Aadhya's pov
There I was, shoveled mouthfuls of Poha into my face—honestly, the only thing keeping me sane—while trying to avoid eye contact with Bhaiyya. Poha is my favorite, but it's hard to enjoy it when you're sitting next to a human lie detector. Then there's Reyansh, sitting there looking like he tried to kiss a moving bus. His face was all bruised and he was staring at his plate like it held the secrets of the universe.
"Did you fight?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of my survival instinct.
Bhaiyya didn't even look up from his tablet. "That's what happens if you don't inform that you're going to a party."
Wait, what? A party? Was he at Naman's? If he was, how did I miss the VIP boxing match?
Reyansh didn't say a word; he just stood up abruptly.
"I'm going to school," he muttered and vanished.
Great. Now it was just me and the Final Boss. I knew what was coming I inhaled so fast almost choking on it.
"Aadhya, today you have an exam, right?" Bhaiyya asked, still not looking at me.
"I'm expecting the same score as before." There he dropped the bomb.
I nearly inhaled a peanut. Same score? Bhaiyya, I wasn't even the one who wrote that paper! If he finds out I'm not a secret genius, my eyelashes are as good as gone. "Yeahhh Bhaiyya," I squeaked, bolted upstairs, and got ready in record time.
I stepped outside, ready to hop on my cycle, and there he was. Rudr. Standing by his car, smoking, looking like he just stepped out of a dark indie movie.
"Rudr... wait!" I shouted.
Did he wait? Nope. He looked at me for a split second, got into his car, and drove off like he was escaping a crime scene.
I had a whole plan to follow him today, but apparently, my cycle isn't faster than a combustion engine. Unfair.
Also, can we talk about his digital footprint? Or lack of it? I searched Facebook, Instagram, Twitter—I even checked TikTok to see if he does cringe dances. Nothing. Just kidding! Tiktok is banned here, India right.
Who are you, Rudr?
I pedaled to school like my life depended on it, reaching at 8:34 AM.
The classroom was a mess of people panicking and "reviewing." I sat down, opening my notes, but my brain felt like a fried sponge.
"Nothing goes in my brain," I groaned.
"Want to copy from me?" Avi offered, leaning over with way too much confidence.
I gave him my best 'are you for real' look. "You performed the worst in the last exam and you want me to copy from you?"
"I'm so smart," he bragged, smirking.
Smart my ass. I ignored him and focused on the paper.
When Mr. Trivedi handed out the sheets at 9:30 AM, I did a quick scan. Okay, I recognized some words.
That's a start.
But then, the weirdness began. Ten minutes in, Avi stands up, hands in his paper, and smirks at me.
Ten minutes! Is he a prodigy now or did he just write his name and quit? Then Nikansh, Vivaan, Krish ..DJ... one by one they all handed over their papers.
When I finally handed mine in, Mr. Trivedi actually smiled.
"I thought you're going to sleep again."
"Huh? I was sick last time," I said trying to look fragile.
"I know. Vivaan told me," he replied.
I froze. Vivaan told him? I don't remember telling him I was sick.
I looked over at Vivaan, who was busy chatting with Nikansh like he hadn't just saved/ruined my life.
What's going on?
I went back to my seat, trying to process why Vivaan was out here telling the teacher I was "sick" like I'm some Victorian child with a faint heart. But I didn't have time to investigate because Avi turned around, looking way too caffeinated for someone who just finished an exam in ten minutes.
"What will you do if I score 100/100?" he asked, his eyes gleaming like he'd just discovered a way to turn lead into gold.
I just shook my head. "Nothing. Because the laws of physics and biology dictate that you can't actually score one."
Did he take the hint? Of course not. This is Avi we're talking about. "Just tell!" he pressed, leaning in like he was about to close a million-dollar deal.
"Ugh, fine. I'll treat you to lunch," I offered. Boring, I know, but I was trying to save my brain cells.
"Naah, that's old fashioned," he dismissed immediately. Wow, okay, Mr. High-Maintenance.
"Then... I'll cut my hair?" I suggested.
