Indhu's POV
Tringg!
The bell rang sharply, and I blinked.
The chatter of students rushed back into my ears. The walls were different now. The uniforms too. Everything had changed —
except the ache.
I turned and saw Charlotte sitting beside me, her eyes filled with curiosity.
"So… that's what happened?" she asked softly.
I gave her a small smile, but I didn't answer.
Snack break was ending, and students slowly moved back to their places. Charlotte and I walked together. She had so many questions, but my mind was still stuck in those old corridors, walking through memories that refused to fade.
Back at my desk, I sat beside Swetha. We opened our books quietly, studying side by side — like we had done so many times before.
Somewhere between sums and formulas, a soft moment slipped in.
"Remember when Leanor taught us fractions?" Swetha whispered.
I smiled.
"Yeah… she was always loud, even when she was right."
We laughed — gently, quietly — as if the memory itself was sitting beside us.
Lunch Break
The lunch bell echoed louder than usual.
Charlotte nearly jumped up.
"Okay, now you have to tell me what happened next!" she said excitedly.
I hesitated. The weight was still heavy in my chest.
"It's not that simple…" I muttered.
Charlotte moved closer, giving me that just-one-more look. I finally opened my mouth to speak—
"Hey, Swetha…"
Rohan's voice.
He had come in from the corridor and leaned toward our table. Swetha turned to him with a grin, and just like that, the moment slipped away.
After a short chat, the three of us — Charlotte, Swetha, and I — walked to the restroom together, laughing about something random. When we returned, we opened our lunch boxes.
I tried to speak again.
But Swetha suddenly glanced sideways, leaned in, and whispered,
"Stop. Leanor is listening."
My hand froze over my food.
I turned slightly and saw Leanor sitting at a distance, pretending to read — but listening just enough.
"Later," Swetha mouthed.
And just like that, the story folded back inside me.
For now.
But Silence Has a Voice Too
My lunchbox stayed open, but I barely ate. I usually love lunch break but it felt different.
Across the table, Swetha kept talking lightly with Charlotte and Rohan. Her tone was casual, but her eyes kept flicking toward Leanor.
I noticed.
I knew that look.
It wasn't fear.
It was caution — the kind that comes after getting burned.
Charlotte leaned closer and whispered,
"Why would you even care? I thought she wasn't close to you guys."
Swetha didn't answer.
I just shrugged slightly.
"Sometimes… people just like to know what they broke," I said quietly.
The table went silent. Even the noise around us felt far away.
Then Leanor's voice cut through — bright, fake, too loud.
"Indhu, are you telling stories about me again?"
Everyone froze.
I looked up slowly. Leanor wasn't smiling. She was staring — like she already knew.
"We're talking about our math test," I said softly.
"You want to join?"
She scoffed.
"I'll pass. I don't like repeating the past."
Swetha wispered to me
" she is behaving like she never talked about anyone indhu."
Leanor turned and walked away.
Charlotte looked shocked.
Swetha sighed.
And me?
I picked up my spoon again.
The taste of lunch was gone.