Vansh and Aanya emerged from the convenience store. Aanya was finishing her snack, while Vansh's eyes were drifting toward her hair, watching her with keen side glances.
After taking a bite, Aanya caught him looking. He quickly shifted his gaze to his milkshake. She smiled, knowing something was about to unfold.
"Weren't you just staring at me?" she teased, her smile playful.
"No, I wasn't. Why would I stare at you?" he said, looking away.
"So, isn't my nose pin cute today?" she asked, playfully touching her nose.
"Nose pin? But you didn't wear any," he remarked as he turned to face her.
As he turned, she pointed at him.
"Caught you! If you weren't staring, how did you know that?" she said, rolling her finger in mock accusation. Vansh tried to deny it again, coming up with some excuse.
"Nuh-uh! No excuses, Vansh. You've been caught. It's not good to stare at any girl; you could get into trouble," she warned, her pointed finger getting closer.
"So tell me, why were you staring?" she asked, leaning forward.
"Your hair. It's changed," he replied, sitting down with a poker face. "It looked different the other day." He looked at her, and she was smiling, making a sound of "HMM."
Vansh asked her to stop it, and she touched her hair, curling one side.
"I thought of doing something different, maybe a new look. I know it looks weird," she said, lacking confidence in her hairstyle. Her smile faded, but she was determined to continue.
"No! That's not true. Maybe it's different, but it's not weird. It looks good on you," Vansh tried to reassure her.
"So my previous hairstyle wasn't good? Was it ugly?" she added playfully.
Vansh glanced away, his voice clear but steady.
"It's just that short hair makes you look different. You look cute with it," he said, feeling his ears turn red. He wasn't entirely sure about what he was saying.
Aanya's lips twitched as she heard this, her cheeks turning bright red. She looked at him, slowly grabbed his hands, and pulled them to her side. Vansh was uncertain about what to do next; he glanced at his watch and saw the time, narrowing his eyes.
He reversed his hands and grabbed Aanya's hand instead. She was confused by the sudden gesture as he pulled her, saying,
"No! We're late!" They both rushed to the bicycles. "We can make it, right?" He looked at her; she looked back and nodded in agreement.
They both sat down, and Vansh asked her for her college address. He was relieved to find out it was on the same road.
He took his position, ready to pedal, while she stood up for a better view. Vansh asked her to hand over her bag, and she gave it to him, confused. He slung it over his chest and began to pedal with all his strength.
As they navigated the lanes, a car suddenly appeared in front of them. Vansh's heart raced as a memory fogged his mind—a rainy road with a truck oddly parked and screeching tyre marks left behind.
Vansh held his breath, his palms sweaty as he gripped the handlebars. He swiftly dodged the car by taking a turn, returning to safety. The driver was furious about the near miss. Aanya had held on tightly, though Vansh was unaware of it.
She was watching him, and for a brief moment, he laughed out of pure excitement. The morning sunlight shone brightly, illuminating both of their faces.
Back in the present, Vansh choked on his water, surprised by Aanya's sudden appearance. He was puzzled, unsure whether to feel happy or sad. He gulped for a second and thought, "Why is she here?"
Aanya rolled her eyes, her gaze sharp and focused. She scanned the crowd as if searching for something precious, and then she found it—HIM. Vansh was already caught in his mental chaos when her eyes met his.
She curled one side of her lips into a smirk and raised her hand slowly, pointing at her nose. The gesture was a sign that only he could understand.
Ms Anki shifted her attention to them. Aanya lowered her hand, and the girl beside her remained silent and poised, maintaining her air of neatness. She wore the same dress code as Aanya.
"Okay, girls. Why don't you introduce yourselves?" Ms Anki encouraged.
The first girl made quite an impression. She was strikingly beautiful, with her dusky skin and clean, middle-parted hair, some strands falling naturally beside her face. Her monolid eyes held a sharp gaze that radiated an intimidating aura.
"Hello, everyone! I'm Inaya. I recently moved to this city, and I hope we all get along well together. Let's have a great academic year, my classmates!" She was cheerful and animated.
As she waved at everyone, some boys were visibly flustered by her gesture and applauded her vibrant energy.
Then it was Aanya's turn. She took a small breath, and her gentle smile had already captured the students' attention.
"Hello, I'm Aanya. I also moved to this city, and I hope we will have a great year together."
"Plain but sweet," Ms Anki thought to herself. "Great job to both of you; we're happy to have you here." How slick of her.
Everyone applauded for Aanya as well. Ms Anki then instructed them to take their seats.
Inaya was ahead of Aanya, and two empty seats were waiting for them.
Vansh saw Aanya coming and looked away, trying to hide himself as if he didn't care about anything. Aanya noticed his nonchalance, fully aware that he would try to act unfazed.
As Inaya passed by Rina's seat, Aanya accidentally dropped her bag, which landed on Inaya's leg. Inaya turned back, bent down to pick up the bag, and gently handed it to Aanya. Aanya smiled at her.
