"I don't want to feel that way again."

"But... but I love you. Please—"

"No. She left me, and you'll leave me too."

"Can't you just give it a try? Just once?"

"Sorry. I don't believe in love anymore. And society won't support us anyway."

"Fine. As you wish. I can't force you to love me, can I?"

"Exactly. You can't. Now please leave. I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"Yeah... let's just forget this ever happened. See you next week." sigh

You know what? I'm used to being rejected. It feels like nobody likes me. I spend six months falling for someone, only to get turned down every single time. How does one person get rejected by both guys and girls? Am I really that unlovable? Or am I just not good-looking enough? I don't know anymore.

Maybe I should stop loving altogether. Or maybe I should just stop saying how I feel. Because I don't want to get hurt again. I'd rather daydream about someone than confess and hear another no. It's become a pattern — I get rejected no matter what I do. I shouldn't let it make me this angry. I should move on. Why am I even thinking about this? I have to— oh, it's raining?

She stood there, lost in thought, as tears rolled down her cheeks unnoticed. The rain tried to wash away her sadness, but it couldn't keep up with every step she took. She knew she was going to be late, but her legs wouldn't move. She just stood there, absent-minded, her head spinning with one question: What went wrong?

♡♡ 🌹 ♡♡

"Mom, I'm back."

Abhira's mom peeked out from the kitchen and saw her daughter drenched.

"Honey, didn't you take an umbrella? It's winter and you're soaked. Do you have any sense? Go take a shower."

"Yes, Mom."

Abhira went to the bathroom, but she couldn't get Manuri out of her mind. She turned on the shower and let the water run down her face.

"I just want this year to end as quickly as possible," she whispered to herself.

A moment after she stepped out, she sneezed.

"And there it is," her mom said, annoyed. "You're going to catch a fever today, just watch."

Abhira shrugged. "I know, Mom."

She pulled her things out of her bag, which was luckily waterproof. While cleaning it, she found a note — the proposal letter she'd given Manuri. Now it just looked stupid. Love really does make people stupid.

"Screw it. I don't care anymore," she muttered, and tossed it out the window. Watching the rain tear it apart gave her a weird sense of satisfaction.

Just like her mom predicted, she got a high fever. Five days passed with her stuck in bed. Her dad had taken her phone for “getting a fever on purpose,” but honestly, she didn't mind. Lying in bed and reading books that smelled like romance wasn't that bad.

When she finally finished the book, she checked the date. She'd been rotting in bed for a while.

"Ah, it's already December 31st. I should call Tinni."

"Hello? Honey, are you still sick?"

"No, I think I'm fine now. Just finished the book Mom gave me for my birthday. I was so busy rotting and reading sappy romance that I forgot I'm still single."

"Wait, you and Manuri didn't work out? I thought she said yes."

"No, sadly," Abhira said, annoyed.

"It's fine. She's not even that good-looking, don't you think?"

"Hmm."

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Hmm."

"Hoony, stop being so nonchalant."

"Hmm."

The next fifty minutes were Tinni playing therapist. She said everything you’re supposed to say after a friend’s breakup — from “she doesn't deserve you” to “God saved you before it was too late.” She tried it all.

"Okay, bye. I'm off to work my ass off at the restaurant."

"Wait, they didn't give you the day off today?"

"Nope. They're not that sweet."

"Poor Tinni."

♡♡ 🌹 ♡♡

This isn't okay. Why isn't Dad back yet? Okay, okay, I shouldn't stress. We still have 15 minutes.

"Here's your grapes," Abhira's father said, handing them to her.

"There are twelve, right?"

"More than twelve."

"Oh, great."

After washing them and putting them on a plate, Abhira crawled under the dining table and texted Tinni.

"Ready?"

"Hell yeah!"

At exactly 12 AM, they video-called each other and ate twelve grapes. Then they wished each other a happy new year.

"Happy New Year, Tinni."

"Happy new and sassiest year to you."

"What the heck??"

"Hehehe."

They laughed like five-year-olds. For a while, they just kept wishing each other, laughing, and finishing the rest of the grapes.

"Hoony, Happy New Year. I hope you get more studious," Mom said, handing Abhira an envelope with money inside.

"Wow, Mom. Thanks."

And with that, they forgot to sleep and celebrated the rest of the night by scrolling and scrolling.

End of Chapter 1

Chapter 2

"Mom, where’s my coat? I’m getting late!"

"How would I know? And I’ve packed your tiffin."

It was already 10:15 AM. Prayer starts at 10:20, and it looked like Abhira was going to be late on the very first day of school this year. She’d make Saranya aka Tinni late too.

Abhira still wasn’t fully ready. She had her sweatpants on and the school T-shirt. She was currently hunting for her coat, which she swore she’d kept with her uniform. After a few painful minutes, she found it under her study table, covered in her dog’s fur. Thankfully, her dog hadn’t torn it up. Yet.

"Ma, I’m leaving!"

"Bye, honey. Take care."

"Okay, Mom."

Abhira rushed out of her house. The first thing she saw was Saranya sitting on her cycle.

"We’re late, girl," Saranya said, aggressively ringing her bell.

They tried to make up time, but ended up late anyway.

As they stood at the back of the auditorium where prayers had already started, the school ayah scolded them. As always, they didn’t listen. The words went in one ear and out the other.

Their school was, in one word, prestigious.

Graham Girls’ High School — the one and only school where half the city’s population studies. Rich in tradition. They always won cultural awards, but never a Math Olympiad.

Self-presentation mattered most here.

A stud instead of a ring earring? DETENTION.

Extra pleats? DETENTION.

Big nails? DETENTION.

Colorful nails? Also DETENTION.

Even wearing a black hairband instead of white, or not tying your hair? DETENTION.

♡♡🌹♡♡

After some time, the ayah finally let Abhira and Saranya go.

