Indhu's POV
The class slowly emptied.
Rohan, looking relaxed, headed toward Aditya. They found a quiet corner and slipped into casual conversation, laughing softly about something only they understood.
But elsewhere, something heavier was unfolding.
Leanor walked into the next class carrying a subtle smirk, her confidence filling the room. Two girls sat chatting — both of whom had shared long histories with me.
Leanor leaned in as if she was just catching up, but her words carried a sting.
"Indhu said this… you know how she always acts like—"
She didn't finish. She let their imagination fill in the rest.
But one of the girls — a quiet, close friend of mine — didn't join in the gossip. She sat still. She listened. And she knew something wasn't right.
That evening, at dance class, I entered tying my dupatta and adjusting my hair. I didn't know the storm had already started elsewhere.
My friend walked up to me with uncertainty in her eyes.
"Hey… Indhu… did you really say those things Leanor was talking about?"
I blinked, caught off guard.
But only for a second.
I shook my head firmly.
"No. I didn't say a word like that."
There was a pause — and then the truth came out.
"It was Leanor. She's the one who told them."
After dance class, I walked home. My bag was heavy, but my heart felt heavier. The air in my house felt stiff — unpleasant. I didn't speak. I didn't explain.
I just wanted to be alone.
In the quiet of my room, after months of carrying the weight of school, friendships, and wounds unspoken, I finally broke down. My eyes were on the verge of betraying me with tears.
It wasn't just that I never felt lucky and always felt alone.
I didn't want to be a burden to anyone.
But even when people came and left without any reason, it felt like they believed I wasn't worth it… or that I was wrong.
Tears that hadn't been shed for a year fell silently, as I let the pain slip from my chest.
The next day, school felt strangely normal.
Swetha came up and asked,
"Are you okay? You look… tired."
I gave a small smile.
"I'm fine."
Charlotte, still curious, leaned in excitedly.
"So what happened next in your story?"
And like that, we were back in time again.
Flashback — Indhu's POV
It was the last term of 9th standard.
Months had passed. Exams were near. But something else was shifting.
Leanor had grown closer to Swetha, and in that process, began slowly pushing me out.
It wasn't always loud. Sometimes, it was just sitting between us. Other times, it was interrupting conversations.
Swetha noticed. She wanted to talk to me, but Leanor always found a way to block it.
One day, I had enough.
I stopped talking. To everyone.
No smiles. No replies.
Not to Leanor.
Not to Aditya.
Not to Rohan.
Not even to Swetha.
Swetha, Aditya, and Rohan all asked me why.
But I didn't answer. I just bent down, focused on my notebook, and kept writing.
Leanor watched — saying nothing.
The next day, I sat quietly again, but something changed inside me.
"Why should others suffer because of Leanor?"
And slowly, I talked again. To Swetha. To Rohan. To Aditya.
But not to Leanor.
That bond — once unshakable — had cracked. And though time passed, it never fully healed.
In the following weeks, Leanor made fun of Swetha's and my weight.
Even though neither of us were fat, she joked about our bodies, our pimples, and the way we carried ourselves.
Behind every laugh was something darker. She was thin, insecure, and filled with jealousy.
One day, during sports practice, I told the group:
"I want to be in the Top 3 of our 10th results."
Leanor scoffed.
"You? There are so many people ahead of you. Even though I'm ahead of you. You'll never make it."
I didn't reply. But what I didn't realize then was that Leanor was jealous of me.
I made a decision.
I would prove her wrong.
Later that day, I quietly asked Swetha:
"Do Leanor's words ever… hurt you?"
And that's when Swetha finally opened up.
"Every day. I go home and cry."
I looked down.
"Me too."
In that moment, we realized we weren't alone.
And we were stronger than Leanor's words.