I woke up alongside Mom. While she took a bath, I packed Srishti's bag according to the time table and ironed her school uniform. I was polishing her shoes when Mom was done with her bath and had begun her daily ritual of lighting the lamp in our small temple. Even though she acted like she was very busy, I noticed how her eyes kept flickering at me.

I didn't say anything and kept working silently. Both of us entered the kitchen, and I took the dough bowl from her.

"What are you doing, Bhoomi? Get out of the kitchen, and let me work. I don't have just one responsibility," Mom said.

I refused. "That's why I am here, no? For how long will my poor old sweet mother bear the weight of our family all by herself?"

She scrunched her nose. "What are you up to?"

I plastered a very innocent look. "What do you mean? I am kneading the dough."

She darted her brown eyes on my face, and after scrutinizing me for some time, she told me to just knead the dough and leave.

I didn't obey at all. I was stuck to her like glue and kept gossiping about random stuff. Cooking got over within half an hour, so Mom instantly went to wake up Srishti to get her ready for school.

Srishti woke up groggily, and Mom was going to scold her for falling back to sleep when I stopped her.

"I will take care of her. You don't have anything to do for now, so drink your tea and rest," I told Mom.

"Are you really that free?" Mom asked curiously.

"For you, anytime." I winked.

Mom narrowed her eyes as I whistled and picked up my niece. I lightly woke her up and took her to the bathroom for her daily routine. I felt Mom's stare burning holes in my head.

While I got Srishti ready, Mom was writing down the expenses in her diary. I kept stealing glances at what she was doing and how many such diaries she had.

"Okay, you are all set," I said and patted Srishti's back. "Go and get your school bag. Your Nani (Grandma) will drop you off to school."

"Not auto?" Srishti asked.

"Nope."

Mom again looked at me suspiciously. "You believe me now?" she asked.

"Of course, I do," I said in a very sweet voice. "I am sorry for doubting you, Maa. And who is that Rahul anyways? Isn't he just a kid who hardly understands anything?"

"That's what I was telling you yesterday, no?" Mom accused. "But you kept insisting that Rahul was right while your mother was wrong."

I hugged her. "Sorry, sorry, sorry. I was just a bit sad about losing my savings, that's all."

"Don't worry. I took it only because I needed it urgently. I will return it to you once I get paid."

I broke the hug and cupped her cheeks. "Did I ask you to? Chill, and take a leave. You have already done three shifts back to back, and if you continue like this, who will take care of us? You know how much I suffered yesterday because you were not here? I know we need money, but how will you earn if you won't take a break in-between?"

Mom shook her head. "No, beta, I can't afford to slack."

I looked at her seriously. "Are you planning on leaving us so early? Are you really so tired of your family that you want to reach heaven instantly?"

Mom pinched my cheek. "Stop being so dramatic. I will take a leave but only for today."

"Good girl."

She pulled my ear and laughed as Srishti took the chance and began pulling my other ear. Mom took her granddaughter and told me she would return soon. My sister had also woken up, so I went to her and told her to help me with my plan.

Dhara Di didn't want to get involved as she knew that if Mom found out what I was doing, she would have felt betrayed and thrashed both of us. After a lot of blackmailing, I convinced my sister to co-operate, and promised to take all the responsibility if Mom found out.

I just hope my mother isn't a secret gang member. I know it sounds really absurd, but with a temper like hers, anything is possible.

As promised, Mom returned before I left to work.

"Tell me if Urmila pays you less," Mom adviced.

"Urmila Aunty is very nice, Maa. Don't worry," I said and left the house.

I waved at my mother, and she waved back. I noticed her quickly going back inside the house once I went far away. My curiosity was killing me, but I had to tame it. Rushing things would have resulted in me getting busted myself.

Urmila Aunty had a lot of work reserved for me, so I was happy that I was going to make good money. Due to my excellent performance, I earned a good 200 rupees.

As I had my lesson scheduled with Hriaan, I decided to leave and get back early to shoot my new choreography.