They ran up to the third floor and started looking for Class 10. Luckily, they were both in the same section. Section A.

"Are you sure you know where it is?"

"Yeah, look." Saranya pointed at a classroom with a balcony in front of it.

"Ahh, nice class."

They entered together and saw a school office auntie writing something on the board. She wore a red and green synthetic sari, her hair tied in a bun.

As they entered, the auntie asked, "What are your rolls? Everyone here sits roll-wise."

Abhira was clearly annoyed but said nothing.

Saranya answered hesitantly, "Uh, I’m 40 and she’s 28."

"Quite a pairing. You, 28, sit on the third bench to your right. And you, sit to her left."

_I guess I have to spend this year without her. At least she’s in my section,_ Abhira thought.

Abhira settled in and took some time to get to know her benchmate.

The first one to approach her was Ananya — a medium-sized, curly-haired girl with thick glasses. Her hair was in a ponytail.

"I’m Ananya, and this is my best friend, Anika." She nudged the girl beside her. "Ah, say something."

A girl with a thin ponytail and glasses finally spoke. "Hey, welcome to our gang, I guess. I know you, though. You’re Abhira, right?"

"Ahh, you know me? Well, that’s a surprise."

After talking with the other two girls, Tamanya and Samina — who were apparently sisters — Abhira finally started writing down the routine.

"Class, I’m announcing the teachers who will take your classes this year," the auntie said.

Abhira’s pen stopped. Like everyone else, she focused on the auntie with anticipation.

"English – Ankita Ma’am, Bengali – Sabera Ma’am, Physics – Ritikwa Ma’am."

Everyone took notes. Some argued that Sabera Ma’am doesn’t teach much.

Anika frowned. "Ankita Ma’am gives too much homework. I thought I was free from her, but she’s in my class again this year."

"Abhira, have you ever had her class? She’s so annoying. She reads and explains one line a thousand times."

Abhira nodded. "I’ve heard of her but never had her class."

"Life Science – Priyanka Ma’am."

Oh that's good, Abhira said to herself.

"Geography – Sumita Ma’am, History – Anvita Ma’am."

Upon hearing the name _Anvita_, the whole class dropped into silence. Then came the horrible cries.

"No, not her!"

"She’ll definitely kill us!"

"We’re all doomed!"

Abhira _had_ heard of Anvita Ma’am. Her full name was Anvita Jana. The assistant headmistress who joined last year. Students — and even teachers — straightened up when she walked by.

The auntie left the room after dropping a bombshell on the class.

Anika wore a troubled expression. "This teacher is no good. She gives detentions and calls guardians like it’s homework. And if you get on her bad list, there’s no saving you from a Transfer Certificate."

Then she paused to calculate.

"Though she’s beautiful, she doesn’t have a good love life. At first, she married a guy. But they divorced because she cheated on him... with a girl."

Their benchmates all frowned.

"Eww, what the hell," Tamanya sneered.

"And then she broke up with the girl to get a job."

Abhira shuddered. "She cheated? Then left the girl too? Heartless."

Then she thought to herself and said —

"But she likes girls... that’s kinda hot."

The whole bench gave her a side-eye.

"Seriously?"

"I hate that same-sex stuff."

"You can’t be serious."

That’s when Abhira realized they weren’t like her. At least, not that open-minded.

"Yeah, yeah, I was just kidding. I don’t like that stuff either," she laughed it off.

Abhira had always been extra attracted to girls. She never said it out loud, but she _did_ like girls.

Her parents knew about it and didn’t mind. Last Christmas, her mother brought her a bisexual T-shirt that said, "I like girls but that doesn't mean I don't like guys"

♡♡🌹♡♡

Instead of getting to know each other, they spent their time gossiping about Anvita Jana.

"You know she threatened our sweet Ritikwa Ma’am that she’d kick her out of the school."

"Oh, that’s bad," Abhira frowned.

"Yeah, how could she say that? Right, guys?" Anika frowned while drinking water like it was something expensive.

Ritikwa Ma'am? sweet? They really are naive. She's the teacher who gossips about student's parents, picking on their outfits. They are really blind.

The gossip went on. As more time passed, Abhira grew more horrified by the thought of Anvita teaching, though she didn’t blindly trust them now.

The 3rd period finished and the 4th started. Some students had already started eating their tiffin, though tiffin was after this class. No teacher comes on the first day.

But to their horror, Anvita Ma’am entered their class. Almost hastily, students packed up their lunch boxes and stood up. It’s a rule that when a teacher enters or leaves, you have to stand up.

Immediately after entering, she pulled out four girls who were caught eating and made them sit on the ground outside the classroom. Silently.

"Everyone, I will not tolerate any kind of nonsense. If anyone does something ‘extraordinary’ like them, you’ll end up with them."

She walked down the aisle, taking in everyone’s faces. Then she looked at Abhira. Abhira had a white hairband because her hair was short. But the reason Anvita was looking at her hair was something else. Abhira’s hair was wet. After one and a half hours in school, it was still wet, like she’d just finished her bath.

But in reality, it was just Abhira’s soaked wolf-cut. And she was looking at Anvita like she’d done something very wrong. She literally looked like a puppy.

"Why is your hair still wet?"

Anvita said firmly while touching her uneven hair.

Abhira flinched.

"My hair doesn’t dry fast."

"Hmm."

After picking on some other students about dress code, she finally started the class by ordering everyone to sit down.

Shit I was really close to getting caught. I'm so lucky she didn't see it clearly. But what'll happen another day? I was saved today, but that doesn't mean I'll be saved every day. I should have asked the barber that what he will do with my hair. God.

"Today we will start the first chapter: The Concept of History. I know many of you already finished this chapter in private tuition, but still, I’ll advise you to listen. In this chapter, we will learn about how 19th-century historians started writing about commoners, food, and sports history — other than the lives of kings and queens."

