Mrunali's POV

I parked my cycle in the parking lot and rang the doorbell. Mom opened the door, her eyes immediately narrowing as she noticed my clothes. 

"Yeh kya? Kapde itne gande kaise ho gaye?" she asked, stepping aside to let me in. 

("What is this? How did your clothes get so dirty?")

"Aree mummy, mat puchho! Mere class ka ek ladka hai, Rudra. Ek number ka langur hai, langur! Gadhe ne apni cycle meri cycle se thok di!" I huffed, dropping my tote bag on the sofa and gulping down a glass of water. 

("Oh mom, don't ask! There's this guy in my class, Rudra. He's such a monkey, a complete idiot! He rammed his cycle into mine!")

"Usse aur tujhe lagi toh nahi? Aur aise kaise uski cycle tere se takra gayi?" she questioned, her concern kicking in as usual. 

("Are you and he okay? And how did his cycle collide with yours?")

"Main toh bilkul theek hoon, aur woh bhi theek hai. Woh cycle chala raha tha, aur cycle ke raste mein chhoti si billi aa gayi. Uske chakkar mein uska balance chhuta aur meri cycle se ja takra," I explained, flopping onto the sofa. 

("I’m perfectly fine, and so is he. He was riding his cycle, and a small cat came in his path. He lost balance and crashed into my cycle.")

"Achha? Aur woh tumhari class mein hai, yeh kaise pata chala?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. 

("Oh really? And how did you find out he’s in your class?")

"School shop pe phir se mil gaye. Wahi pata chala ki woh meri class ka hai," I said, walking over to my study table and unloading the heavy stack of notebooks I'd just bought. 

("We ran into each other again at the school shop. That’s where I found out he’s in my class.")

I began organizing my books, carefully placing each one in its spot, but my thoughts kept drifting. I couldn’t help but recall how Rudra’s hand had a small bruise from the fall. I had noticed it at the shop earlier. 

But wait a second. Main kyun uske baare mein itna soch rahi hoon? Tu bhi na, Mrunali!

I shook my head, dismissing the thought, and got back to arranging my study materials. It was going to be a long day.

Two days later... 

I stepped out of the bathroom feeling refreshed and dressed in a cream-colored kurti-style top with a blue floral block print, paired with wide-leg blue jeans and my favorite black-and-white sneakers. Since my school uniform hadn’t arrived yet, this would do for my first day. 

First day jitters were real. It wasn’t just my first day; it was everyone’s. The school was unique, catering only to four classes: 11th NEET, 11th JEE, 12th NEET, and 12th JEE. 

I headed to the living room and sat on the sofa as Mom brought me breakfast—bread and eggs, my absolute favorite combination. I ate quickly but savored every bite. By 8:25, I was ready to leave. I packed my bag with the necessary books, grabbed my phone, and got up to say goodbye. 

"Sab le liya na theek se?" Mom asked, concern evident in her voice. 

("You’ve taken everything properly, right?")

"Ha mummy, sab le liya," I replied, heading downstairs. 

("Yes, mom, I’ve taken everything.")

I took my cycle from the parking and started pedaling toward school. The nervous excitement was hard to ignore.

Rudra's POV

First day of school. For most, it’s nerve-wracking, but not for me. I was buzzing with excitement. The best part? Kunal, Aarav, and I would be in the same class. This year was going to be epic! 

I went downstairs and saw Bhai sitting at the dining table, his breakfast—aaloo ke parathe—still untouched as he was buried in work. 

I sat beside him, and Mom served me the same delicious parathe. As I devoured mine, I noticed Bhai hadn’t touched his yet. Since my stomach wasn’t quite full and Mom’s parathe were heavenly, I sneakily grabbed Bhai’s share and quickly polished it off. 

From the sofa, Mom, who was watching TV, saw everything and started laughing at my antics. 

After finishing, I got up, grabbed my bag, hugged Mom, and said, “Bhai, chalta hoon. Aur haa, thank you paranthe ke liye!” 

("Brother, I’m leaving. Oh, and thanks for the paratha!")

"Paranthe ke liye thank you?" he asked, confused, glancing at his now-empty plate. 

("Thank you for the paratha?")

"Rudra!!!" he shouted, realizing what had happened, but I was already out the door, laughing as I ran. 

I was riding my cycle, enjoying the breeze and the morning calm, when I saw her again. My anger from our last encounter bubbled up, but before I could hold onto it, it melted away. 

