Sara had recently moved to a new city and everything in her life had changed with it.

A new place. A new school. A new beginning.

She was not alone, though. Her niece, Maria, had also been admitted to the same school. That made things a little easier for Sara. At least she had someone familiar beside her in this unfamiliar world.

Their first day in Class 11 felt strange.

Every student in the room was new. No one knew each other from before. It was a fresh start for everyone and the classroom was filled with quiet curiosity, small glances and hesitant conversations.

Sara however, stayed reserved. She was not someone who easily opened up. While others slowly formed groups, she preferred to observe in silence.

But by the end of the day, something unexpected happened.

She made her first friend.

Her name was Adrita.

Adrita had a strong, fearless personality. She was outspoken, bold, and completely unbothered by what others thought of her. She said what she wanted, how she wanted, without hesitation. There was a sharp confidence in her presence something that naturally made people either respect her or keep their distance.

Sara found herself drawn to that energy.

And slowly, a small group formed Sara, Maria and Adrita. Three new students trying to settle into a new environment together.

For a while, things remained ordinary.

But not for long.

A couple of days later, everything began to change.

It was a regular class period. The classroom was noisy as students chatted before the teacher arrived. Since everyone was still new, conversations filled every corner of the room and small groups had already started forming.

Sara was sitting with Maria and Adrita, leaning slightly toward them as they spoke quietly about something unimportant just casual talk between friends.

That was when it happened.

A voice came from behind her.

“Wow.”

It was low, teasing and deliberately loud enough for nearby students to hear.

Sara paused.

The voice continued.

“She writes notes like the exam is tomorrow.”

A few students nearby chuckled.

Slowly, Sarah turned around.

A boy was sitting in the desk behind her. He was leaning back casually in his chair, completely relaxed, with an amused smirk on his face as if he enjoyed provoking people for fun.

His eyes flicked toward her notebook.

“Should I be impressed?” he added lightly. “Or are you trying to become the class topper on day one?”

The laughter around them grew.

Sara felt her irritation rise instantly.

She had not been looking for trouble. But somehow, it had found her anyway.

“What’s your problem?” she asked sharply.

The boy raised an eyebrow, clearly amused that she had responded.

“Oh,” he said, his smirk deepening. “She talks too.”

That was enough.

Sara’s expression changed instantly. Calm on the outside but her irritation was clear in the way her eyes stayed fixed on him.

Maria and Adrita both noticed the shift.

Sara looked straight at him.

“If you have something to say,” she said coldly, “say it properly instead of sitting there and mocking others.”

The boy leaned back in his chair, completely relaxed, like her words had no effect on him at all.

In fact, he looked more amused now.

“Oh?” he said lightly. “So that’s what you think I’m doing?”

A few nearby students turned their attention toward them.

He casually flipped a page of her notebook with his pen, as if inspecting it.

“I was just pointing something out,” he continued. “You write like there’s a war coming in the next ten minutes.”

A few soft laughs spread through the class again.

Sara’s jaw tightened, but her voice stayed controlled.

“Stop talking,” she said flatly. “It’s annoying.”

That only made his smirk grow.

“Annoying?” he repeated. “I haven’t even started yet.”

He tapped his pen lightly against the desk, still looking at her.

“Relax a little. It’s just class.”

Sara’s eyes didn’t move away from him.

“I don’t need your advice,” she said.

Ishan tilted his head slightly, as if thinking about that.

“Clearly,” he replied. “You look like you don’t take any.”

A few students chuckled again, enjoying the exchange.

The air between them had shifted completely now—no longer simple teasing, but a quiet push and pull, each word testing the other.

And then—

The classroom door opened. The teacher walked in.

The noise disappeared instantly. Ishan leaned back again, expression casual, like nothing had happened.

Sara turned her attention forward, her irritation still simmering beneath the surface.

The moment ended there...

But the tension didn’t.

That was the first time Sara met Ishan.

And somehow, neither of them had actually stopped the argument....they had only paused it.

After their first argument in class, Sara started disliking Ishan even more. Since they were all classmates, one of the students had created a class group chat where everyone was added. It quickly became active, filled with random conversations, jokes and messages throughout the day.

Sara rarely spoke there.

She mostly stayed silent, reading the messages without replying.