♡♡🌹♡♡

_This is so boring. I’d rather learn about hormones and stuff than these dead people._

As Anvita engaged more with the topic of how historians started writing history about common people, Abhira grew more and more uninterested. At some point, she started feeling drowsy.

And suddenly — thud. Abhira had banged her head on the bench.

Ananya tried to comfort her. "Are you okay? Oh God."

Saranya saw her from her bench. "Oh no, she’s so dead. God, please save her from that evil lady."

Anvita, who was previously writing on the blackboard, stopped and slowly walked towards Abhira.

Oh shit, I'm dead. I'm so dead. There's no way out, I-

"Go splash some water."

"Huh?"

"Splash some water."

"Oh. Okay, Ma’am."

Abhira went out like a living robot. Everyone else in class still couldn’t believe what had just happened.

Anika whispered to Ananya, "Last year, this teacher called a girl’s guardian for this same reason. Now she’s acting this nice? Has she changed, or are we dreaming?"

Ananya smirked and whispered back, "Anvita got charmed by Abhira’s cute face."

"Maybe."

A little while later, Abhira came back.

"Hey, wet hair, sit here." Anvita pointed at the first bench where only two people were sitting. Abhira didn’t understand and went to sit on the ground.

"Hey, hey, I said here. Are you dumb?" Anvita made a disturbed face, like she didn’t like making students sit on the ground when four girls were already outside.

"Oh, oh, okay, Ma’am." With shaky legs, Abhira sat on the first bench, and other students passed her notebook from her old bench.

This is crazy. I can't believe this is happening.

"Don’t sleep next time or you’ll end up on the ground."

Anvita said while knocking on Abhira’s head.

And through all of this, Abhira had forgotten to breathe. She only remembered when Anvita knocked her head.

The rest of the class went smoothly, with Abhira not blinking an eye — because how could she? And Anvita teaching about the importance of social history while stealing glances at Abhira to see if she was actually awake or not.

♡♡🌹♡♡

Half an hour passed just like that. Somehow, Abhira was actually invested in the history Anvita was teaching. She had everyone hypnotized with her lesson. Anvita was one of those teachers — when they start teaching, even students who hate the subject get pulled in.

The bell rang.

Anvita put down the chalk and said, "Class dismissed."

With that, she left the room, and the students stood up.

Saranya left her bench with her lunchbox, looking at Abhira with an excited grin. Abhira also left her bench, lunch in hand, wearing the exact same smile.

Then they ran to each other, held hands, and screamed excitedly, "Abhira survived! YEAHHHHHHHHH!"

At their excitement, other classmates patted Abhira’s shoulder. "Girl, you survived." "You’re so lucky."

Class 10A was right next to one of the two staircases. One led to Class 9, the other to Class 10. Most students settled on the new balcony in front of their classroom, marking their spots. But Abhira and Saranya had other plans. They went to their old place. It was in front of Class 9, but a little farther away. This one also had a balcony, though it was under the school building.

But choosing this space wasn’t just about a balcony. From here, the staff room and the stairs to the third floor were visible. So if any teacher had to come up to the third floor, they could see them. And this was tiffin time, so logically, teachers would leave the staff room. These stairs were closer for them than the other ones. That meant Abhira and Saranya could stay there even after the tiffin bell rang — as long as no teacher came. Peak-level genius.

They stood there and opened their lunchboxes. Saranya had brought her signature dish: spaghetti. And Abhira’s mom had made pancakes. No one knew what was in those pancakes that Abhira brought them every single day. She never got bored of them. Even Saranya had stopped eating from her bestie’s box because she’d lost her appetite for pancakes. But Abhira? She wasn’t over them.

Saranya sneered, "What do you even get from pancakes, huh? You’ve been bringing them for like a year."

Abhira stated proudly, "You just don’t know the beauty of pancakes."

"Oh, stop, girl. There’s nothing special about pancakes," Saranya frowned.

Abhira said excitedly, "You just don’t know. They’re so fluffy, sw—"

"Sweet, delicious, tasty. You just don’t understand," Saranya cut in blandly.

"Hey, how did you know?"

"Honey, you say the same thing every time I ask about pancakes."

"Hmph." Abhira looked down at the staff room, pouting.

"Abhira, sorry. Pancakes are great, okay?"

"You’re just saying that."

"Okay, okay, sorry."

"Hmm."

Abhira blankly stared down, still pouting. Then suddenly, she saw Anvita.

Why is she here? She should be eating by now.

Anvita looked at her. But it wasn’t a strict stare. Abhira didn’t look away either. She kept looking, still pouting. Saranya noticed but didn’t interfere.

For a minute, they just stared — like they were having a staring contest.

Then Anvita seemed to snap out of it and signaled, "What?"

Abhira lost it. She looked away, and her nose and ears turned pink. And if that wasn’t enough, she started hiccuping.

First, a soft one.

Hic

Then it started in full force.

Hic. Hic. Hic.

Saranya couldn’t stay normal. She burst out laughing. Abhira drank some water and slowed down.

"You told me you get hiccups when you get flustered. I didn’t believe you then, but now I do."

"Shut up," Abhira hissed.

"So how was it, looking at Anvita Ma’am? Hmm? Did you notice her eyes? Or the tinted lips?"

Abhira blushed harder, practically burning. "I SAID SHUT UP!" she screamed.

Her voice echoed through the hall, even above the noise of other classes.

♡♡🌹♡♡

Abhira’s ears stayed pink through the whole class. Saranya told Anika and Ananya about the staring contest, and they teased Abhira too. But her mind was blank, and she didn’t hear anything they said. She was hypnotized.

