Chapter II

Like a still ocean with treacherous undertow, he appeared calm and composed. He didn't even bat an eye around the room yet every pair of eyes in the room were fixated on him. His uniform was neat and ironed, his hair was styled in a way which enhanced his features but also followed structure and rules of the school. A gold watch flashed on his wrist, catching the eye of everyone.

And just like that, he became the talk of the classroom and soon in school. Whispers and low chatters spreaded across the classroom.

"Amir baap ka beta aya haa."

"He is so handsome!!"

"He looks arrogant af"

"OI! QUIET!" The teacher demanded. The classroom once again fell silent. "Chandrajit, you may go sit..." Aniket sir searched for a seat and found an empty seat beside Sakshi.

"You can go sit beside Sakshi." He said with a smile.

Chandrajit nodded and went to sit beside Sakshi.

Aahan felt his heart drop. He knew it was stupid to feel this way. He knows Sakshi doesn't like him like that but he can't help it either. To Sakshi, he will always be a friend but to him, she will always be his love, his first love.

His heart slowly crumbled when he saw the new kid and Sakshi get cozy with eachother and talk like they are long lost bestfriends. As much as Aahan hates to admit it but he does feel jealous. Alot. Aahan had a crush on Sakshi from 5th grade. It was not until 8th that he finally talked to her and yet it still took time for him to actually talk like friends do.

But this guy? He did that in one day! Not even a day, it took him 2 minutes at most to talk to her. Aahan saw his years of practice and courage crumble down as he saw both of them talk and laugh.

'It's probably nothing' Aahan clenched his hand. 'Yeah. It's nothing' he tried to convince himself. And It worked for the time being.

Piyush noticed Aahan's discomfort. He placed a hand on his shoulders and asked in a gentle voice. "Are you okay?"

Aahan's startled. The way this man could read him was, in fact, scary. "Yeah. Why?" he said, not turning to him.

Piyush pressed his lip in to a line and nodded. "Nothing." It was best not to pry and leave Aahan alone to recollect his thoughts, Piyush decided then.

"Is that why she didn't sit with us?" Manisha asked, curious.

"Let's ask her during lunch." Piyush said.

"I have so many questions." Manisha said looking towards the other two.

Piyush had a bad feeling about this.

"Same." Aahan added.

"who is he?" Manisha said while eyeing the guy.

"Yeah, who?" Aahan added, doing the same.

"Is he a friend?"

"Maybe he is her ex"

"why didn't Sakshi tell us about this?"

"Yeah why? why would she keep it a secret?"

"Maybe he is her 'something something'"

"Maybe they are forcefully engaged"

Both of them spiraled in their own thoughts and theories, Manisha out of curiosity and Aahan out of jealousy. The more questions arose the more Aahan felt his heart clench. The poor guy already imagined them together, in a cozy home, with 2 kids and a pet cat, living their best life.

Piyush was stuck in between them. He could practically see Aahan's anxiety rising as Manisha rambled about her questions and theories.

'Oh God...' Piyush thought, massaging his temples. "Can you guys stop this nonsense? We can just literally ask her about this on lunch break"

Manisha groaned, "party-pooper" is all that she said. Meanwhile, Aahan had his dog ears droop down and his puppy eyes well up. He put his head down, drained.

Piyush felt bad for the puppy. Even though he appears as a chaotic gremlin and as bright as sun, he is fragile puppy inside.

"Hey—" before Piyush could finish his sentence, Aniket sir interrupted him. "OI! NO TALKING."

Great.

"Sorry sir…" Piyush murmured.

After 4 periods straight of physics and math, it was finally lunch break. Aahan and Piyush went to the canteen first, leaving the others.

"Hey, you seem..." Piyush tried to find words that would not directly confront his current situation "Not okay..?" is all he could say.

His vocabulary is not fabulous.

Aahan stayed quiet for a second then said in a hurtful voice. "Im not.."

Piyush melted when he saw Aahan hurt. He seemed like a lost puppy.

"is this about..? bhabi—"

"don't call her that! we are not even together!" he snapped.

'He is acting like a kid' piyush thought. He smiled at the thought.

