Chapter 1 Pink tint and smirk

Do din baad school mein kadam rakha tha usne.

White corridors. Echoing shoes. Murmuring students. Lekin jaise hi usne kadam rakha, hallway mein halka sa silence cha gaya.

Britna Ryu.

Lamba figure. Sleek black ponytail. Soft pink tint on lips—na zyada bold, na zyada simple. Eyes blank, lekin andar kuch aur chal raha tha. Uniform uspar perfect lag raha tha, lekin uski aura uniform se match nahi karti thi.

A white-badged upperclassman—student council ka ek sunbae—raasta rok leta hai.

“Britna Ryu.”

Uski awaaz calm hai, par tone mein authority. “Do din se absent thi. Reason?”

Britna rukti hai. Uski nazar us sunbae ki aankhon se takraati hai—bilkul seedha.

“Bimaar thi,” wo kehti hai.

Aur phir ek chhoti si smile—zyada nahi, bas itni ki kisi ka khoon jam jaye ya dil.

“Kabhi-kabhi rest lena bhi zaroori hota hai.”

Phir bina kuch aur kahe, wo uske paas se nikal jaati hai. Poore corridor ki nazar us par tik jaati hai—kuch confused, kuch intrigued aur woh sunbae usey dekh kar blush karne lagta hai.

Classroom mein sab waisa hi tha—chalk ki smell, books ka weight, teacher ki flat voice. Lekin ek kone mein ek ladki apne doston ke beech quietly ro rahi thi.

“Usne mujhe cheat kiya...”

“Humne kaha tha na wo ladka waise hi hai…”

“Tumne hi ignore kiya sab warning ko…”

Britna sun rahi thi. Bina react kiye. Uski pencil notebook mein chal rahi thi, lekin kaan poori tarah alert the.

Lunch break mein, sab cafeteria mein busy ho gaye. Wo ladki ab bhi udaas thi, bench pe akeli baithi thi school garden mein. Britna quietly uske paas jaakar baith gayi.

“Pata hai,” usne kaha, “log sabse badi galti kya karte hain?”

Ladki ne surprise mein uski taraf dekha.

“Rone lagte hain khamakha jab unhe dhoka diya jaaye...”

Ek second ke liye silence hua. Fir Britna ne uski aankhon mein dekha—narm nahi, thoda kashmakash bhara.

“Jisne tumhe toda… usse tod do aisa ke kabhi juddh na paaye.”

Ladki ke haath ka juice box hil gaya.

“Britna… tumhari baat hi alag hai,” usne kaha. “Tum toh apna maamla khud handle karti ho. Main kya karu?”

Britna ki muskaan thodi aur gehri ho gayi. Wo uthi. Baal uski ponytail se halki hawa mein hil rahe the.

“Shuru karo.”

Usne thoda jhuka kar whisper kiya, “Main tumhara first move bann sakti hoon. But yaad rakhna… har revenge pretty nahi hota.”

Ladki ne aankhen puchh li. “Tum help karogi?”

Britna ne ek pal ke liye kuch nahi kaha. Phir usne poocha,

“Tum abhi bhi uss kamine se pyaar karti ho?”

Ladki chup rahi. Phir dheere se sir hila diya.

“Toh ya toh use maaf karo…” Britna rukti hai, fir aankhon mein directly dekhti hai, “ya usse aise todho… ki yaad rakh jaye, ki khelne ka anjaam kya hota hai.”

Ladki ka expression badalne laga—dard se gusse mein.

“Tumhare paas koi plan hai?”

Britna ki aankhon mein kuch chamka.

“Main plan nahi banati,” usne kaha, “main sirf pieces set karti hoon.”

Usne pink lipstick wale lips ko thoda dabaya, “Aur har game ka ek queen hota hai.”

“Tum queen banogi?”

Britna ki smile dark ho gayi.

“Nahi,” usne kaha. “Main woh hoon jo queen ko board pe rakhti hai.”

[To be continued…]

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