After the last class finished, Abhira and Saranya left school on Saranya’s cycle. The winter breeze was cold, but it made Abhira feel like summer was coming — even though it was still January.

"The breeze is great, right?" Abhira said from the back seat.

"Yeah, it feels like summer is coming," Saranya said, laughing.

"Oh, you just said what was in my mind!"

"We’re best friends for a reason, you know!"

After some time, Saranya reached their neighborhood.

"You’ll teach the kids now, right?" Saranya said loudly.

"Yeah, and a new student is joining today," Abhira said excitedly.

"Don’t you get tired or angry at the kids? I saw your students — they’re one of a kind. If I were to teach them, they probably wouldn’t come to me at any cost, because of how angry I’d get."

"That’s why you work as a cashier and I work as a tutor."

"Yeah, all for our pocket money. But you earn much more than me."

"Well, I have to teach literal kids while you just take money and offer coffee."

"Yeah, that makes sense."

They reached Abhira’s place, which was just two houses before Saranya’s. Abhira got down.

"Bye, baddie."

"Bye, diva."

It looked a little funny, but this was their signature way of saying goodbye to each other. As Abhira entered, she saw her students already seated on the drawing room floor.

♡♡🌹♡♡

Where's the new kid? I guess she'll be late.

Abhira went up to her room and changed out of her school dress into a soft, cozy plaid pyjama set with a red and green pattern. The lace trim on the collar and cuffs gave it a sweet, slightly elegant vibe.

As she came out of her room, she saw Amrita — the new student — and her mother.

"Ah, Auntie, nice to meet you again."

Amrita’s mother nodded in satisfaction.

Abhira bent down to match the little girl’s height and asked sweetly, "Hey, little kid, what’s your name?"

"......Amrita," the girl with pixie hair answered while clutching her bag like it was treasure.

"Okay, Amrita, you can sit here." Abhira gave her a spot beside the two sisters, Sekha and Saktha. They, along with Amrit, Rohit, Nirbhay, and Nischay — who were also brothers — had been studying with her for a year. Saktha, the older sister, had ranked first in her school last year. Now she was in Class 2. Amrit, Rohit, Nirbhay, and Sekha were all in Class 1. Nischay was the oldest among them — Class 3.

Abhira sat on the floor with her legs crossed to start teaching.

"Abhira?"

"Yes, Auntie?"

"You know the ATM beside the sweet shop?"

"Yes, I went there once. I know the way."

"Good. In front of that, there’s an alley. My house is five houses down."

"Oh, okay, Auntie."

With that, Amrita’s mother left.

Abhira focused on teaching.

"Today we’ll learn simple addition and subtraction. And Saktha, Nischay — I made worksheets for you two, so you’ll do these." She handed them the papers.

Abhira started teaching the little ones about plus and minus.

"Okay, look — how many cookies do I have here?" She brought out some cookies.

"Three!" the kids screamed excitedly.

"Okay, look. If I add two more, then how many cookies are there now?"

They started counting.

Nirbhay screamed excitedly, "Five, Didi, five!"

"Yeah!"

♡♡🌹♡♡

The class soon finished. Now it was time for Abhira to walk the kids home.

She went out with the seven kids, gripping Amrita’s and Amrit’s hands — because shameless Abhira was already shipping them after he gave Amrita his cookie. Everyone else walked in front of her.

"Everyone hold hands or you’ll get lost."

Saktha and Sekha led the way.

The first ones to get home were Nirbhay and Nischay. Then Saktha and Sekha. After that, Rohit. Then Amrit. As Amrit reached his house, he smiled at Amrita — though he rarely smiled — and went inside. Now it was time to take Amrita home. After some time, they reached the ATM.

"Look, there, there — that’s my house!" Amrita pointed at a two-story house.

They reached the house and saw Amrita’s mother standing in their garden. Even in the evening streetlights, the garden looked beautiful, lit with fairy light garlands.

"You found it. So, how was Amrita doing?"

"She’s doing pretty great. I’ve given her some worksheets. Don’t help her if she doesn’t understand something. I want her to do it herself," Abhira said firmly, like an actual teacher.

"Okay, okay, Abhira."

"Then I’ll go."

As Abhira started walking home, she spotted someone in the dark. Someone very familiar.

Is that Anvita Ma'am? No, no, I must be mistaking. Why would Anvita Ma'am wear something this.... modern? No, no, I must be mistaking.

Indeed. The woman in the dark was wearing an off-shoulder black top and a pencil skirt, along with black stockings.

Abhira didn’t want to disturb a stranger, but curiosity took over, and suddenly she was following the mysterious lady.

Then, with the last bit of courage she had, she poked the lady’s shoulder. The lady swiftly looked back.

"Who are... oh."

Abhira stood silently in horror. It turned out that Abhira’s imagination was right. It _was_ Anvita.

Shit shit shit shit. It's really her. But why is she wearing these kind of clothes? Is she in her twenties? No, no, why am I asking? Of course she's in her twenties. Just look at her, she is so beautiful.

Anvita stared at her, trying to recall her name — which she’d never asked. Her little messy bun looked shiny under the golden streetlights.

"What’s your name?"

"A-Abhira Choudhary."

"Hmm."

She took in the newly discovered appearance of the girl in front of her. Abhira was wearing rimless glasses, her wolf-cut falling on her face, now fully dried. And with her pyjamas on, she looked more like a submissive female husky than a little puppy.

"Your hair... it’s not allowed in school."

"I will tie it up."

"It will come undone," Anvita said while touching her hair.

Abhira got goosebumps all over her body, and suddenly her winter pyjamas weren’t enough to keep out the cold.

"Why did you cut it like this?"

"I didn’t. I just asked the barber to do anything he wanted with my hair, and he did this."

"Hmm. The barber has good taste."

