Today, I was actually excited. It had only been two weeks, but I already missed my whole class. Or maybe… I was just bored at home. Either way, finally I would meet everyone again.
Dad dropped me off at the university gate. The moment I stepped out of the car, Anisha spotted me and literally ran towards me, greeting Dad politely before he left. And then, suddenly, reality hit—this wasn't just excitement, it was nerves too.
As I walked inside, I saw them—Ayyan, Nayan, Prann, Shela, Vish, Kunal. Everyone was there. Vish smirked and asked, "Hard to cheat in drawing, huh? You'll draw for me, right?"
I gave him my are-you-serious-right-now face. Normally, I'd be irritated. But today, I wasn't—maybe because, for some reason, no one else came up to say hi. Ayesha's group noticed me, their eyes lingered for a second, but none of them said a word. I pretended I didn't care… but somewhere, deep inside, it still felt bad. Like I was back to being a stranger in my own class.
And just when that feeling started to sting, my rescue team arrived—my so-called "unknown group." Shela, Era, Anisha. They came screaming and laughing like always. Shela even shouted right into my ear, and I swear, I almost lost my hearing.
We weren't really a group, at least we didn't call ourselves one, but we were always together. And even though Shela kept trying to humiliate me in small ways, even though she got irritated at the littlest things I did—somehow, my bond with her still felt sweet. Like a sister who never admits she cares, but you know she does.
The exam started, and the drawing hall smelled of sharpened pencils and watercolor cakes. My group and I were seated together—by fate, even Ayyan and Ayesha were in the same room. Everyone was busy shading, mixing colors, trying to make something decent. And then there was Ayyan. God. His drawing was ridiculous—two crooked lines and something that looked like a sad tree. Yet he laughed and told his friends, "I only came for fun." They all hyped him like he was Picasso.
Since I was stuck at the last bench, I could barely see the object we had to draw. I requested the invigilator to change my seat, and guess where she sent me? Beside Ayyan.
"Feel free to sit, complete your drawing," he said, sliding over casually. "If you need anything, ask me."
The irony—he was terrible at drawing. But my heart… my heart betrayed me with this stupid little blush. He wasn't even doing anything, and still I felt lighter sitting there. Like maybe, just maybe, I belonged.
Later, during the break, something happened. I was climbing down the long staircase when I suddenly froze—unsure if my group was already downstairs or still in class. That hesitation made the boys behind me stop too.
I turned—and there they were. Ayyan, Kunal, Nayan, the whole gang. For a second, our eyes met. Ayyan asked softly, "Aren't you walking?"
"Sorry," I mumbled, quickly moving. Vish laughed behind me, "Is your brain working?"
I glared. Typical Vish. But secretly, I smiled inside at Ayyan's calm voice. And then immediately scolded myself: Stop it, Siya. He's just nice to everyone.
The next day, during lunch break, the universe played another trick. We were bored and playing "stone, paper, scissors" to decide who'd get water. I lost. Which was rare. So I dragged myself upstairs, bottle in hand, tired and sulking.
That's when I saw them—Kunal and Ayyan. Kunal was hiding in another classroom while Ayyan seemed to be waiting for someone.
Before I could even ask, Kunal noticed me. He quickly pulled me inside and clamped his hand over my mouth.
"Shhh, Siya. Don't shout."
I pushed his hand away. "I wasn't going to scream! What are you hiding?"
His eyes darted nervously. "Forget what you saw. Just… don't ask."
"Yeah, no. Explain. Or I'll go right now."
He sighed, looking at me like I was impossible. Then finally said, "Fine. Ayyan likes someone. He's waiting for her to come take his number."
I froze. Something inside me hurt. Not because I liked him, right? No. But because… I don't know why. It just stung.
"You're serious?" I whispered.
Kunal smiled softly. "Yeah. And honestly, I'm glad. He deserves better. Ayesha never deserved him."
My face must have given me away, because he tilted his head and asked, "Why do you look so shocked? Are you—"
"I'm fine," I cut him off. "I'm happy for him. Sad for Ayesha, maybe."
He chuckled, leaning closer than necessary, his eyes brushing against mine. "You really do observe everything, Siya. Eagle eyes."
For a split second, the air changed. It felt… soft. Almost romantic. My heart skipped, but my brain screamed: No. Not Kunal. Not anyone.
I broke the moment, pulling back. "Whatever. I'm leaving."
He didn't stop me. But when I peeked outside, I saw Ayyan with that girl—Tanu. Smiling, blushing, exchanging numbers. And my chest… it ached.
The rest of the exam days flew by. With my group, I felt lighter, laughing with Anisha, irritating Shela, pretending like nothing hurt. But inside… something did.
And then came the results. Teachers announced that marks would be given at home. My brother picked me up and teased, "You scored low. Everyone's dissatisfied."
I blinked. "Seriously?!"
He smirked. "You'll know at home. Maybe you already knew, that's why you didn't even ask."
And he was right. I hadn't asked. Because instead of thinking about my own result, my mind was still stuck replaying Ayyan with Tanu. And Ayesha. And all of it.
That night, I spilled everything to Anisha. Every detail—Kunal pulling me aside, Ayyan and Tanu, my stupid reactions. She listened with wide eyes before bursting out, "Whattt? No way!"
Then she laughed. "But honestly, Siya, why do we even care?"
I laughed too, the weight lifting off my chest. "Yeah. Why do we?"
We laughed together, loud and free. And for a moment, it felt like maybe none of it mattered at all.
But just as I was about to close my tablet, a new message popped up.
It was from an unknown number.
> "Siya… did you really see him like that? Or was it just me imagining things?"
I froze. My heart skipped. The message… it wasn't from Anisha.
And in that instant, I realized—someone had been watching everything.
My phone slipped from my hand. My mind raced. And just like that, the calm laughter of earlier vanished… leaving a single, chilling thought echoing in my head:
This exam wasn't the only thing that would test me.