Out of nine days, two days were wasted, and Fatima ma'am's scary face kept flashing before my eyes. Fortunately, the rain had also taken a break, and the weather had turned pleasant.

As Hriaan was in his lecture, I also spent my time completing my project before we met for my lesson. Tejas's sticky notes were really helpful, and Arushi was so impressed by those notes that she took screenshots of them.

Arushi reprimanded me to learn something from Tejas, and how he was doing smart work instead of just brainlessly writing down everything in the textbooks. Even Akshay joined her in lecturing me.

I told Arushi that I was already using my brain to its full capacity, but she didn't let me off easily.

My ears were bleeding by the time Hriaan arrived, and I managed to save myself from my best friends. Luckily, Kshitij easily distracted Arushi, while Akshay turned into a stone as soon as he saw Suhana, but I was faced with one more difficulty.

Hriaan wasn't alone. Mahreen and Tejas were with him, and they both wanted to come to the dance club with us. And as Suhana also expressed the same wish, Akshay also got up and joined the gang, leaving Arushi and KD by themselves.

I understood why Mahreen wanted to join us as she was always roaming around the college, doing timepass, but I didn't get why Tejas wanted to tag along as he never wasted his time.

It wasn't like I was affected by his presence - okay, what's the use of lying? All was fine as long as I didn't make any blunder - but I was afraid of him criticising my learning ability. The earlier memories of me continuously getting scolded scared me.

I accepted my fate as there was no way Hriaan was going to tell his best friend to not accompany us. Somehow, my teacher seemed to be in a very merry mood, with a permanent smirk plastered on his face.

Why do I feel like something is cooking in his mind? I hope he purposely doesn't make me look like an idiot in front of Tejas. But I won't voice out my concern. Hriaan switches personalities like Aparichit, so I can't take the risk.

When we reached the dance club, everyone showed the same reaction like yesterday and stormed Tejas, Suhana, and Hriaan. Mahreen and I looked upon like spectators, while the trio got all the attention.

Hriaan got free soon, while Tejas was still busy talking to a few students, and Suhana had already taken a seat with Akshay following behind.

I noticed how Suhana was ignoring my best friend, and Akshay was looking at her like a lost puppy. I wondered if they had a fight and what must have happened.

Focus on your own life, Bhoomi. Akshay hasn't yet shared his feelings with you, so don't waste your brain cells.

As it was the last day of my lessons, I asked Hriaan about his fees and if I had calculated correctly. I only had 250 rupees on me that I had earned this morning, so I told him to take it.

I actually wanted to buy an umbrella with that money, but it wasn't raining currently, so paying off some of Hriaan's fees seemed like a good decision as it would have helped me to not look like a freeloader.

"Didn't I tell you that you could pay later?" Hriaan complained while stretching.

"I may end up forgetting," I said.

He thought for some time and told me to give his fees after the lesson ended. I agreed with his suggestion and started warm ups.

"You wanna break your back?" Tejas asked and raised his eyebrow at me.

He was done attending to his fans and was trying to keep Mahreen away as she kept teasing him about how he was such a celebrity and was getting all the attention. He pushed her off and sat down on a chair.

I exchanged a glance with Hriaan, who shrugged his shoulders.

"I won't argue with the captain," he told me.

"Stop disturbing Boomer. She is doing great," Mahreen told Tejas, who flicked her on the forehead.

She shut up when Tejas showed her his fist and challenged her to just say one more word, and he would send her flying in the sky. She huffed and sat back in her chair like a kid.

She mumbled in a low voice, but I was hundred percent sure that I heard Ayzere's name, because Tejas grabbed Mahreen's neck and ducked his head closer to her ear.

I could feel the terror even if I wasn't the target, and Mahreen's eyes kept widening with each passing moment. When Tejas was done, he patted his friend's back, and Mahreen nodded. She kept her hands to herself from that point forward and kept biting her lips whenever she felt like commenting on Tejas.

"Is my form not correct?" I asked Hriaan.

"Why not ask Tejas instead?" he suggested as his lips curved up.