Abhira had been looking down the whole time, but after hearing that, she slowly looked up, eyes wide, shaking. And then suddenly, she started hiccuping. Anvita stared at her blankly, trying to understand the person in front of her, when her car finally arrived.

"Okay, I’ll take my leave. And Abhira... go home quickly and drink some water."

With that, Anvita entered her car and left Abhira standing there, alone. She could now really feel the cold on her skin.

End of Chapter : 2

"Then three treble crochets in one stitch," the lady in Abhira's phone says while doing it herself on camera.

Abhira is making a small crochet star trinket by following the tutorial. She does it to ease her mind. Abhira's really good with crochet. Last Christmas, she gifted her mom a cardigan and her dad a pair of gloves — both handmade.

"Hmm, we're almost done," the lady in the phone says.

"Actually, this is pretty cute. It'll look nice on my study table," Abhira mutters to herself.

_The barber has good taste._

"Ughhhhh, no no no—" Abhira throws everything she was holding and buries her face in her hands, burning with shame.

"I hate her. I hate her. Why is she so annoying?? I swear I'll slap her pretty face," Abhira groans in embarrassment.

To comfort herself, she lies back properly and hugs her dinosaur plushie — her own creation.

"She's so annoying, problematic, smug, intentionally quiet, irritating, pretty, beautiful, irresistible, soft—"

"....."

"WHAT THE HELL AM I EVEN SAYING????? Get out of my little brain, you brat!"

Abhira can't decide whether to curse her or praise her. Her mind is stuck on the last conversation they had.

♡♡🌹♡♡

"Bioethanol comes from......sugar, co.......rn and.....and cookies....wait cookies?"

It’s 4:30 AM. Abhira’s brain is fried. And how can it not be? She stayed awake in her bed, and the moment she finally fell asleep, her alarm rang.

Abhira has this bad habit of waking up early to finish homework, even when she hasn’t slept at all. Yesterday her brain was fried and she thought sleep would fix it. That she didn’t sleep... well, she had her own reasons.

She has Physics class at Pretam Sir’s house today. Not doing his homework will only lead to him calling her parents.

His house is just 2 houses behind hers. A lot of their neighbors study under him. Abhira’s batch has only five people: Juniya, Samranya (Ritikwa Ma’am’s daughter), Aisha, Taniya, and Manisha — Abhira’s old crush. As much as she doesn’t like going there anymore, she can’t skip either. Because the teacher is brilliant at physics. The kind who could argue about quantum theory for weeks. But he chose to teach kids.

The house is still asleep. Abhira is the only one awake, studying like her life depends on it. But her eyes are drowsy. Her face looks like something out of the Russian Sleep Experiment. And it’s not going smoothly.

"55-60% methane, 35-44% CO₂ and 0.5% California......what the—"

Abhira needs sleep.

♡♡🌹♡♡

Still, Abhira studies. Because why wouldn’t she? Who wants to get scolded in front of their old crush? Even if Abhira doesn’t like her anymore, somewhere deep down, she still cares what Manisha thinks.

Abhira keeps reading physics even though her body and mind have both given up on her.

After some time, Abhira glances at the clock.

*6:30 AM.*

She needs to get ready. Class starts at 7 AM. And until now, she’s only had water. So she stumbles to brush her teeth — and falls asleep. Again. This time on her sofa. When she wakes up, it’s already *7:05 AM*.

“I fell asleep again,” Abhira groans, annoyed at herself. She splashes water on her face, throws on something heavy, and leaves her house.

It’s a small walk, so it doesn’t take too long to reach Pritam Sir’s house. His house is one of the oldest in the neighborhood. They say it was built even before he was born. He’s 54 now, so technically, the house is ancient.

Abhira takes the stairs up to the third floor. There’s just one room up there — the rest is open roof.

The moment she enters, Pritam Sir questions her, already taking out his glasses. “You live beside me. Then why so late?”

“Ahh, Sir, I accidentally fell asleep—”

“Hmm. Go sit there.” He points at the empty space beside Manisha.

Abhira tries to protest. “But Sir, I want to sit beside Juniya—”

“No, no. You two always create chaos.”

“But Sir—”

“No.”

Abhira has no other choice, so she sits beside Manisha. Her stomach drops a little.

“Revise. I’ll give you the questions to write after 15 minutes,” Pritam Sir says after checking his phone.

The room has a wooden bedstead where the students sit. Pritam Sir sits on a chair in front of it. The walls haven’t been painted — they’re rough, bare brick. Beside the bedstead, old shelves sag under the weight of books. All physics and math. All from when Pritam Sir was a student himself.

Abhira tries to focus, but her eyes keep drifting to the person beside her. A wave of guilt washes over her.

What if I had waited a little longer? Would she have said yes?

But then she remembers what Manisha told her that day—

"I don't want to feel this way again."

Instantly, the guilt curdles into anger. So she forces herself to focus again. But then Manisha speaks.

“Your hair... it looks nice.”

Abhira looks at her. She wants to ask, Why didn't you notice it before? But she doesn’t say anything.

“So, um. Happy New Year,” Manisha mumbles.

“Hmm. You too,” Abhira answers blandly, eyes back on her book.

“Hey, close your books and open your notebook. I’m giving you the questions.”

Pritam Sir hands out some questions about fossil fuels and biofuels.

Abhira stares at the paper. She knows the answers, but her mind is too foggy to dig them up. The words swim. She just stares.

“Do you have a blue pen?” Manisha asks, her voice careful. Quiet.

“Hmm. Here.” Abhira fishes a blue pen out of her pencil bag and slides it across without looking at her.

After a while, she finally starts writing. Slowly. Painfully slow. She takes a few sips of water after every couple of sentences, like her brain only works in exchange for hydration.

When she finally finishes, she looks down at her paper. She realizes she’s only written dry, unimportant facts. Nothing impressive. But today, she’s satisfied. For her, just filling the page is enough.

