"That's not how you do it, you dumbass," Izhaan snapped, tapping his pen harshly on the notebook. "First, you have to cross multiply—and then do it. This isn't substitution or elimination."
His voice echoed in the cozy living room, which had slowly transformed into their unofficial war room for all academic battles.
It was a bright Saturday afternoon—the 4th Saturday of the month, meaning no school, but no rest either. The four of them had gathered once again at Izhaan's place for another round of group study, this time with Maths on the hit list.
Izhaan leaned back against the couch, one leg folded under him. He was wearing a classic green and white vertical-striped T-shirt, paired with comfy brown joggers. Beside him sat Darakhsha, donned in a pink suit with matching palazzo and dupatta. Her brows were furrowed in concentration as she fixed her pen grip and tackled the equations again.
In front of them, perched on the chairs pulled up to the table, Akshat and Kashish were a portrait of contrast. Akshat wore a black T-shirt with blue pants and kept tossing his pen up and down like it was a game. Kashish, dressed in a red T-shirt and light blue jeans, had her cheek resting in one palm, clearly drained from the intense math marathon.
"I swear, Izhaan," Kashish mumbled, "you yell like my dad when I can't find 'x'."
"Well maybe 'x' is hiding from you, like all your motivation," he replied without looking up, casually writing steps to the next problem.
Darakhsha snorted.
Akshat leaned forward, muttering, "Bruh, can't believe I showed up here thinking this was a chill study session. Feels like a bootcamp."
Izhaan glanced at him with narrowed eyes. "A bootcamp where your brain hasn't even checked in yet."
That got a small laugh out of Darakhsha, which, for some reason, made Izhaan pause for a brief second before returning to scribble on the notebook. It wasn't like he was aiming for her to laugh—but it happened—and that tiny reaction somehow felt like... winning a level in a game.
Izhaan was scribbling in his notebook, solving a problem from Congruent Triangles.
On his page, two triangles were drawn — one larger than the other, both marked with classic notations:
Triangle ABC and triangle DEF, showing AB = DE, BC = EF, and ∠B = ∠E, followed by the boxed statement:
> △ABC ≅ △DEF (by SAS)
As he adjusted his pen grip to begin writing the proof, his eyes slightly drifted toward Darakhsha's notebook, casually peeking.
She was working on a Factorisation problem, mid-way through the last exercise. Her brows were furrowed as she stared at the paper.
Izhaan tilted his head and said without hesitation,
"You've done it wrong here."
He tapped his pen lightly on a middle step where her signs had flipped incorrectly.
Darakhsha blinked and followed his finger.
"Oh... So here is where I had done the mistake—"
She pointed her pen to the last two lines.
"—And I was looking here for the error all this time..."
She let out a soft huff of embarrassment.
Izhaan chuckled, a light and teasing "Pfft..." escaped his lips.
Darakhsha turned her face to him, narrowing her eyes.
"Hey, why are you laughing?"
she asked with playful suspicion.
He looked away coolly and replied with the most casual tone,
"Nothing, nothing... You do your sums..."
But his faint smirk betrayed his amusement.
A little while later, Kashish raised her hand lazily from across the table, waving her notebook.
"I'm not getting this… What's the value of x here in this exponent question?"
She turned the notebook toward the others. Darakhsha leaned in, read through the expression carefully, and began explaining.
"See, Kashish, this is where you simplify first—then equate the powers…"
She went on solving it, her hand flowing confidently across the page.
Izhaan was watching her work from the side, silent. His eyes narrowed as he noticed a tiny slip she made during one of the simplification steps.
He didn't interrupt. He waited.
Darakhsha finally placed her pen down with flair and said,
"So the answer is… 6."
Confident. Solid.
Izhaan leaned slightly toward her, a sly grin stretching across his face.
"Are you sure it's 6?" he asked with a teasing tone.
Darakhsha frowned, eyes narrowing.
"Yes, it's 6. You got a problem with that?"
"No, no," Izhaan replied, lifting his palms playfully.
"I'd just like you to check the book answer once, Miss Confident..."