"You trying to get me killed or what? I am not going to drop axe on my own foot. You are my teacher, so you need to help me."

Hriaan widened his lips and moved forward. He grabbed my arms and told me to bend my body forward until he told me stop.

I kept bending and bending, wondering if Hriaan wanted my spine to stick out. Finally, he told me to stop and hold the pose for a few seconds.

"Did you learn nothing when I was giving the lessons on correct warm ups during the group evaluations?" Tejas asked, his eyes shooting lasers at me.

"I did," I replied. "I am a slow learner, so...."

He narrowed his eyes. "How convenient. I thought your observational skills were really good, but I guess you only get that ability when you cosplay as Boomer."

I scratched my head. "Thank you....?"

Hriaan burst out laughing when Tejas sighed after hearing my reply. I glanced between them in confusion as I was having difficulty processing if Tejas had complimented me or was pointing out a flaw, or maybe both.

When my lesson started, I felt Tejas's stare getting more and more intense by each passing second. I knew he was just checking for errors, but I had a hard time ignoring his unbroken gaze on me.

I wish I don't fumble, or any moment, I can receive a long lecture from Mr. Perfectionist.

Surprisingly, he didn't comment anything as Hriaan taught me, and I thanked Ganapati Bappa for saving me from Tejas's scoldings. I also believed that I was performing very well because my dance idol hadn't criticised me yet.

Two and a half hours later, lunch break was announced, and I managed to save my tiffin from Hriaan. Even if his salad looked tempting, I didn't want to eat bland vegetables. Mom had packed extra food as I needed to increase my weight. Even if I felt a reflux, I pushed extra food inside my mouth.

Mahreen, like usual, had her lunchbox filled with sweets. As I was already full, I couldn't enjoy her treats. Tejas, like Hriaan, was done eating his lunch within minutes, while Akshay was trying to share his tiffin with Suhana.

All of us observed the duo as Suhana kept acting aloof and munching on her own food. I noticed she kept glancing at me with an unpleasant look, and whenever Akshay talked to her, she just gave a short reply and didn't extend the conversation.

Did I do something? Why is she looking at me like I have committed a crime? And if she is angry with Akshay, then why is she glaring at me? Hm, I can't think of anything as I rarely interacted with her these days.

"Where are your supplements?" Tejas asked.

"I haven't bought them yet," I replied.

"That means you also haven't showed Fatima ma'am your fitness certificate."

I widened my eyes. "Well, I was going to-"

"What fitness certificate?" Akshay interrupted.

Tejas tilted his head, motioning for me to explain myself. Hriaan also looked on curiously, and before I could come up with a lie, Akshay grabbed my backpack and took out the crumpled certificate along with the diagnosis.

Mahreen put her hand to her mouth in shock when she also took a look.

"What is this, Boom Boom Boomer?" Akki asked me angrily. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"

Hriaan read the diagnosis. "Wow, Shorty, I knew you had a small build, but I didn't know you were this much hollow from inside. Glad you didn't drop dead during the lessons, or I would have landed in jail unnecessarily."

I raised my hands to calm them down. "Relax, guys, relax. I know my fitness reports aren't impressive, but I am okay. I also eat regularly, so there is no problem. And, Hriaan, stop exaggerating."

"If you keep delaying your treatment, Hriaan's prediction will surely come true," Tejas said.

"I am not delaying, Tejas. I am just... not getting time," I lied, throwing my best smile at everyone.

"Busy with what?" Akshay pulled my cheek. "And if you are really not getting time, you could have told me. Since when did you start hiding stuff from me?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Seriously, Akki? You sure you are the right person to ask that?"

Akshay smacked me on the back, and Mahreen started stuffing her remaining treats in my mouth. I tried to stop her, but my best friend had blocked my hands.

"We will fatten you within one day," Mahreen said.

Tejas held Mahreen's hand when she was about to shove a big piece of muffin inside my throat.

"That's enough," Tejas said. "You can't force her to eat beyond her diet. She will end up throwing up the lunch also if you continue."