Pritam Sir checks the papers as usual. He scolds them if they’ve written something wrong. But then Abhira’s paper comes up.

“What is this?” He frowns. “Is _this_ what you’ll write about sustainable development? Tell me — what is sustainable development?”

Abhira hesitates, throat dry. Then she finally mumbles, “Saving fuel for future generations and... save fossil fuel.”

“That’s not it. Read the book properly,” he says, scribbling on her paper with red ink. “You didn’t write the uses of bioethanol.”

“...” Abhira stays silent, eyes fixed on the floor.

“Do better next time, or I’ll be forced to call your mother.”

“Yes, Sir,” Abhira murmurs, still looking down. Her cheeks burn. She can feel Manisha beside her, probably watching.

After checking the other students’ papers, Pritam Sir finally starts the lesson.

“Today we will finish the chapter by covering Coal Bed Methane gas and Methane Hydrate,” he says, opening his book with a thud.

“In coal mines, methane gas stays absorbed inside the solid matrix. It’s called Coal Bed Methane. It is a type of natural gas. Since it contains only small quantities of CO₂, it’s less harmful to our health. So it’s also called Sweet Gas.”

♡♡🌹♡♡

It’s Math class now. Saranya hasn’t come to school.

Abhira is here, but in her not-so-perfect outfit. Her school uniform looks... off. The collar is wrinkled, like she didn’t even bother checking herself in the mirror this morning. Her tie hangs loose. Too loose. Her socks are slipping down her ankles. And her whole face screams exhaustion — dark circles under her eyes, lips chapped and dehydrated even though she’d chugged water not too long ago.

Right now, she’s sleeping soundly at her desk, while Anika and Ananya sit on either side, trying to hide her.

Lylina, the Math teacher, is teaching irrational numbers. Though it looks like she’s only teaching the first bench. She’s the kind of teacher who values grades over character, who plants the idea of “class” and “hierarchy” into students’ minds. The Headmistress doesn’t like her for this. But Lylina is the daughter of a popular politician, so the Headmistress can’t say anything.

“Hey! Why are you sleeping in MY class?” Lylina spots Abhira.

“She didn’t sleep last night,” Anika stands up, trying to reason with her.

“So? Why would I care?” Lylina says carelessly, striding toward their bench.

“But Ma’am—”

Lylina yanks Anika out of the way and glares down at Abhira. Ananya sits frozen beside her.

“Ma’am, please,” Ananya pleads, voice small.

Lylina doesn’t listen.

“Hey!” She shakes Abhira hard. When Abhira doesn’t wake up, the class bursts into laughter.

“HEY, you uncultured brat!”

Abhira finally jolts awake. The first thing she sees is Lylina’s frown, framed by sharp cat-eye glasses and blood-red lipstick. She’s wearing a red, handwoven designer kurti — expensive, deliberate.

“Texting your boyfriend all night and sleeping in my class?” Lylina screams. She has no evidence, but she doesn’t need any. This is how she likes to humiliate kids with average grades.

“Call your parents after class,” clap “I need to discipline your uncultured parents.”

Abhira’s eyes snap wide open.

Uncultured parents.

Her mother is the manager of this city’s ICSC Bank branch, and her father is a respected artist. Both in elite positions. And here was Lylina, dragging their status through the mud.

Abhira can’t let that happen.

“Ma’am, you can arrange a hundred parent meetings, but you _can’t_ say something like that about my parents,” Abhira says firmly, holding eye contact even though her hands are shaking.

“You little—” Lylina raises her hand to slap Abhira, but Ananya blocks her.

The trio ends up sitting on the floor outside the classroom.

“I think she has some personal grudge against you,” Anika states, arms crossed.

“Yeah, she never gets this angry,” Ananya says blankly, staring at the balcony in front of them.

“The view is good though. Right, Abhira?”

“...” Abhira just stares at the blue sky, jaw clenched.

“Is there really something going on between you two?” Anika shakes Abhira’s shoulder.

“Hmm. There is.”

It was a month ago. Lylina had come to Abhira’s house while she was tutoring kids. The door was open, so Lylina walked right in.

“Can I have a word?”

“Ah, Ma’am, of course.” Abhira led her from the drawing room to the living room.

“I have two boys. Twins. I want you to teach them. Alone.”

“Alone? Um, but I’m not allowed.”

“What do you mean, not allowed? I’ll pay you extra.”

“It’s not about the money, Ma’am. I’m not allowed to go out and come back home alone at night.”

“Then what about when you drop the kids home at night? What about that?”

“Our neighborhood has CCTV cameras. Can’t you just bring them to my house?”

“To your house? With those lowly kids? Do you want my kids to get dirty too? Can’t you teach them alone in your house? That could also work,” Lylina said, her face twisting in disgust.

“Ma’am, those are my students. Don’t look down on them. If you don’t have anything else to say, you may leave. I will not teach your kids,” Abhira stated firmly.

“How dare you?” Lylina screamed.

“How dare you disrespect my kids in my house?” Abhira raised her voice too — but still within her limits. Controlled.

“Then she stormed out of my house,” Abhira finishes, frowning at the memory.

“Wow, you’re bolder than I thought,” Anika exclaims.

“Bravo, kid,” Ananya pats her back, a small smile breaking through.

They spend the rest of the period outside until the bell rings. After class, Lylina walks out and sees them.

“Hey, you two, go inside,” Lylina signals Anika and Ananya.

“You stay here until the next teacher comes.” With that, she leaves, her heels clicking down the corridor.

Ugh, anyone, any teacher, please save me.

I've never sat on the ground like this. My back aches. The tiles are cold even through my skirt. And I can't sleep here- too exposed.

Some Class 9 students walk past and see Abhira. They point, laugh, then disappear down the corridor beside 10B.

