When physical school reopened,
Neha walked into the classroom like a stranger.
Same walls. Same benches. Same chalkboard.
But nothing felt familiar anymore.
Because the girl who used to argue in class. now barely raised her hand.
The girl who once hated nicknames. now barely responded to her own name.
She sat near the window backbench, third row.
Didn't talk unless someone asked her something directly.
Didn't smile unless it was polite.
People noticed.
Her old friends whispered.
"Neha changed so much, yaar."
"She doesn't even talk like before."
But no one ever asked why.
They only missed the noise she used to make, but didn't tried to know the reasons behind her silence.
Even when boys teased other girls, she didn't react.
Not because she didn't notice.
But because she knew if she did,
They'd turn her into the "angry girl" again.
And she was tired.
At home, things hadn't changed either.
Her brother still got all the attention.
Her mother still said "Ladkiyan zyada bolti huwi achi nahi lagti."
Her father barely noticed anything beyond school marks.
So Neha focused on just surviving.
She studied.
Kept her head down.
And every once in a while.
when the classroom got too noisy, she'd look out of the window and wonder
If he ever thinks about her the way she still thinks about him.
Flashback:
Back in 5th grade, Neha hated school.
Not because of studies.
But because of Ayesha.
Ayesha was loud. Popular.
And brutal with her words.
She teased Neha for her handwriting.
Mocked her when she stammered.
Even once said
"Tu toh teacher ki chamchi hai, jisse koi friend nahi banayega!"
And it hit hard.
So hard that Neha stopped coming to school.
Her father noticed.
"Kya hua Neha? Kuch problem hai?"
"Nahi papa." she lied, for two whole days.
Until one night, she broke down.
Tears.
Shaking voice.
Everything spilled.
Next morning, her father stormed into school.
Straight to the class teacher.
Straight to Ayesha.
"Aapke class mein meri beti ko bully kiya jaa raha hai. Ayesha naam ki ladki ne uska confidence tod diya."
Ayesha was SHOCKED.
Class teacher warned her. Strictly.
"Ayesha, one more complaint and I'll call your parents too."
After that day. Ayesha didn't say a word to Neha.
No teasing. No drama.
Just silence.
Fast forward: Lockdown
They were added to the same online
group for tuition.
Awkward at first.
But slowly. the wall started to fall.
One day during a video class, Ayesha messaged her:
"Hey.. you okay? You seem low."
"Sorry for everything in 5th. I was so mean."
Neha paused.
Didn't know what to say.
But she replied.
"Thanks. That means a lot."
From there calls, chats, healing.
Enemies to soul sisters.
New session.
New books.
Same school.
But Neha walked in like a different girl.
Headphones in.
Eyes straight.
Walls higher than ever.
Only one person walking beside her is Ayesha.
Their friendship? Unmatched.
Their energy? Untouchable.
Their bond? Unbreakable.
Gone was the shy, overthinking Neha who cried in silence.
Now she laughed at Ayesha's lame jokes and rolled eyes when boys tried too hard.
And for the first time in years.
She was calm.
Riyan?
He was a chapter she never wanted to reread.
But god knows their destiny.
The classroom door opened mid-period.
Everyone looked.
Even the teacher paused.
Neha didn't bother.
It was probably some new student or some fee issue.
"Ma'am, I was told to join back today," a voice said.
Familiar.
Too familiar.
Her heart paused.
But she didn't look up.
Not yet.
"Ohh Riyan beta, it's been so long!" the teacher said, surprised.
Her pen dropped.
No.
She looked up.
And there he was.
Back.
Taller.
Confident.
Smiling.
Unbothered.
He looked around the class casually. until his eyes landed on her.
He smiled
Not mockingly.
Not sweetly.
Just. knowingly.
Like he could still read her face.
But she gave him nothing.
Just turned back.
Expressionless.
Eyes cold.
Because the boy she once waited for.
was no longer the boy she cared about.
Riyan glanced once again.
Saw her smiling.
But not because of him.