She rolled her eyes and flipped to the back page to prove her point, muttering,
"I'm telling you, it's 6—"
And then her voice cut off.
"Whattt... Howw??"
She blinked in shock at the printed answer.
Answer: 2.
Izhaan burst out laughing so hard that he lost balance slightly, tilting left until the side of his head softly bumped against her shoulder. Realizing it, he pulled back instantly—but he didn't stop laughing.
"You're hopeless," he said mid-laugh, wiping the corner of his eye.
"Here—let me show you."
He picked up his notebook and calmly explained step-by-step how the simplification should've gone. Kashish followed with her mouth half open, and Darakhsha sat beside him with her arms folded, staring at her own mistake.
She sighed.
"If I can't even solve a simple sum like this… how am I going to manage during the actual exam?"
Izhaan paused, looked at her seriously for a second, and then said in a softer voice,
"Hey… You're allowed to mess up during practice. That's what practice is for. It's not about being perfect now—it's about becoming better before it matters. You're already ahead of so many. You just slipped once, doesn't mean you'll fall. So stop sulking, soldier."
Darakhsha blinked at him.
For a second, she forgot to blink again.
Kashish and Akshat clapped from across the table.
"Finally, a proper motivational speech!" Akshat said.
"No roasting! Mark the calendar!" Kashish laughed.
Darakhsha, still a bit red from embarrassment and now from those words, slowly smiled.
And Izhaan? He just stretched his arms and said with a smirk,
"Back to solving now, warriors."
After the mini motivation wave settled, Akshat suddenly sat upright, a spark of inspiration lighting up his eyes.
"Hey…" he said, grinning wide.
"Let's order a pizza after the group study. I'm starving. You all in?"
Kashish instantly raised her hand, "I'm always in for pizza!"
Darakhsha nodded with a slight smile, "Sure, but let's finish the study session first."
Izhaan leaned forward with a smirk.
"And you're paying for it, right, bro?"
Akshat's smile died on his face.
"Paying? Me?"
He reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet, and dramatically opened it to reveal a lonely, torn ten-rupee note barely holding itself together.
"See this?" he said, waving the note like it was a white flag.
"Wanna order pizza with this royal currency?"
Everyone burst out laughing, Darakhsha even bent over the table holding her stomach, and Kashish slapped the back of her chair wheezing.
Izhaan shook his head, chuckling.
"Okay, okay, I'll pay. But only if we finish this maths exercise first. No pizza for people who leave algebra midway."
Akshat gave him a mock salute.
"Yes, sir! Algebra soldiers reporting for duty."
And with renewed energy (and pizza on their minds), the group got back to solving problems—because nothing fuels academic brilliance like the promise of melted cheese and extra toppings.
After the study session wrapped up and all four of them slumped back in the living room, Izhaan pulled out his phone and opened the pizza delivery app.
"Okay, let's get some fuel for the brain," he said, scrolling through the menu lazily.
Darakhsha, who was sitting beside him, leaned in a little to peek at his screen. Her dupatta gently slid down her shoulder as she tilted her head, her eyes squinting slightly at the small font.
Meanwhile, Akshat and Kashish were already lost in their own world, leaning on their chairs, laughing quietly over random Instagram reels they were watching on their phones.
Izhaan tapped on one of the options.
"Hmm… Medium pineapple cheese pizza," he murmured.
"No, not the one with pineapple toppings," Darakhsha said quickly, her face turning slightly grim.
"Huh? Why? Pineapple's not that bad."
"It is. I don't like pineapple at all, especially not on a pizza." Her tone was firm, with a slight frown on her forehead.
Izhaan sighed in mock defeat and scrolled again.
"Fine, fine, maharani ji. No pineapple. Your wish is my command."
He added two medium-sized extra cheese paneer pizzas to the cart instead and clicked on 'Order Now.'
"That better?" he asked, turning his face toward her with a teasing smirk.
"Much better," she replied, sitting back with a satisfied smile.
Just as everyone was settling back into their seats, the doorbell rang.