"Thank you," she said, then added playfully, "Would you mind if I take that seat?" She pointed to the seat beside Vansh. Inaya looked at the seat, seeing Vansh still looking away.
"Yeah, sure, if you want it," she replied, glancing at Aanya. "I hope we, as new students, get along." Aanya nodded.
The entire class witnessed Inaya's act of kindness, and some began to express their desire to get to know her better.
With a soft smile, Aanya approached her seat, pulled the chair back, placed her bag on the side, and sat down. She tucked her hair behind her ears before slowly turning to Vansh, who had no idea of the chaos that had just settled beside him.
Two classmates were watching her, their gazes trying to decipher the emotions behind her expression.
Rina whispered from the back, "So, you finally made it back to stage one."
Srujan, sitting diagonally, commented, "Looks like you got your old seat back, didn't you?"
Ms Anki clapped her hands twice, and everyone understood her signal to take out their books. Vansh turned to his bag and pulled out his books. He sensed a slow gaze upon him. Knowing it was coming, he turned slowly in his seat.
She was resting her palm under her chin, watching him with keen eyes that seemed to say, "So you finally saw me."
Vansh looked away, his poker face betraying none of his emotions.
Ms Anki addressed the new students, "Why don't you all share the books beside your seats?"
Vansh thought she was suggesting that he share the book with the student on his right, and he felt relieved. However, Ms Anki called out, "Vansh, share the book with Aanya, and Rina help out Inaya."
Vansh was stunned and disbelieving as he looked at Ms Anki. She clenched her fist and asked, "Got a problem?" He shook his head in denial.
Aanya smirked, knowing he was in a tight spot. She lifted her chair to sit on the other side of him, while Inaya moved both the desk and chair beside her seat.
Vansh watched the scene unfold before him, and Aanya did too.
He predicted Aanya's next move. He tried to shoo her away, but as she got closer, she slapped his hands away.
She did the same as she sat closer to Vansh. He felt her presence, and despite their proximity, he was shy about it.
She was looking directly at him, and they were locked in a stare. Aanya rolled her pen to the book.
"Hello, nice to meet you, new guy," she teased him.
"Can you move a little away? Why not…have… some distance," he asked her, as her hair drew his attention again.
"If I did, I wouldn't be able to see the book properly," she replied, playfully narrowing the distance between them.
The light slowly illuminated their faces, her hair falling gently over her eyes.
"I shouldn't hear any voices during lessons," Ms Anki warned, her gaze particularly focused on Vansh, who had subtly spoken.
Vansh took the rolled pen and handed it back to her. As she took it, she pulled her hair back behind her ear, smiling, while the spotlight elegantly highlighted the moment.
Vansh dropped the pen again, his focus shifting to the book. With keen eyes, he looked at her.
"It's not good to stare at girls like that," she playfully mocked him.
Vansh opened his mouth to respond, but he remembered the teacher's warning. Instead, he tore a piece of paper, wrote on it, and flicked it to her side. Aanya unfolded the note.
"Better stay silent and listen to class," he warned her on the paper. She glanced at him, seriously taking notes from the board, and gestured with her hand, connecting her thumb to her index finger to signal, "Okay." He nodded, maintaining his poker face, while she chuckled to herself.
" This time you did it, well, I am happy." Aanya smiled with her thought.
The class before lunch was cancelled, and students buzzed with sudden excitement.
Once Ms Anki finished marking the attendance and left the room, Vansh stood up to put his books away. As he pulled his chair back, he found it was blocked. Glancing to his right, he saw Aanya blocking his way. He stared at her and asked,
"Now what?"
"Where do you think you're going?" she smiled, trying to provoke him.
"That's none of your concern," he shot back.
"Oh, I thought it might be," she replied.
"Huh, not at all. Don't try to be so nosy," he sighed. "You know, if you keep this up, it might end badly."
"Bad? Exactly how will it get bad?" Her curious expression indicated she was eager for his response.
But Vansh didn't answer. He raised his palm and looked at her thoughtfully, then started a backward countdown. Aanya, confused, asked, "What are you doing exactly?"
As soon as he hit zero, he closed his fist. The classroom erupted into a buzz of chatter as fans of a meetup gathered around Aanya, asking her about her hairstyle, makeup secrets, and other topics.
Surprised by the sudden attention, she said, "You thought it would stop? You can't just leave!" She turned back to see that Vansh had vanished like a ghost.
"How did he do that?" she thought to herself, while her classmates continued to interrogate her about her looks.
Some of the boys were near Aanya, while others gathered around Inaya. The entire class was curious about the two new students. However, the football gang, led by Srujan, was discussing their club activities, indicating that not everyone was focused on the girls.
Srujan witnessed Vansh's quick escape in front of Aanya. "Looks like I'm not the only victim of that," he murmured.
