Result day.
Class ka atmosphere thoda tense tha. Everyone knew something was different this time.
Rithvik Malhotra had joined.
Apurva apni seat pe calmly baithi thi. Bahar se calm. Andar se slightly alert.
Woh careless lagta tha. Notes nahi likhta. Zyada bolta bhi nahi.
But woh observe karta tha.
Teacher ne result sheets desk pe rakhi.
"First rank…" ma'am ne announce kiya.
Class automatically Apurva ki taraf dekhne lagi.
"…Apurva Sharma."
Normal. Expected.
Apurva ne sheet li. 98.
She didn't smile. She never did.
"Second rank — Rithvik Malhotra. 97."
Silence.
Whispers.
"First test mein hi?"
"Yeh toh naya hai…"
Apurva ka grip paper pe thoda tight hua.
One mark.
Sirf ek.
Rithvik ne apni sheet dekhi. Phir usne sideways glance kiya.
"Close," usne casually kaha.
Apurva ne seedha jawab diya, "But not enough."
Rithvik leaned back.
"First round tha."
Apurva ne uski aankhon mein dekha.
"Game nahi hai."
Woh halka sa smile kiya.
"Ab hoga."
Bell baj gayi.
Conversation khatam. But tension officially real ho gaya.