"Is it my new toy? Is it my new toy?" Noor's tiny feet padded quickly across the floor as she darted toward the main door, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"No baby, it's not your toy," Izhaan chuckled as he caught up with her and scooped her into his arms. "It's our pizza."
Noor's face lit up immediately.
"I'll also eat pizza!" she declared proudly.
Izhaan sighed with a smile.
"Fine, I'll give you one slice from mine, okay?"
He opened the door, collected the two warm pizza boxes from the delivery guy, handed over the cash, and closed the door with one hand while holding Noor in the other. On his way to the living room, he peeked into the kitchen where his mom was drying her hands with a towel.
"Maa, do you want some pizza?"
She smiled and shook her head. "No, I just had lunch. You kids go enjoy."
"Okay," Izhaan nodded and turned back.
He returned to the living room with Noor still in his arms and the warm boxes balanced on one side. Darakhsha, who had been sitting calmly just a second ago, instantly lit up the moment she saw Noor.
"Nooorrr!" she squealed in delight and jumped a little on her seat, reaching out to take the little girl from Izhaan.
Noor willingly went into her arms, nestling comfortably on her lap. Izhaan looked at the scene with a slightly surprised expression, then shook his head with a soft grin and placed the pizza boxes on the table.
He opened the boxes, releasing a wave of hot, cheesy aroma into the air.
Akshat and Kashish attacked one box immediately, grabbing two slices each.
Izhaan and Darakhsha shared the other, equally splitting it.
Noor pointed her little finger at the cheesy slice and said sweetly,
"Bhaiya, I want to eat that one!"
"Alright, alright," Izhaan chuckled, picking up a slice and gently holding it near her mouth.
She took a small bite with delight while still sitting comfortably on Darakhsha's lap, chewing with her cheeks puffed.
Izhaan took a bite from the same slice, still holding it, and casually leaned back, pulling out his phone and scrolling through it.
The room was filled with warmth, quiet giggles, and the comforting scent of shared food—something that made it feel a lot more than just a group study hangout.
Izhaan leaned in and once again offered the slice of pizza to Noor. She took another small bite with her tiny mouth, cheeks bulging like a squirrel, while still sitting happily in Darakhsha's lap.
But then—just as he held the slice near Noor's mouth again—his eyes wandered.
Darakhsha, seated right beside him, was eating her slice with a calm and graceful poise. She held the edge delicately, took small bites, and chewed silently—almost royally. There was a strange, quiet elegance in how she ate it. Her posture, her patience, even the way she brushed a strand of hair away from her face as she reached for a tissue—he couldn't stop watching.
"She's eating like... it's a royal feast or something," Izhaan thought, mesmerized. "Who the hell eats pizza like that and still manages to look that—"
"BHAIYAA!! TAKE THIS OFF FROM MY FACE!!" Noor's shrill voice brought him crashing back to reality.
Startled, he looked down and realized, in his daze, he had accidentally pasted the slice right onto Noor's face. A thick glob of cheese now hung from her cheek, and her nose was smeared with sauce. Her eyes were wide, her little hands flailing like a furious kitten.
Darakhsha burst into a light chuckle, trying to hold back her laugh as she saw Noor's tomato-cheesy face, wiping her own lips with a tissue while giggling.
Izhaan's ears went slightly red in embarrassment.
"Oh crap—sorry, sorry!" he said, quickly grabbing a napkin and gently wiping Noor's face, trying not to laugh at himself.
Once he cleaned her up, he took the messy slice and without hesitation, took a bite himself.
"There. Problem solved," he mumbled, chewing quickly, his eyes flicking away from Darakhsha—hoping she wasn't still smiling.
She was.
And he couldn't help but smile too.
Just as everyone was finishing their second slice, Izhaan's face lit up as he scrolled through his phone.
"Wait, wait... I've got something to show you all," he said with a mischievous grin.
"Now what?" Akshat narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
Izhaan turned his phone screen toward them and hit play. On the screen, Akshat was seen walking casually on a footpath when suddenly, a group of girls came walking from the opposite side. Akshat—cool as ever—looked around and leaned suavely on a nearby shop door, arms folded, trying to act like the hero from a movie.