One evening, while everyone had been chatting earlier, Sara randomly typed:

How are you guys?

But because of autocorrect, the word “guys” disappeared before she sent it.

The message simply appeared as:

How are you?

At that moment, only one person was active.

Ishan.

A few seconds later, his reply appeared.

Were you talking to me?

Sara frowned immediately.

She quickly typed back:

No. I was asking everyone.

A reply came almost instantly.

Funny. I don’t see anyone else here.

Sara rolled her eyes.

They were active a minute ago. I wrote “guys.” My autocorrect removed it.

There was a pause.

Then his message appeared again.

Sure. Convenient excuse.

Her irritation rose instantly.

Why would I text you?

A few seconds later:

Relax. Don’t sound so desperate to explain yourself.

That was enough.

Sara stared at the screen in disbelief.

How could someone be this annoying?

Without replying again, she left the group chat.

A few minutes later, more classmates became active. The boys started joking around with Ishan, laughing at the situation.

Sara didn’t return.

And somehow, after that stupid conversation, she disliked him even more.

The next morning at school, things slowly returned to normal. By then, Sara had started making more friends.

Adrita had a guy best friend named Rohit from Section A. Unlike Section B, where every student was newly admitted, Section A was filled with old students who had already studied there for years.

One day, Adrita introduced Rohit to Sarah and Maria.

The friendship started naturally.

Soon enough, They also became friends with Mohit.

Before long, their small group had grown:

Sara, Maria, Adrita, Mohit and Rohit.

At first, they were just casual friends.

But as days passed, they became closer.

They laughed together, walked home together and shared the kind of small moments that slowly built real friendship.

Weeks passed like that.

Then one day, Rohit came to their class looking unusually serious.

He pulled Adrita aside and quietly explained that his friend, Faiz liked Maria.

He wanted their help.

At first, Sara immediately disagreed.

Maria was soft-hearted and innocent. Dating was not something Sara thought she was ready for.

But Adrita convinced her.

“Relax,” she said. “We’re not forcing anything. Let them talk first.”

After thinking for a moment, Sara agreed.

“If Maria likes him too, then I have no problem.”

That afternoon, after classes ended, they all walked home together.

Rohit helped Faiz start a conversation with Maria, while Sara and Adrita encouraged Maria to talk.

At first, both Maria and Faiz were shy.

But slowly, they began talking comfortably.

And over time, they started liking each other.

Three weeks later, Maria nervously asked Sara and Adrita:

“Do you think I should date him? He asked me to be his girlfriend.”

Adrita grinned instantly.

“That’s cute.”

Sara smiled softly.

“If you really like him, then yes. Go for it.”

Maria blushed and smiled.

For the first time, everything felt peaceful.

Life was simple.

Friendships were growing.

And things were finally settling into place.

Until one morning, Sara’s phone buzzed with a notification.

Still half-asleep, she picked it up.

Then her eyes widened.

A friend request.

From Ishan.

She stared at the screen in shock.

What does that guy want now?

To be continued......

Sara ignored Ishan’s friend request at first. She stared at it for a while, confused why he would even send it. After some thought, she accepted it anyway. He’s just a classmate, she told herself. Nothing happened after that and the day passed normally.

The next morning, her phone buzzed.

Ishan: Hi. What’s up?

Sara frowned. She didn’t like him, but she also didn’t want pointless drama. Maybe if they talked normally, things would improve.

Sara: Hi. Do you need anything?

His reply came instantly.

Ishan: Someone sounds pissed.

Sara rolled her eyes.

Sara: If you’re texting to mock me, stop.

Ishan: Relax. I’m just talking.

Even his “normal” sounded annoying.

Sara: if you going to keep talking like then I’ll block you.

A moment later:

Ishan: Do I care?

That was enough. Sara blocked him immediately.

A few minutes later, another message request appeared from a different account.

Hey, it’s Ishan. Open my block. I need to talk.

Sara stared in disbelief.

Sara: Say it here.

Ishan: No. Open it.

Sara: What if I don’t?

Ishan: Just one minute.

Annoyed, she unblocked him.

Sarahl: What do you want?

His reply came instantly.

Ishan: Nothing. Why are you texting me?

Sara froze, then glared at the screen.

He was mocking her again.