He actually laughed at that. "That's good, but still... no."
At this point, I was losing my mind. "Then you decide what you want!" I snapped, half-hoping he'd ask for something normal, like a chocolate bar or for me to stop calling him an idiot.
He stopped. He thought. And then that mischievous smile crawled across his face—the kind of smile that usually precedes a school suspension.
"You'll admit your 'type' among us," he said.
Fucking hell.
My soul literally shriveled. "Of course not! I'd rather eat Bhaiyya's tablet."
"Then you'll kiss him," he added, like it was the most casual suggestion in the world.
The Fuck!
"No! No way!" I was practically vibrating with shock.
Is he for real?
"Then just accept that I'm smart," he said, looking far too smug.I looked at him.
This is the guy who performed the worst in the last exam. This is the guy whose head is 90% nonsense and 10% hair oil. There is zero chance—negative chance—that he's getting a 100.
"Okay, then... fine," I said, my voice only slightly shaking.
He grinned even wider and extended his hand. I grabbed it and shook it like we were two CEOs agreeing to merge companies, except the company was my dignity.
"Deal?" he asked.
"Deal," I agreed.
Whatever. I'm 100% sure I'm winning this. When does he even have time to study between being a professional nuisance and bragging? My eyelashes are safe from Bhaiyya, and my lips are safe from whatever "type" Avi thinks I have.
The day was finally over, and I was busy bickering with Avi about our high-stakes bet when the world suddenly tilted. A sharp, searing pain exploded at the back of my head—someone had grabbed a fistful of my hair and was trying to rip it clean off my scalp. I screamed, my eyes watering instantly.
"You fucking slut! You absolute home-wrecking bitch!" Riya's voice hissed in my ear. She was vibrating with rage, her knuckles white from how hard she was pulling. "You think you're so innocent, don't you? You're just a filthy, low-life whore who can't keep her legs shut!"
I tried to turn, gasping for air.
"What the hell is your problem, Riya? Let go!"
The Section E bastards, who clearly have nothing better to do with their pathetic lives, started circling us like vultures.
"Come on, Adi! Punch her!" they cheered, placing literal bets on who would bleed first. Riya leaned in, her breath hot against my face, her voice a dangerous, low crawl. "You think you're so cute and charming, you little slut? I'll make sure no one ever wants to look at that face again."
Thankfully, Saanvi and Jiya appeared out of the chaos. Saanvi didn't hesitate—she lunged forward and pried Riya's claws out of my hair. "Naman got expelled because of you! Only you!" Riya shrieked, her face contorted."He got expelled because he's a predator who deserved it!" Saanvi snapped back, pulling me behind her like a human shield."What's going on here?"The voice was cold, sharp, and unmistakably Reyansh's. I felt a wave of relief. Finally, someone from my family was here to stop this madness. But Riya wasn't done. She pointed a shaking finger at me, looking at Reyansh.
"It's because your sweet, charming cousin sister seduced my boyfriend! She lured Naman into her bed, acted like a total slut to get him in trouble, and now he's gone while she walks around acting like a saint!"
That was it. My temper, which was already hanging by a thread, snapped. "Look, Reyansh, she was the one—"
"Stop it, Aadhya!" Reyansh barked.I froze.
The word felt like a slap to the face. I looked at him, waiting for the "just kidding" or for him to turn that anger on Riya, but he just stood there, his jaw tight, siding with the girl who just tried to scalp me.
"What now? It's my fault, right?" I said, my voice trembling with a mix of fury and pure hurt.
"Everything is my fault. The exam, Naman, the fight... I guess the next earthquake is because of me too, right?"
"Stop, Aadhya," he said, his voice dropping to a low, warning tone.The tears were coming, hot and stinging, but I refused to let Riya see them.
I looked Reyansh dead in the eye. "Reyansh, just once in a while... just once... make me feel like we're actually cousins."I didn't wait for his answer.
I turned and sprinted toward the gate, my vision blurred by tears. I've survived Bhaiyya's threats and Avi's stupidity, but this?
This felt like a wound that Poha couldn't fix.....