Ch 2) The Girl with Silent Tears

After lunch break ended, Rani gathered all her courage and slowly made her way toward the music room. Her heart was racing, but her love for singing was stronger than her fear.

As soon as she opened the door, the first person she saw was Nidhi. She was already there, laughing and chatting with her friends.

The moment Rani saw her, the events of the morning flashed through her mind. Her hands turned cold, and the confidence she had managed to gather disappeared in an instant.

“Maybe I shouldn't have come here..." she thought.

Frightened, she quickly turned around to leave. But before she could take another step, she bumped into someone.

"Ouch!"

She lost her balance and fell straight to the floor.

Startled, she looked up.

Standing before her was a tall and handsome boy. A gentle smile rested on his face, and his bright eyes seemed as calm as a clear blue sky.

For a few moments, Rani could do nothing but stare at him.

The boy immediately extended his hand toward her.

"I'm sorry. Are you hurt?" he asked with concern.

Before Rani could reply, Nidhi suddenly appeared beside them.

Pulling the boy's hand toward herself, she said,

"Mayank, come inside. The teacher is calling you."

Mayank glanced at Rani one last time, as if making sure she was alright, and then followed Nidhi inside.

Rani slowly got back on her feet. Dusting off her uniform, she took a deep breath.

Just then, the music teacher noticed her.

The teacher hurried over and asked worriedly,

"Oh dear, are you alright? You just fell, didn't you?"

Rani panicked.

"N-No, ma'am. I'm perfectly fine," she replied quickly.

The teacher smiled warmly.

"Good. Then come inside. Let's hear the magic in your voice."

Rani nodded softly and stepped into the music room.

The teacher looked at her and said,

"Come on, Rani. Sing something for us. We'd love to hear your voice."

Rani slowly walked forward, but her nervousness was obvious. Then her eyes met Nidhi's.

Nidhi was staring at her the same way she had in the classroom earlier that morning.

The fear inside Rani instantly returned.

Her throat went dry.

She tried to sing, but not a single word came out. She simply stood there in silence.

Then a voice came from behind.

"Come on, sing already. There are other students waiting for their auditions too."

Rani turned around.

It was Mayank.

The moment she looked into his bright eyes, her fear slowly began to fade away. There was no mockery in them—only encouragement and confidence.

Taking a deep breath, Rani finally began to sing.

As her voice filled the room, all the noise around her suddenly disappeared.

The students who had been whispering and chatting moments ago fell completely silent.

Her voice was sweet and melodious, as beautiful as a nightingale's song. With every note she sang, her confidence grew stronger.

When she finished, the room fell silent for a few seconds.

Then a wide smile spread across the teacher's face.

"Wonderful, Rani!" she exclaimed. "You sing beautifully. There's something truly special about your voice. One day, you should become a singer."

Rani lowered her head shyly.

"You're selected," the teacher announced. "Come for practice starting tomorrow."

For the first time that day, a genuine smile appeared on Rani's face.

A little while later, the teacher gave a few instructions to the students and left the room.

Moments later, Mayank walked over to Rani.

A smile played on his lips.

"Your voice is honestly amazing," he said. "I think you should stand right at the front. The rest of us can stand behind you and sing. In fact, I'm sure you'll be the leader of our group."

Hearing so much praise, Rani didn't know what to say.

A faint blush appeared on her cheeks, and she simply smiled.

But suddenly, Nidhi stormed toward them.

She grabbed Mayank's arm and shot Rani a sharp glance.

"Don't you think you're praising her a little too much?" she said coldly.

The irritation in her voice was impossible to miss.

With that, she stamped her foot angrily and walked away.

Mayank watched her leave, confused by her reaction. He couldn't understand why Nidhi was behaving that way.

After a moment, he turned toward Rani, gave her a small smile, and hurried after Nidhi.

Rani remained standing there.

Her eyes followed Mayank until he disappeared from sight.

A strange feeling stirred inside her heart.