Sara: Want me to block you again?

Ishan: You’re rude, you know that?

Sara smirked.

Sarahl: Do I care?

There was a pause before his next text appeared.

Ishan: Fine. Let’s be friends.

Sara stared for a second before replying:

Sara: Not interested.

Then she left the chat. This time, he didn’t text again.

The days passed peacefully after that. Sara grew closer to Maria, Adrita, Rohit and especially Mohit. Mohit quickly became one of her closest friends. He was funny, playful and always knew how to make everyone laugh.

One afternoon, Mohit leaned toward her dramatically.

“Dude… I like someone.”

Sara raised an eyebrow. “Who?”

“A girl from Section A.”

Sara blinked. Section A students always acted superior to Section B, but she smiled anyway.

“Alright. I’ll help.”

She gave him advice, told him to talk confidently and even suggested buying her chocolate and a ribbon.

Later, Mohit returned looking calm.

“What happened?” Sara asked. “Rejected?”

“She already has someone.”

For a second, everyone was silent. Then they all start laughing.

“Wow,” Mohit sighed. “Such supportive friends.”

Sara patted his shoulder. “It’s fine. You’ll find better.”

Mohit shrugged. “Honestly, it doesn’t even hurt.”

The group stared.

“You didn’t like her that much?” Rohit asked.

Mohit grinned awkwardly. “It was just a crush.”

Everyone burst into laughter again and dragged him off for a “rejection treat.”

Later in class, Ishan and his friend realized they had forgotten their books. Maria kindly lent hers to them. When Ishan returned it, he smirked.

“Well… looks like at least someone here knows how to help people."

Maria simply smiled awkwardly and took her book back.

A little later, Ishan was casually talking with Mohit and another friend near their desks. Sara, Maria and Adrita were sitting nearby, not paying much attention.

Then Ishan chuckled and said loud enough for them to hear,

“Your group is funny. One stays quiet like she’s too innocent, one acts like she owns the place and the other just keeps glaring at people for no reason.”

For a second, the room went silent.

Everyone knew exactly who he was talking about.

Sara’s face darkened.

Maria looked down, uncomfortable.

And Adrita—

Adrita stood up instantly.

The words had barely left Ishan’s mouth when Adrita moved. One second he was standing there with that usual careless smirk and the next, her hand had fisted tightly around his collar, yanking him forward so suddenly that his expression changed at once.

The classroom fell silent.

“What did you just say?” Adrita’s voice was sharp enough to cut through the room.

For the first time, genuine surprise flickered across Ishan’s face.

“Whoa,” he muttered, instinctively catching his balance. “Relax.”

But Adrita’s grip only tightened.

Her eyes burned with warning, daring him to say another word.

“Don’t talk about us like that again.”

The sharpness in her tone made even the nearest students go quiet. Chairs scraped softly as people turned to watch.

For a moment, Ishan said nothing.

Then the surprise faded, replaced by something colder. His jaw tightened and when he looked back at her, there was clear irritation in his eyes.

“Don’t cross your limit,” he said, his voice low and controlled.

Instead of backing away, Adrita gave his collar another small jerk, forcing him even closer.

“Then don’t test mine.”

A tense silence followed.

The air felt heavier now, charged with something dangerous enough to make everyone hold their breath.

Ishan’s expression darkened.

He looked angry—really angry—but still restrained, as though forcing himself not to react.

Finally, he spoke through clenched teeth.

“Listen carefully. I don’t disrespect girls. So let go before this becomes unnecessary.”

That was when Mohit hurried forward, raising both hands between them.

“Okay, okay—enough. Calm down, both of you.”

But Adrita didn’t release him immediately.

From her seat, Sara tried to hide her smile and failed.

Watching Ishan—usually so smug and untouchable—standing there completely caught off guard was strangely satisfying.

“Alright, Adrita,” she said, laughing softly. “Let him go now.”

For another long second, Adrita held his gaze.

Then, at last, she let go.

Ishan stumbled back half a step before straightening himself. He fixed his collar slowly, his face unreadable now, though the anger in his eyes hadn’t disappeared.

No one spoke.

And then, suddenly, a few quiet laughs broke through the silence.

The entire class had enjoyed the show.

And from that moment on, she, Maria and Adrita disliked Ishan even more.