moment he saw Shourya approaching, a mocking smile appeared on his face.

"Bro it's not you place tum yaha se chale jao." he said. Shourya stopped walking. For a second, he simply stared at Rishabh, trying to figure out whether he was actually serious.

"Why should I leave? mujhe sir ne bulaya hai." shourya said making the smile disappeared from Rishabh's face.

"Bro jhooth mat bol he could never call a trouble maker like you." His eyebrows pulled together in disbelief. A couple of students nearby exchanged glances.

"Hamri team ki ik reputation hain usse hame kharab nhi karni."Rishabh stepped slightly forward. 

"Rishabh it's enough main kuch bol nhi rha to that doesn't mean ki tu kuch bhi bolga." Shourya's expression slowly hardened. He looked directly at Rishabh.

"Sahi to bol rha hu main poore school ko pta hai tune kya kiya hua hai."Rishabh scoffed.  The words instantly changed Shourya's expression.

"And we don't want a creep like you in our team." Rishabh continued, his voice becoming sharper.

Shourya's jaw tightened. For a moment, he said nothing. He simply glared at Rishabh while the other students around them grew increasingly uncomfortable with the situation.

Rishabh, however, didn't seem interested in backing down. Instead, he gave Shourya another mocking look.

"Tu seriously soch rha tha kya ki hum tujhe team main lenge?" rishabh said with a mocking laugh and that was the final push.

Shourya suddenly stepped forward and punched Rishabh. The entire court fell into chaos.

"What the hell!" Rishabh stumbled back, shocked by the sudden attack, before his friends immediately moved towards Shourya.

"Jyada ho rha hai tera." Shourya glared at Rishabh, anger written clearly across his face.

Rishabh, now equally furious, pushed forward again. Within seconds, the argument turned into a full-blown fight between Shourya, Rishabh, and the students who had rushed in around them.

But the shouting around the court drowned everything else out. One student tried pulling Shourya back while another grabbed Rishabh, but neither of them seemed willing to back down.

Then a loud whistle cut through the chaos.

"ENOUGH!"

Everyone froze.

Vivek had arrived.

He immediately stepped between the two boys, separating them before the situation could escalate any further.

"What is going on here?!" vivek asked furiously but neither Shourya nor Rishabh answered both were still glaring at each other, breathing heavily from the confrontation.

"I called everyone here for basketball trials, not to watch you people fight." Vivek looked from one to the other, clearly furious.

The students fell completely silent.

"Trials are cancelled for today. Everyone leave the court." Vivek shook his head in disappointment.

A collective silence followed. The excitement that had filled the basketball court only minutes ago had completely disappeared.

Rishabh turned away from Shourya with an irritated expression, while Shourya stood on the other side of the court, still visibly angry.

What was supposed to be Shourya's first opportunity to prove himself on the basketball court had ended before the trials had even begun.

---------------

After the mess at the basketball court, Shourya eventually made his way back towards the classroom. His mood was already ruined.

The basketball trials had been cancelled, his temper had gotten the better of him, and now he had absolutely no idea what he was supposed to do with all the frustration still sitting heavily inside his chest.

When he entered the classroom, his eyes immediately went towards his usual seat. It was empty. Dhwani wasn't there.

For once, he didn't have to listen to her constant comments or deal with her irritating habit of reporting every little thing he did to the teachers.

He silently dropped beside his chair and sat down. A few moments later, he rested his head on the table, deciding that the best way to deal with everything was simply to sleep.

The classroom remained relatively quiet.

Dhwani walked inside after finishing whatever work had taken her out of the classroom. She entered without paying much attention to her benchmate at first but then she noticed Shourya sitting there with his head resting on the table.

She didn't say anything and simply walked towards her seat and sat down beside him.

However, the moment she settled into her chair, the slight sound caught Shourya's attention.

"Do minute shanti nhi rakh skti kya tum." He slowly turned his head towards her, his expression already irritated.

(Can't you stay quiet for even two minutes?)

Dhwani immediately rolled her eyes. Even after whatever had happened, this boy still had enough energy left to complain about her sitting down.

But just as she was about to reply, something caught her attention. She looked at his face properly.

There were small cuts on his forehead, and his knuckles looked scraped as well. His usually neat school uniform was completely untidy, his shirt slightly crumpled and his tie hanging loosely.

Dhwani's expression changed. She looked at him for a moment before asking,

"Did you had a fight?" she asked

"Usse tumhe kya?" Shourya scoffed.

(What does it matter to you?)

"Your forehead is bleeding you idiot." Dhwani frowned.

"Ha to mujhe chot lagi hai na tumhe kya panchayati hai." Shourya scoffed again, clearly irritated by her concern.

(Yeah, I got hurt, so what business is it of yours?)

Dhwani's eyebrows immediately pulled together. His attitude was enough to annoy her, but despite that, she didn't argue.

Instead, she opened her bag. Shourya watched her suspiciously.

"Ab kya kar rhi ho?" he asked.

Dhwani ignored him. She pulled out her handkerchief and a few bandages from her bag before turning towards him.

"Baitho chup chap." she commanded him sternly and before Shourya could protest, she gently cleaned the small wound on his forehead with her handkerchief.

"Ahh—what are you doing?" He immediately flinched.

"Chup." dhwani said and carefully cleaned the area before placing a bandage over it. Shourya stared at her, clearly irritated.

The moment she finished, he raised his hand and tried to pull the bandage off.

"Andi mandi sandi kar dungi...don't you dare remove it." Dhwani caught his wrist immediately.

(I'll swear on everything that matters to me... don't you dare remove it.)

Shourya stopped right there. He looked at her hand around his wrist, then at her face. After a second, he slowly lowered his hand.

"Don't pretend like you care." he said and this time here was something different in his voice.

"Of course why would a care for a chachundar like you....im the head girl and it's my responsibility to look after the students."Dhwani stared at him for a second before nodding. 

(Of course. Why would I care for a chachundar like you? I'm the Head Girl, and it's my responsibility to look after the students.)

For a brief fraction of a second, Shourya simply looked at her. Something about her answer made him pause. She had helped him despite all the arguments between them. Despite everything he'd said to her.

But almost immediately, as though he had caught himself thinking something he absolutely shouldn't have been thinking, he rolled his eyes and looked away.

⋆𐙚˚₊‧ ୨ৎ ‧₊˚𐙚⋆

And that's all for this chapter... ♡

I hope you enjoyed the chapter...

୨ৎ ────────────── ୨ৎ

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See you soon in another chapter...
Until then, keep dreaming. ✨

𐙚˚₊‧ ~ Prachi ‧₊˚