“Laugh all you want,” she mutters, annoyed. “My day will come soon.”

She forces herself to focus on the balcony in front of her. The railing has big, decorative holes cut into the concrete. She stares through one. Past it, she can see the school’s main pillar, and behind that, the lake. Little ducks are gliding across the water, calm and unbothered.

Then the view gets blocked by their Life Science teacher, Priyanka Ma’am.

“Hey, why are you sitting on the floor? Who punished you?” she asks, already reaching down to pull Abhira up.

“Lylina Ma’am,” Abhira mumbles.

“Ahh, it’s fine. Go, take your seat,” Priyanka Ma’am says, letting go of her hand with a gentle squeeze.

“Thanks, Ma’am,” she says, her voice going soft without meaning to.

Priyanka Ma’am is one of those teachers who actually liked kids. She cares more about behavior than grades. She especially likes Abhira — she’s always been the sweet student Priyanka Ma’am brags about. Because of her, even the Headmistress sees Abhira as a “good girl.” Priyanka Ma’am has watched Abhira since the day she entered Graham Girls’ High School. Always polite. Always good at her subject. She tells other kids, “Be more like Abhira.”

But Abhira still wonders what Priyanka Ma’am even sees in her.

As she slides back into her bench, Priyanka Ma’am starts the lesson.

“Students! Today is our first day, though a lot of you have had my classes before. Today we’ll start Chapter One: Control and Coordination in Living Organisms”

Abhira listens. Or tries to. She keeps drifting, her eyelids heavy. But she doesn’t want to ruin her image in front of Priyanka Ma’am. So she forces her eyes open. She’s not actually hearing anything, though. The words go in one ear and dissolve.

♡♡🌹♡♡

It’s now exactly 12:30 PM. Anvita Ma’am’s class. Abhira is sleeping peacefully. After Priyanka Ma’am finished, no other teacher came. A whole period was free.

“Should we wake her up?” Anika whispers, careful not to actually wake her.

“No,” Ananya says, gently touching Abhira’s hair. She’d untied it earlier. Her wolfcut falls across her face like a curtain. Ananya carefully lifts the strands to check on her.

“She needs the sleep. And if Anvita Ma’am gets angry, we might just end up sitting on the floor again. We already did that once today. Can’t we suffer a little more? For her?” Ananya pleads, looking at Anika.

“Yeah... I guess we can. We are friends for a reason,” Anika smiles at Ananya.

And Ananya smiles back.

Anvita enters the class. She’s wearing an off-white sari with delicate handloom designs. Over it, a heavy coat and a muffler — it’s cold today. As she scans the standing students, she immediately notices someone missing.

Where's that girl?

Her eyes sweep the faces, searching for Abhira.

Did she not come today?

She walks down the aisle toward Abhira’s bench, only to see her — slumped over, asleep, her face completely hidden by her hair.

“Ma-Ma’am, she-she didn’t sleep last night,” Anika mumbles, horrified.

Anvita looks at Anika. Then back at Abhira.

Then, out of nowhere, she reaches out and gently lifts Abhira’s hair, revealing her tired face. Dark circles. Parted lips. Dead to the world.

Anvita stares blankly for a second. But there’s a hint of something in her eyes — not anger. Pity.

She clears her throat and looks at Anika. “Do you know why she didn’t sleep last night?”

“She said she was frustrated because of someone.”

“Hmm.”

And with that, Anvita walks back to her table and opens her book.

“Okay, everyone, take your seats,” she says calmly.

Anika and Ananya stare at each other with wide eyes. They want to scream, but they can’t.

“Abhira’s gonna lose her mind when she hears this,” Anika whispers, grinning.

“For real,” Ananya laughs silently, covering her mouth.

As Anvita teaches, everyone gets pulled in by her voice. But some students still whisper, gossiping about what just happened. The whole class is waiting for two things: for Abhira to wake up, and for Anvita to finish the class.

♡♡🌹♡♡

"She did WHAT??" Abhira shrieks. Her whole body’s trembling and her cheeks are burning pink.

"Yes, girl. She just—" Anika pats her back, trying not to laugh, "—lifted your hair, looked at you, and then went back to teaching like nothing happened. No punishment. Nothing."

Around them, practically the whole class is still there. Nobody left for lunch. They all stayed just to watch Abhira combust.

"Oh god." Abhira slaps a hand over her cheek. It’s scorching. Ananya cackles, leaning on the desk. "I’m telling you, Anvita Ma’am totally has a soft spot for you."

Abhira fumbles with her glasses, shoving them on while patting her hair down. "No, no, you’re wrong. It’s just—it's—"

The barber has good taste.

She chokes on the memory. "Nothing. Obviously nothing. She’s just... being nice before she hands me a Transfer Certificate." She pauses, then doubles down. "Definitely playing nice."

"Oh, come on," Anika groans, rolling her eyes.

That’s when Tamanya and Samina—the quietest girls on their bench—finally speak up.

"I noticed Anvita Ma’am glancing at Abhira throughout the whole class," Tamanya says, way too casually for the bomb she just dropped.

"She even asked why you were sleeping," Samina adds, her face blank as always, but her eyes locked on Abhira.

The rest of the class erupts. "OHHHH!" they chant in unison, grinning like idiots.

Abhira doesn’t melt. She doesn’t even blush more—impossible. She just whips around to Anika. "Wait. What did you tell her? When she asked?"

"I said you were frustrated with someone," Anika shrugs, clueless.

Abhira’s eyes go wide. She nearly screams. "Oh my god, WHY would you say that?!"

Now Anika and the others panic. "Why?! What’s wrong with that?" Anika asks frantically.

"Because—" Abhira lowers her voice, glancing around, "—we ran into each other last night. And she yelled at me about my hair."