Because of someone else.
He sat back, quiet.
"She moved on?"
"Was I that forgettable?"
It had been three days since Riyan came back.
He hadn't said a word to her.
Not directly, atleast.
But he watched.
He watched the way she tied her hair differently now.
The way she only spoke to teachers and only to ayesha.
But how they can be friends infact they used be enemies,
they used to hate eachother but know behaving like own sisters.
How her laugh once loud and wild was now missing.
"Kya ho gaya isko?" he thought.
"Yeh woh Neha toh bilkul nahi lagti."
He started small.
One day during class, he passed her an eraser she didn't ask for.
She looked at it, then at him, then back at her notebook and didn't even take it.
Next day, he dropped a random
"Miss Khan, long time no fight?"
with a smirk.
She blinked once. and looked away.
No smile.
No sarcasm.
Just air.
He kept trying. Indirectly. Casually.
"Madam Khan ab class ki topper ban gayi kya??"
"Kal tumhe school ke speech mein sunna tha. boring hi sahi but achha bola tumne."
"Chal be, attitude toh baap level ka aa gaya hai."
But nothing broke her walls.
Not yet.
What he didn't know was-
Neha had built those walls for herself.
Not to keep others out.
But to protect what was left inside.
The bell rang.
Lunch break.
Ayesha pulled Neha to their usual spot under the peepal tree near the basketball court.
It had become their place no boys, no noise, just vibes and gossip.
Neha opened her tiffin slowly, still a bit off after spotting him.
Ayesha noticed.
"Kya hua, Miss Khan? Your roti too round for your mood?"
"Shut up," Neha mumbled, smiling.
Ayesha leaned in, whispered dramatically
"Tu roti kha, main tujhe update deti hoon.
Mr. Late Entry is staring hard since 5 minutes."
Neha's head snapped up.
Ayesha nodded slightly toward the corner of the classroom building, where Riyan sat on the steps with his friends.
He wasn't talking.
He wasn't smiling.
He was just. watching.
Neha looked away immediately, heart thumping.
"Why is he even back."
"Karma brought him back to see your glow-up, babe," Ayesha winked.
Meanwhile:
Riyan's friend nudged him.
"Bro, you seeing your ex-enemy getting all glowed-up?"
"Shut up," Riyan muttered.
But his mind screamed:
That's Neha? The same Neha who hated nicknames, who slapped me with words in front of the class?
Why does she look so. different? So distant?
He didn't realize when he stopped eating.
Didn't realize when she laughed again.
And definitely didn't realize.
he was jealous.
As Neha peeled her boiled egg, her fingers paused.
A flash. A memory.
Same lunch break.
Same school building.
But 5th grade Neha sat alone behind the water tank.
Tiffin unopened.
Eyes watery.
She could hear Ayesha's group laughing.
"Neha eats like a cow!"
"Kitne girly clips lagati hai yaar, cartoon lagti hai."
"Uske papa toh teacher ke paas jaake complain karte rehte hain. chamchi!"
And Neha?
She wiped her tears and whispered to herself
"I'll never bring lunch again. Never."
That day, she went home and threw her pink tiffin box in the dustbin.
Now...
She broke into a half-smile.
Looked at Ayesha sitting beside her, stuffing fries into her mouth like a chimpanzee.
"You really were a witch back then," Neha said casually.
Ayesha looked up with wide eyes.
"Ohh no. Not the memory dump again."
"I'm serious. You made me cry during lunch for two weeks straight."
"Tu bhool jaa na yaar, dekh toh kitni bestie ban gayi hoon main ab!"
Neha chuckled, shaking her head.
"Yeah yeah. Bestie. Lucky to have you."
"That's right, Miss Khan," Ayesha said proudly.
"Now eat fast. Next period is Physics, and if you faint again, I'm not dragging you to the clinic."
Riyan, from the corner, saw her laugh.
Genuine. Happy.
Not the girl who once threw her bag across the bench in anger because of him.
Something inside him. cracked a little