She looked ethereal. That short kurti with her black wavy hair flying in the wind made her seem like an angel in motion. Even butterflies would pale in comparison to her beauty, and it felt like nature itself was admiring her. 

But wait—what was I even thinking? Isn’t she my enemy? I shook my head, trying to snap out of it, and stopped my cycle in front of Kunal’s house. 

As usual, Kunal took his own sweet time to come out. After what felt like a decade, he finally showed up. 

“Kitna time lagata hai re tu? Thak gaya tera intezar karte karte. Itna toh maine kisi ladki ke liye bhi intezar nahi kiya hoga! Woh Aarav toh pahunch bhi gaya hoga itna door rehne ke bawajood,” I ranted non-stop as he unlocked his cycle. 

("How much time do you take, man? I got tired waiting for you. I wouldn’t even wait this long for a girl! Aarav must’ve already reached, even though he lives farther away.")

Kunal smirked and said casually, “Woh ladki sahi hi bol rahi thi!” 

("That girl was absolutely right!")

I frowned. “Usne kya sahi kaha?” 

("What did she say that was right?")

“Wahi ki tu kitna bolta hai!” Kunal said, grinning as he started pedaling away. 

("That you talk too much!")

I stood there, stunned for a moment. “Woh ladki aur yeh dono ek hi lohe ke bane hue hain!” I muttered, quickly catching up to Kunal, pedaling faster to match his speed.

("That girl and these two are cut from the same cloth!")

Mrunali's POV

I parked my cycle in the designated area and paused for a moment before entering the school. Bending down, I touched the ground to take blessings. For me, this school was nothing short of a temple, a place where I would gain knowledge.

Feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement, I walked inside. I had no idea where to go, and the confusion on my face must have been evident. Just then, I noticed a senior girl with a single braid, dressed in the school uniform. Gathering courage, I stopped her.

"Sorry to disturb you, but today is my first day. Can you please tell me where the 11th NEET class is?" I asked politely.

She smiled and replied, “Yeh wali class hai 11th NEET, aur tumhare peeche jo class dikh rahi hai, woh 11th JEE ki hai.” She pointed and started heading upstairs.

("This is the 11 NEET class, and the one behind you is the 11 JEE class.")

“Thank you!” I quickly said before she disappeared.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed open the door to my class. Chaos greeted me—students were chatting, laughing, and making noise as if no teacher would ever step in. The moment I entered, all eyes turned toward me. It was awkward, but I tried to appear confident.

Scanning the room, I noticed a girl sitting alone by the window. She seemed quiet and approachable, so I decided to ask if I could sit next to her.

“Umm, hello! Main yaha tumhare side baith sakti hoon?” I asked with a polite smile.

("Umm, hello! Can I sit here beside you?")

“Sure!” she replied softly. Her tone gave away that she was an introvert.

I wasn’t completely extroverted either; I considered myself an ambivert. Placing my bag down, I extended my hand toward her.

“Hi, I’m Mrunali Patil. Nice to meet you!”

She shook my hand gently and said, “Nice to meet you too, Mrunali. I’m Sara Desai.”

That was all it took for us to start talking. Within minutes, we were comfortable enough to feel like old friends. The classroom was huge, with three rows of three-seater benches. While Sara and I were engrossed in our conversation, another girl approached us.

“Hi! Can I sit with you two?” she asked with a warm smile.

“Sure!” we said in unison.

She placed her bag down and introduced herself, “Hello, I’m Simran Gupta. Nice to meet you two.”

We greeted her back, and in no time, the three of us became inseparable. It was amazing how quickly we bonded, as if we’d known each other forever.

While chatting, my attention shifted to the door. A trio of boys had just walked in, laughing like maniacs. My stomach sank when I recognized one of them—Rudra. He was accompanied by Kunal and another boy I didn’t know.

Rudra scanned the classroom, probably looking for a place to sit. That’s when his eyes met mine. For a moment, it felt like time stopped. But instead of acknowledging me, he snapped his head away dramatically, like a girl giving the silent treatment.

Excuse me? Woh kya kar raha tha? Psycho kahi ka! If anyone had the right to do that dramatic head-turning act, it was me. But no, he had to do it.

(What was he doing? Such a psycho!)

Yeh ladka toh mujhe pagal karke hi chhodega!

(This guy is going to drive me crazy for sure!)