She leaves out the part where Anvita, the terrifyingly strict Assistant Headmistress, actually complimented her. That much chaos? Abhira can’t handle it. Not today.

"WHAT??" The crowd gasps.

Anika bursts out laughing, clutching her stomach. "No way. You two have better chemistry than a K-drama!"

"Ugh," Abhira rolls her eyes so hard it hurts. "Chemistry or disaster-y."

♡♡🌹♡♡

After the chaos, Abhira went to wash her face. When she came back, she froze.

Saktha—her ex—was at her bench, chatting with Anika and Ananya like they’d been friends for years.

No one knew about their relationship. Only Saranya did.

"Saktha, what are you doing at my bench?" Abhira asked, keeping her voice calm.

"Why? I was talking to my new friends. I just joined your group," Saktha answered with a mischievous laugh.

She had pink-rimmed cat-eye glasses perched on her head. Her hair was short, but she always wore it in a ponytail.

Ever since the breakup, Saktha had been circling every friend group Abhira had. And Abhira—still not fully healed—would just quietly leave for her own peace of mind. Now, Anika and Ananya were her new targets.

Before Abhira, Saktha was nobody. Just another student. She wasn’t popular, so no one really talked to her. But after they broke up, after Saktha made Abhira cry in front of everyone, suddenly people were interested.

"Do you really have to take them away too? They’re my benchmates. You’ve already made a lot of friends. Why not talk to them?" Abhira said, walking over.

Anika and Ananya looked confused.

"She just wanted to talk, Abhira," Anika insisted.

"Anika, I’m not talking to you. I’m talking to the person beside you," Abhira said firmly, stopping right in front of Saktha.

"Abhira, isn’t this too much? Do you want them to know?" Saktha smiled mockingly.

Abhira sighed. She had no idea what to do. If Anika or Ananya found out, they’d be disgusted—she was sure of it.

"What do you want?" Abhira asked, still trying to stay calm.

"What do _I_ want? I just want you to get the hell off me," Saktha laughed, inspecting her nails like she was bored.

"You’re talking to my friends and poisoning them against me," Abhira glared.

"You know what? I’m way too civilised for this. Why am I even talking to this fucking homo? I’m better off with my boyfriend," Saktha raised her voice, glaring back.

Abhira’s blood boiled. But she controlled herself. "Oh, then it would’ve been better if you’d gotten civilised before we kissed," she said, her voice dangerously calm.

Anika and Ananya looked shocked. Too shocked to speak. And Abhira, who used to care so much, just... stopped caring.

Raging, Saktha grabbed Abhira’s collar. "You fucking slut" she screamed.

Abhira shoved her back and slapped her so hard Saktha hit the ground.

"Bitch, I’ll go to the Assistant Headmistress and you’ll be done for."

Abhira looked down, expressionless. "Do whatever you like."

Saktha scrambled up, glared at her, flipped her the middle finger, and stormed off.

Abhira turned to Ananya and Anika. "Be disgusted with me all you want, but I’m not letting you go." Tears slid down her cheeks.

Anika rushed in and hugged her. "I don’t like people like that, but I’m fine as long as it’s you."

Ananya joined the hug. "Remember? We’re friends. Whatever happens, we’re not giving up on you."

Abhira broke down completely. When Tamanya and Samina walked into the class, they found all three of them laughing through Abhira’s tears. Without a word, they joined the hug.

♡♡🌹♡♡

It was around 12 AM. Abhira had come to the convenience store near her house for ice cream. Her late-night snack before bed—though this had nothing to do with sleeping.

She’d studied, she’d tutored kids, even though her body was seconds from giving out. So she was treating herself with her own money.

As she browsed her favorite watermelon popsicles, she heard a chip packet hit the floor. Curious, she lifted her head—and saw Anvita Ma’am.

Tired, in a heavy black hoodie and winter pants. She wasn’t facing Abhira directly. It was like watching someone exhausted from behind. Abhira herself was in warm white pajamas with little hearts on them.

Anvita stared at the chip packet, debating whether to pick it up or just leave it.

Abhira smiled to herself.

Who would've thought the Assistant Headmistress of Graham Girls' High could look this groggy? But I can't say anything. I owe her for not screwing up my life.

She walked over and picked up the chip packet—only to get struck by how beautiful Anvita was up close.

She is more beautiful in person

Anvita stared at her, took the packet from Abhira’s hand, and put it back on the shelf.

"What are you doing out this late?" Anvita asked. Firm, but calm.

"I came for a late-night snack. A reward for my hard work," Abhira smiled.

"If you can work while sleep-deprived, then why were you sleeping in my class?"

"S-sorry. I was really tired. But after that nap I felt much better," Abhira said nervously.

"Hmm. Next time, try not to sleep in my class. And get some sleep at night. Don’t lose sleep over guys. They’re useless," Anvita stated, still perfectly calm.

It was you I was frustrated over, but saying that would kill me. So no way.

"Yes, Ma’am," Abhira said, heading for the ice cream.

"And hey," Anvita called out.

"Yes, Ma’am?"

"Did you slap Saktha?"

"Yes. She called me a slut," Abhira said gloomily, walking back toward Anvita.

"Did you attack first?"

"No. She grabbed my collar first and said bad things," Abhira looked down.

"Bad things?" Anvita questioned.

"Um... like swearing. Bad words I don’t want to repeat," Abhira said flatly.

"Hmm." Anvita went to the cashier and bought two bags of spicy chips. Abhira bought her popsicle.

Outside, they both stood under the night sky for a moment.

"Where’s your house?" Anvita asked, glancing at her.

"Right there." Abhira pointed at a building five houses down.

"Hmm. Okay. Go sleep. Goodnight"

With that, Anvita left first.

Abhira sighed, then walked home too, smiling to herself.

End of Chapter 3.