And then… the door opened from inside.
Akshat fell backward with a yelp and vanished inside the shop.
The entire room erupted in laughter.
Darakhsha nearly dropped her slice as she doubled over, her mouth full of pizza, tears already welling in her eyes.
"BROOOOOO!!" Akshat shouted, lunging forward. "WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GET THAT VIDEO FROM!?"
Izhaan leaned back, still laughing. "I recorded it that day—remember when we were going to watch RRR? You were showing off like Shah Rukh Khan. But boom—door opened, and you vanished like Harry Potter through Platform 9¾."
Even Kashish was wheezing with laughter now, hitting the table lightly.
But Darakhsha…
Darakhsha was choking on her pizza, coughing with laughter and trying to swallow at the same time.
"Hey—Darakshaaa!" Izhaan exclaimed, jumping up, rushing to grab a glass of water. He came back quickly and handed it to her.
She drank it down in gulps, eyes watery, face red, still laughing even between coughs.
"You... you know I laugh way too easily and still you—You dummy!" she said in a half-giggling, half-scolding tone, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.
Izhaan rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling, "My bad, my bad…"
But his smile didn't fade as he sat down beside her again.
For a moment, they both caught each other's eyes—and just grinned.
After finishing their pizza and sharing a few more laughs, the sun had started to dip into the evening sky. The group slowly stood up, stretching and gathering their things.
"We should go now," Kashish said, tying her hair into a bun.
"Yeah, it's getting late," Akshat added.
Izhaan, with little Noor in his arms, walked everyone down to the society gate. The streets outside were now calmer, golden sunlight casting a warm hue across the pavement.
As they stood at the gate saying their goodbyes, Darakhsha stepped closer to Izhaan.
He stiffened.
His heart skipped for a reason he couldn't quite understand—maybe it was the soft breeze carrying her scent, or maybe it was the quiet moment carved between the laughter and farewells.
Without saying anything to him directly, Darakhsha leaned in toward Noor—who was in Izhaan's arms—and placed a soft kiss on her cheek.
"See you soon, Noor…" she said with a sweet smile.
Noor giggled, wiggling her feet.
But Izhaan?
He froze.
Not because of the kiss.
But because, for one second, her face had come so close to his… and he hadn't expected it. His breath caught in his throat, and his feet felt like they were rooted to the ground.
He watched her walk away, her dupatta flowing gently behind her, her figure getting smaller as she joined Kashish and Akshat at the gate and disappeared down the road.
Silence.
Then—
"BHAIYAA!" Noor shouted in his arms.
"Bhaiyaa! EARTH TO BHAIYAAA!"
Izhaan blinked rapidly, snapping out of his daze.
"Huh? Wha—?" He shook his head and looked down at her.
Noor raised her eyebrow with playful suspicion.
"You okay? You just stopped like a statue!"
Izhaan chuckled nervously and started walking back toward the apartment building.
But deep inside, even he didn't know why his ears were still warm.
That night, the house was quiet.
Izhaan lay on his bed, one arm folded under his head, the other lazily raised in the air as he stared blankly at the ceiling fan spinning above. His thoughts wandered—from pizza slices and math formulas to a certain smile that stayed in his memory longer than it should have.
He exhaled softly and let his hand drop down to the bed.
"What a day..." he mumbled.
His eyes closed soon after, not with exhaustion—but with a strange, content calmness he hadn't felt in a while.
Meanwhile, across the town, in a room scattered with books, pens, and a small bottle of perfume on the shelf, Darakhsha sat cross-legged on her bed. Her diary lay open on her lap, the pages already half-filled with scribbles and thoughts no one else would ever read.
She was writing with a faint, amused smile on her face—her tongue lightly peeking out from the corner of her lips, a childish habit that came when she was lost in her thoughts.
Her pen paused after writing a particular sentence.
"I didn't know he could motivate like a real influencer..."
She giggled silently.
Then shut the diary.