Wow, what a start to the day.

The road was spotless, no one was around, and there I was, driving a car like a pro. Everything felt so... right.

But wait-

hold on a second-

I'm only 16. How could I even be driving?

Ohhhh, realization struck. I'm dreaming. Well then, might as well let the dream roll.

I hummed a little tune to myself, enjoying the peace.

And then, there he was. Rahul. Standing near the edge of the cliff like a scene from a dramatic movie.

What is he doing there? Is he waiting for someone?

But before I could process it, panic kicked in.

No brakes!

THE BRAKES AREN'T WORKING!

Oh no, oh no, oh nooooo!

And then-BAM! I hit him.

Time slowed as I watched him fall dramatically off the edge of the cliff.

"Noooooo! RAHUL!" I screamed, reaching out helplessly.

What did I just do? Did I-did I just hit my crush with a car? Oh god.

This is the worst dream of my life. Someone, please-just wake me up!

---

And just like that, a bucket of cold water splashed over my face.

"AHHHHHH!" I screamed, jolting upright.

Blinking furiously, I wiped my face and looked up to see the devil himself.

Manav. My older brother.

Or as I like to call him,

Danav. (Monster)

There he was, smirking, standing there in his shorts, shirtless, looking like he didn't just ruin my morning.

"Don't you have to go to school?" he said casually, like dumping water on someone's face was the most normal way to wake them up.

I glared at him, grabbed the nearest pillow, and launched it at his head.

Of course, the idiot dodged it and ran out of my room laughing like a maniac.

"Ugh, you moron!" I yelled after him.

If you're wondering, no, he's not younger than me. In fact, he's four years older. But his maturity level? Yeah, stuck at age five.

"Mom! This idiot dumped water on me!" I yelled dramatically, stomping to the edge of the stairs.

From downstairs, I heard her yell back,

"Manav! Stop bothering your sister!"

And then came the unmistakable sound of slap! slap!

"Ow! Mom! Stop hitting me!" he yelped.

I smirked. That'll teach him to mess with me.

---

I grabbed my phone to check the time.

6:00 am.

Shocking, right?

But hey, my family's a little too perfect. We're all cursed-oops, I mean blessed-with the habit of waking up early.

Yawning, I dialed Kiara's number. My best friend. My partner-in-crime. My soulmate.

Of course, the sleepyhead didn't pick up.

"Urghhh, this girl," I muttered, tossing my phone on the bed.

Fine. Enough dilly-dallying. I needed to get moving. Not because school was calling, but because my routine was.

I dragged myself to the washroom and took a quick shower, then grabbed my uniform from the closet.

Black skirt, blazer, red tie, and a white t-shirt-classic. I quickly did my hair, grabbed my already packed bag (I did it last night), and went downstairs.

Dad was sitting at the dining table, reading the newspaper like it was the most important thing in the world.

And there was my idiot brother, Manav, devouring his breakfast like he hadn't eaten for months. Gosh, didn't his hostel give him food?

He's home for the holidays, so I have to deal with his monkey face 24/7 now.

"Good morning, Mom, good morning Dad," I greeted, sitting down to my breakfast.

"Good morning ishi" they both greeted me in union.

Ishi my pet name, only my close one
Call me from this name

And my brother,he already did my bad morning

Dad looked up and asked, "So, your exams are over now?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

Mom smiled and handed me my breakfast-a sandwich and milk-saying, "I knew you'd get good marks. Always the top student."

I smiled back at her, feeling proud. But of course, my brother had to roll his eyes.

He wasn't jealous, but we both knew he wasn't quite as good as me in studies. Not that I rubbed it in.

Okay, maybe just a little.

Once I finished eating, Mom handed me my lunch box. I peeked inside and smiled. Cupcakes. My first love.

Did I ever mention how much I love cupcakes? They're my weakness. My everything. But that's another story for another day.

I grabbed my AirPods, plugged them in, and looked over at my brother.

He was sticking his tongue out at me, trying to annoy me. Of course, I had to return the gesture. I stuck my tongue out right back at him, then walked out, cranking up my music.

The song came on, and I instantly smiled. Ahh, I love this one! It was by my favorite singer, Vedi. Her voice was amazing

-oh yeah, yeah!

The weather wasn't great today, but it was summer, so I couldn't really complain.

My exams had been after the summer vacation, and now that they were over, I was just trying to enjoy the break.

I always walked to school, enjoying the fresh air.

Sometimes, if Mom or Dad were free, they'd drop me off or pick me up in the car, but I preferred the walk.