Aahan was taken aback and he was much offended. How could his friend smile when his best friend was hurting. "What are you smiling about?"

"You are acting like a kid." piyush chuckled.

"You are supposed to comfort me!"

piyush chukled, "im sorry.. it's just that..."

"Ugh.." Aahan groaned. He crossed his arms and went quiet.

Piyush stopped laughing and said in a gentler voice, "hey, im sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. I get it that you are jealous, but Sakshi has her own life." he turned to look at Aahan, with a soft expression. "She has friends, other than us, and you know that."

"I know...but..." Aahan paused, hesitating. He felt vulnerable and he hated feeling like this. "But it feels like all that work, all that courage, all that i built just be friends...it all feels like it's crumbling down, and I know... I know none of this has anything to do with Sakshi..but I can't help what I feel."

Piyush could practically see Aahan's dog ears droop down and his tail beside him. He couldn't see Aahan in that state.

"Hey, it's okay. I get it how you feel."

Aahan didn't respond. He just nodded.

"But hey, we don't know him yet, he might just be friend, you still got a chance buddy!" piyush said, swing his arm around Aahan's neck in a comforting manner.

"you think so..?" Aahan asked, hoping the response would be something positive. Hope is really a terrible thing.

"I know so!" Piyush played along.

"Okay" Aahan said, his light coming back to him.

"Let me treat you today" Piyush offered.

"really?" Aahan beamed.

"yup."

"Yayyyyy"

They came back from canteen and the group was already there chatting with the new kid.

"Why didn't you tell us about him?" Manisha asked.

"I forgot about it." Sakshi said with an awkward chuckle.

"They are back" Rohan said and everybody turned to look at them. Piyush waved them a hi while Aahan appeared composed.

"Ay guys, meet Chandrajit." Sakshi said as she gestured toward the aloof boy.

Aahan didn't like him, but he had to admit that he was pretty handsome. He hated that. But more than that, he hated the fact that he was getting along with everybody.

"we are actually good friends. We went to the same kindergarten and primary school" Sakshi added.

Chandrajit waved at them. Piyush smiled and introduced himself. "I'm piyush, nice to meet you."

"hm" is all Chandrajit uttered.

"Not really a talker I see.." piyush said with a awkward smile.

he elbowed Aahan who was silent suffocating chandrajit with his eyes, but he seemed rather indifferent about it.

"im..Aahan" he said at last. "nice to meet you."

"Hm"

Aahan quirked up his eyebrow. "Rude.." He murmured.

Sakshi awkwardly chuckled. "he's not really a people's person."

"oh well it fine" Rohan added. "We all started like that."

"Yeah! Rohan was an asshole back when I approached him!" Rajesh said with a laugh. "I remember him saying "don't bother me if you don't have any emergency, leave me alone"" Rajesh said, impersonating Rohan.

"Oh I remember that too–eugh I wanted to punch him" Manisha added.

All of them chuckled, their heartfelt laughter filled the entire atmosphere with mirth and joy.

"Hey, i don't see Ritika" Piyush said, looking around.

"She didn't come" said Rajesh.

"oh"

"when does she ever come?"

"Point toh haa."

The group went back to their chatter, but Aahan couldn't stop looking at Sakshi and Chandrajit. He was glaring at him. They were close. Very close. Sakshi was touchy with him, even though it appeared friendly, he never saw her doing that to anyone.

But then again, he is an old friend. And even if he was not, he knew feeling jealous is wrong. But he can't help it.

Lunch break ended and everyone went back to their classroom. The day went by fast and in a blink of an eye, it was night, everybody were in their homes. Aahan, after dinner, plopped on his bed. it was 10:55 pm. He stretched his arms and legs when his phone buzzed. It was a notification from the Gc.

Failed experiments 🥀🥀 :

chandrajit was added in the group.

Sakshi: I added chandrajit!!

Rohan: welcome to the Gc bud.

chandrajit: Failed experiments...?

Rajesh: Great name no? I came up with it 😝

chandrajit: okay...

Aahan frowned at the texts. An unknown feeling grew in his stomach. he tried to dismiss it as much as possible, but it didn't work. Aahan didn't like this.

He didn't sleep well that night.

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