Minutes later, Vansh was downstairs, grabbing a drink from the vending machine. "Why is she clinging like that?" he wondered, taking a sip and savouring the refreshment.
"Could she be someone from my past? Ugh!" Vansh touched the small scar on his forehead, rubbing it gently. "I wonder how this will turn out…"
Vansh's mind went blank, and he decided, "Better get back to work." He stood up, tossing the empty can into the trash. In front of him was Karan, holding two stacked boxes. Karan met Vansh's gaze, and they locked eyes.
Vansh tried to leave, feeling out of place. Before he could break the stare, Karan nodded, gesturing for him to come over. Vansh was confused about whether Karan was signalling him. He looked around and pointed to himself. Karan nodded again.
Reluctantly, he walked toward Karan, and the two stood in silence for a moment.
Some minutes passed, and the chatter faded into thin air. Aanya smiled softly, maintaining her composure, but her eyes felt empty. Her smile wasn't genuine; it was just a mask to please those around her.
Could it be considered cruelty or sympathy?
"How long will this take?" she thought to herself as she glanced at Vansh's empty seat. "I think..." Her mind filled with possibilities of his existence.
She stood up and murmured, "I am tired." To her classmates, she added, "Sorry, guys, but I need to do some work," as she tried to escape from the endless conversations.
One girl grabbed her hand and asked, "Why? Can't we just talk and hang out for a while?"
Aanya felt irritated by the girl's words. "Sorry, but I'm out," she replied, pulling her hand away and leaving them to their hollow confusion.
Inaya, sitting in the front, turned back at the girls and said, "Holding her hand like that, maybe wasn't a good idea." She saw all the girls, " Wanna hang out here?"
The other girls glanced at each other, their faces lit up.
"But her glare was cute," one guy said slowly, and a few others nodded in agreement.
Geez, these boys!
Rina stood up from her seat and began to walk away. Her friend, curious, asked, "What are you going to do now?"
"Refresh some old memories," Rina replied, her eyes narrowing slightly.
As she moved, Rina seized Srujan by the collar in the middle of the group. "You're coming with me," she said, not giving Srujan a chance to react. The football gang was left bewildered.
"What just happened?" one of them asked another, as mixed thoughts swirled around. "Did she just kidnap him like a dog?"
The corridor, usually filled with gossip, fell silent. The stairs seemed to beckon for drama.
The roof door opened slowly. She stood there, hands clasped behind her, her hair swaying in the breeze. Her skirt swirled around her, and her maroon tie danced lightly.
"I was expecting him to be here," she said, turning her back and swirling her hair behind her ear. "But at least I got to meet some of my old friends," she added, watching two people in front of her.
"Well, these old friends are also intrigued to have a talk," Rina interjected, arms crossed.
"Yeah! Very much intrigued," Srujan joined in, crossing his arms and tilting his head at Rina.
The scene unfolded like a movie as two detectives caught a criminal.
Ms Anki, sipping her coffee, was checking through some papers. "The old folks are really back; I wonder if they even left," she said, setting her cup down slowly.
The foam floated on her coffee, and the vapours swayed in the air. Memories danced with it, agonising over a significant past impact.
The roof door opened again, and a breeze swept in, ruffling his hair and exposing his scar. But his eyes? They were witnessing something riveting.
"You're here again," he said as he closed the door behind him.
"Just enjoying the moment. Want to join?" she invited him over beside her.
"What exactly do you want from me?" he sighed, rubbing the back of his head.
"I never asked anything from you, did I?" she provoked, touching her lips lightly.
"Do that with someone else, and they'll probably misunderstand you," he warned, looking deep into her eyes.
"Oh! Is that so?" She turned to her right. "Then tell me, didn't you have the same idea?"
"It's just absurd to care about such things," he replied.
"Absurd? How's that? Why-do you hate the idea of friendship?" she asked, genuinely curious.
"It's nothing but absurdity to me. I couldn't care less about it." He shrugged his shoulders. "It would be a setback for those who can't face reality with their own people, hiding behind dishonesty."
"Are you talking about fake people?" she pointed at him, snapping her fingers.
"Not bad," he smirked. "People have their own ideas about bonding or ruining others. Blame society for not keeping up with those ideas."
"So you hate our friendship?" she pointed at herself this time.
Vansh was lost in thought, words swirling in his mind. "I didn't say such things. Fake people can be so nice that sometimes I can't even tell who I'm looking at."
He looked at her eyes; they were red. He approached her, pulling out his handkerchief, and gently rubbed under her eyes. Aanya was surprised by his gesture.
"Were you crying?" he asked, carefully touching the other bag under her eye. "I didn't say I hated our friendship, at least not so soon."
Aanya's eyes filled with tears, glistening as she fought to hold them back.
She grasped his wrist tightly. "Tell me, Vansh! Do you... still hate me?"