"But she needs to increase her strength," Mahreen argued.

"And you need to increase your brain," Tejas argued. "Stuffing her with so much sugar is only going to cause more harm than any benefit. Put your snacks aside."

"Thank you, Tejas," I said in relief.

My breath had become slower due to all the stuff that had traffic-jammed from my throat till stomach, but when Tejas grabbed my left wrist, I felt all that food shaking inside me.

He kept his fingers on my wrist and checked his watch. He furrowed his eyebrows and looked at me.

"Your heartbeat is fluctuating a lot," he said. "You okay?"

Akshay smacked me behind the head when I just kept staring at Tejas.

"Oh, ye-yes, yes. I... I a-amm
all fi-fine," I stuttered.

Hriaan chuckled. "I think Shorty has started losing her speech."

Tejas let go of my wrist slowly as his eyes darted over me.

"Hriaan, end the lesson. If you continue, she will end up fainting," Tejas announced.

I shook my head vigorously. "No, I still have a lot to learn. Please, Hriaan, you promised."

Tejas glared at me. "Didn't you hear what I said?"

Oh, no. Hardly anyone argues with Tejas as he is always right when it comes to health stuff.

Hriaan shrugged when I glanced at him for help.

"Sorry, Shorty, but after seeing your results, I can't take any risks. And you have picked up a lot of stuff already, so take a chill pill."

I looked at Tejas, pulling a very innocent expression to convince him. I knew Hriaan wasn't going to disagree with his captain, so I had to persuade Tejas to make Hriaan give into my requests.

As much as I was happy to see Tejas worried about me, I was also concerned how his words were acting like an obstacle. Of course, I knew he liked to avoid any injuries - no matter who the other person was - but the timing felt very wrong.

"Tejas, I really promise I won't faint. I have to make a new choreography to convince Fatima ma'am. Please, I am serious," I said.

"And I am also serious about what I said," he spoke in a finalising tone.

I joined my hands together and looked at him with the best puppy face I could make.

"Tejas, I request you to let Hriaan teach me. If anything happens, I will be the only one responsible. Please, I ask for only two more hours. If I fail these evaluations, I will surely get eliminated."

Tejas stared at me, his dark eyes boring into my soul. I was having a hard time not succumbing under his stare, but I kept my composure. I felt the hair on my neck rise as Tejas's gaze seemed to be burning my insides.

Please don't act up now, you stupid heart. I am already trying my best here.

After what felt like an eternity, Tejas blinked. I started repeating the same words when he put his palm up.

"Fine. You can continue, but only for one hour," he said and rubbed his neck.

Hriaan pushed Tejas forcefully. "What the fuck, bro? You gave in so easi-"

Tejas clasped Hriaan's mouth with his hand. "Don't curse, buddy."

Hriaan swatted Tejas's hand away. "How dare you try to put up an act?"

"Yes, Hriaan, go. Show him that he can't have his way all the time," Mahreen added fuel to the fire.

Hriaan agreed, but I reminded him that he had to teach me. He got up, but before we continued with our lesson, he punched Tejas on the shoulder; Tejas just brushed it off and pushed Mahreen away when she went too close while annoying him. Suhana silently observed, her eyes tracking Akshay as he got up.

"Where are you going?" I asked Akki.

"To get our bottles filled," he said and showed me my empty water bottle.

I shot a quick glance in Suhana's direction, and she looked away. I told Akshay that I would get the bottle filled later, but he refused. He left, and slowly, Suhana shifted in her spot.

I focused back on my teacher, but in my peripheral vision, I noticed Suhana mumbling to her quarreling friends and quickly leaving soon after.

I hope I am wrong, but was Suhana displaying jealousy? But of whom? Me? Why? Akshay and I are best friends, and she very well knows that; there is no need for her to feel insecure. That idiot Akshay hasn't even told me anything, considering that we are so close with each other. I think Suhana needs to-

"Shorty, focus!" Hriaan snapped his fingers.

"Yes, sir!"