It gave me time to think and get ready for whatever the day would throw at me.

Here I am, standing at the gates of St. Raphael High School. Sounds rich, right? Yeah, it is. But I'm not as rich as the other students here.

The ones who seem like they have everything-designer clothes, the latest phones, you know the type.

Some of the students here are from middle-class or even poor families, but they're here because they're brilliant, hardworking, and they deserve it.

If you ask me, my family isn't exactly the picture of wealth. My dad is a brilliant scientist, and my mom-well, she used to be an actress in her time, but now she's the proud owner of a bakery. That's where I get my genes from, I guess-brains and creativity.

The school grounds were surprisingly quiet this morning. Just a few students wandering around-some in groups, others alone, and some just sitting on benches like introverts. It was peaceful.

And then, there was my class:

10TH C.

It used to be the worst class before, with fights and mischief happening every day. But things changed once we entered 10th grade. A new class teacher made all the difference.

I walked into the classroom, still lost in the music playing through my AirPods.

It was silent because I came early so it's empty,

As i thought so except for a guy sitting at the very back of the room, his head down on the desk.

I knew who it was.

Ahaan. Ahaan malhotra

He was always the first to come, always early, probably for the quiet. I sighed as I took my seat.

But then, I felt it-the weight of his gaze.

I quickly turned my head forward, pulling out one of my AirPods, and nervously tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

His eyes seemed to linger on me for a moment before he went back to sleep.

I let out a quiet sigh of relief when he turned his head down again.

Why was I even afraid of him?

Ahaan, the bad boy.

The guy with the cold stare, the one who was always in trouble-always fighting, not listening to teachers, but fiercely loyal to his friends. I kept my distance from him and his gang.

But there was one question that always stayed with me: Why does he always come to school so early?

To sleep, I guess.

I shook my head, pushing the thought away. It wasn't like I had time to think about him. I opened my novel instead. It was a romantic story, one where the boy has a huge crush on the girl.

Why couldn't I be that girl?

I've never had anyone confess to me, never had the chance to feel special like that. I only had one crush-

Rahul.

My childhood crush.

A soft smile spread across my face as his name crossed my mind, Rahul.

But this was real life, not a romance novel. So, I buried the dream and lost myself in the pages of my book, trying to forget about everything else, even if for just a little while.

After a while, more students began to trickle in. Some dragged their friends through the corridors, laughing and chatting, while I kept to myself, minding my own business.

God, when will Kiara show up?

I glanced at my watch. My eyes widened when I saw the time-7:30!

I quickly looked at the door, hoping for a glimpse of her. But all I saw were Ahaan's gang members. Where was she?

Please, God, send her here already. I don't want to be alone.

I know I usually enjoy my own company, but Kiara was different. She was my soulmate, my best friend. I couldn't go a day without her.

Just then, my thoughts were interrupted when the classroom door opened, and the teacher walked in.

Maybe she's not going to come today.

The bell rang, signaling the start of class. I sighed and looked down at my desk. The teacher asked us to form a line outside for prayer. I placed my book on the table and headed out, my mind still heavy.

My bad morning, I thought. First, my annoying brother, and now this...

I was about to head to the girls' line when suddenly, Soham tripped and fell to the ground with a splash of water.

Soham groaned as he sat up, rubbing his backside. "Ouch, my bum!" he complained, wincing.

Jack, with that mischievous grin of his, replied, "Tera toh nahin pata, par tera bum zarur lal ho gaya hoga!"

(I don't know about you, but your boom must have turned red!")

Sofie, rolling her eyes as usual, threw her hands up in mock frustration. "Gosh, these boys..." she muttered.

Meanwhile, Ahaan and Karan just smirked.

I couldn't help it. My lips twitched, and I let out a little snicker. Honestly, I could never take these guys seriously.

Soham and his poor bum, I thought, trying not to laugh out loud.

and I couldn't help it-I laughed too. Gosh, he looked so funny.

But then, my eyes locked with Ahaan's.

I froze

the laughter dying in my throat. He was still staring at me. Oh no, what now?

Is he going to hit me or... bully me?

Just as I was about to look away, someone wrapped their arms around me in a tight hug.

I know who it is.

It was Kiara

"Sorry ishi I'm late !" she whispered, squeezing me tightly. I sighed in relief, feeling the tension leave my shoulders.

I turned to Kiara, my lips still curling into a smile, and replied, "Yeah, you were, where were you?"

She let out a dramatic sigh as we walked in line toward the assembly ground, still explaining her situation.

"Ugh, sorry," she started, "I remember my driver just got married, and he was on leave. Mom forgot to hire a new one, so I had to walk to school."

I raised an eyebrow. "Wait, you walked to school?"

She winced, clearly not pleased with the whole situation. "Yeah... I had no choice. Mom was mad at me for being late, and I couldn't just not go."

I chuckled softly. "You poor thing," I teased. "That's a pretty brutal way to start the day."

Kiara groaned in response, "But hey, at least I got here before time!"

She shot me a playful side-eye, clearly proud of herself for managing to show up despite the chaos.

I just shook my head, chuckling under my breath.

We stood in the assembly ground, and I couldn't help but start scanning the crowd with my eyes, looking for him-Rahul.

But before I could spot him, Kiara, with her usual mischievous smirk, put her hand on my shoulder and said,

"Stop searching for that langoor."

I felt my face flush with offense. "Kiara!" I hissed, unable to keep the surprise out of my voice. "How can you call him that?!"

Kiara just raised an eyebrow, smirking even more. "Then what do you want me to call a langoor? Rahul?"

she burst out laughing, clearly enjoying the teasing.

Kiara always found a way to insult Rahul. She never liked him, and honestly, we saw him through completely different lenses.

If you looked through my lens, he was Prince Charming-yeah, it sounds cringey, but I didn't care.

But if you saw him through her eyes... well, you'd get langoor.

seriously?

Kiara chuckled darkly as she nudged me, "Look, there's your langoor."

I immediately corrected her, my voice low. "Rahul."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Kiara dismissed, clearly not interested in using his name.

He was walking toward us, surrounded by his gang, his usual confident stride making my heart beat just a little faster.

Charming smile, charming walk...

"Langoor face,"

Yeah.....wait

I shot her at kiara , but then I noticed the smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "Shut up,"

I told her, my tone half-serious, half-amused.

She shrugged, grinning wider. "Okay, okay, relax."

My heart raced as his line approached mine. Why is his line coming here? Oh no. Oh no. Shit.

Kiara leaned closer and whispered, "Uh-oh, langoor alert. He's coming here!"

My eyes widened, and I snapped my gaze forward, trying to act normal. But how could I when my crush was about to stand beside me? I froze like a statue, overthinking every little thing.

Is he going to stand next to me the whole assembly?

Should I find an excuse to leave? No, Ishita, what are you even thinking? Your crush is right here-DESTINY brought him to you-and you're trying to run away?

Get it together!

I mentally screamed for divine intervention, and-oh.

Did God actually listen?

Because just then, the boys' line from my class shifted in between us. And boom. Instead of Rahul, I found myself standing beside... Ahaan.

Seriously, God?

THIS is your idea of help?

I glanced at him for a fraction of a second. He was talking to Karan, looking as casual as ever.

His messy hair, his slightly unbuttoned shirt, his devil-may-care smirk-ugh, this was worse than Rahul!

I quickly averted my gaze and stared at the ground like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

Sofie, who stood in front, turned her head toward Ahaan's gang and started chatting. Unfortunately, their loud voices made it impossible not to eavesdrop.

Sofie asked, "Where did you all come from?"

Without missing a beat, Jack said, "You forgot, Sofie? All children come from their mom's womb."

Sofie shot back, "Too bad I didn't know that, jack"

Karan, the ever-kind and sensible one, interrupted. "The teacher changed our line," he explained calmly.

Of course Karan is polite and normal. How did he end up with this group of chaos gremlins?

I tried to focus on anything else, but I could feel it-a stare. My skin prickled, and my heartbeat quickened.

No, don't look.

Don't look, Ishita.

Just ignore it.

But my nervous habits betrayed me. My fingers fidgeted with each other, and I quickly rubbed my cheek. What if there's something on my face?

Then I heard it-a low, dark chuckle from beside me.

My breath hitched. Oh no. Was he laughing at me? I dared to glance up and caught Ahaan's gaze for a split second before he turned away, still smirking.

WHY is he staring at me?

Is there something wrong with my face? Did I accidentally write something embarrassing on my forehead?

My cheeks burned, and I prayed the ground would swallow me whole. I rubbed my cheek again for good measure.

Note to self: Destiny has a terrible sense of humor.

If you're enjoy this journey, please show your love and support! Every vote, comment, and share means the world to me. Thank you for joining me on this story, and I hope you'll continue to follow Ishita and Ahaan's journey! Your support truly motivates me to keep writing and sharing their world with you. 💖

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