Chapter 3 — Every Day Is a Competition

By now, Class 11-B had accepted one simple fact.

If Mahi and Aarav were in the same room, peace was temporary.

It didn't matter whether there was an actual competition or not.

Somehow, they would create one.

Monday morning, it was mathematics.

Tuesday, science.

Wednesday, a presentation.

Thursday, sports.

Friday...

Well, Friday was unpredictable.

And today was no different.

“Okay, everyone,” their class teacher announced. “We have an inter-house presentation next week. You'll work in pairs.”

The classroom immediately became noisy.

Students began choosing their friends.

Mahi leaned back in his chair.

“Please don't give me someone who doesn't work.”

His friend looked at him.

“That's rich coming from you.”

Mahi put a hand on his chest.

“I am an excellent teammate.”

“You made me do your entire poster last time.”

“That was delegation.”

“That was laziness.”

“Same thing with better branding.”

His friend rolled his eyes.

At the front, the teacher started calling names.

“Mahi…”

Mahi sat up.

“Yes, ma'am?”

“You'll be working with…”

The teacher looked at her list.

Then looked up.

“Aarav.”

The classroom went silent.

For approximately two seconds.

Then everyone exploded.

“NO WAY!”

“Again?”

“They're going to kill each other!”

“Ma'am, please reconsider!”

Mahi slowly turned toward Aarav.

Aarav looked back.

Neither spoke.

Mahi finally raised his hand.

“Ma'am.”

“Yes?”

“Is this punishment?”

The class laughed.

The teacher smiled.

“No. It's because both of you are among the strongest students in the class.”

Mahi looked at Aarav.

“Great.”

Aarav calmly replied,

“Problem?”

“Not yet.”

---

After school, they stayed back to work on the presentation.

The classroom was almost empty.

Mahi had spread papers across an entire desk.

Aarav looked at them.

“You've organized nothing.”

“I know where everything is.”

“Where?”

Mahi pointed randomly.

“Somewhere.”

Aarav sighed.

He began arranging the papers.

Mahi watched him.

“You're very controlling.”

“I'm fixing your mess.”

“Same thing.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

Mahi smiled.

“You know, for someone who barely talks, you argue a lot with me.”

Aarav continued working.

“You don't stop talking.”

“Exactly. So you should be grateful I'm giving you conversation.”

Aarav looked up.

“I was happier before.”

Mahi gasped dramatically.

“That hurt.”

“You'll survive.”

“Cold.”

“Accurate.”

Mahi laughed.

And for the next two hours, they worked.

Surprisingly well.

Mahi handled the creative side.

Aarav handled the structure.

Whenever Mahi suggested something unusual, Aarav questioned it.

Whenever Aarav made something too serious, Mahi changed it.

They disagreed constantly.

Yet the final presentation was actually good.

Very good.

When they finally finished, Mahi looked at the screen.

“Okay.”

Aarav nodded.

“Okay.”

Mahi smiled.

“We might actually win.”

Aarav looked at him.

“We will.”

Mahi paused.

That sounded different.

Not I will.

We will.

He shook the thought away.

“Don't get too confident.”

Aarav packed his notebook.

“You're the one who said we're winning.”

“I'm allowed.”

“Why?”

“Because I'm me.”

Aarav gave him a look.

Mahi grinned.

“Don't worry. You'll learn.”

---

The presentation day arrived.

Their team went on stage.

Mahi spoke confidently.

Aarav handled the technical portion.

They moved through the presentation almost perfectly.

When they finished, the audience applauded.

Their teacher smiled proudly.

Mahi looked at Aarav.

Aarav nodded once.

It was subtle.

But Mahi understood.

Good job.

The results were announced later.

Their team won first place.

Mahi immediately turned toward Aarav.

“We won.”

Aarav nodded.

“Yes.”

Mahi smiled.

“No arguments?”

“No.”

“Interesting.”

“You want to argue?”

“Obviously.”

Aarav almost smiled again.

“Then congratulations.”

Mahi laughed.

---

Their rivalry continued outside academics too.

During physical education, the class was divided into teams for a relay race.

Mahi and Aarav ended up on opposite teams.

Naturally.

Their classmates immediately started cheering.

“Mahi!”

“Aarav!”

“Let's see who's faster!”

Mahi stretched his arms.

“Ready to lose?”

Aarav looked at him.

“That's what you should be asking yourself.”

The whistle blew.

The race began.

Mahi ran first.

He was fast.

Aarav was faster.

The difference between them was small, but everyone noticed.

By the final round, their teams were almost tied.

Mahi's teammate passed the baton.

Mahi sprinted.

Aarav did the same.

For a few seconds, they were running side by side.

Mahi glanced at him.

“You're not winning.”

Aarav looked ahead.

“Keep talking.”

“Why?”

“You'll need the distraction.”

Mahi laughed.

Then ran harder.

In the end, Aarav's team won by less than a second.

Mahi bent forward, catching his breath.

Aarav walked past him.

“Good race.”

Mahi looked up.

“Don't get comfortable.”

Aarav nodded.

“Wouldn't dream of it.”

---

By Friday afternoon, the entire class was exhausted.

But Mahi and Aarav were still going.

Their teacher had asked a difficult question during class.

Nobody answered.

Then Mahi raised his hand.

“I know.”

Aarav raised his hand at the exact same moment.

The teacher smiled.

“Both of you?”

Mahi looked at Aarav.

“You copied me.”

Aarav replied calmly,

“You copied me.”

“I raised my hand first.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

The teacher sighed.

“Both answer.”

They gave their answers.

Both were correct.

The class groaned.

“Of course.”

Mahi leaned back.

Aarav returned to his notes.

One of their classmates whispered,

“Do you think they'll ever stop competing?”

Another replied,

“Not a chance.”

And honestly?

They were right.

Because neither Mahi nor Aarav knew how to exist around the other without turning something into a competition.

But there was something else happening underneath all those arguments.

Neither had noticed it yet.

They had begun to understand each other.

Aarav knew exactly when Mahi was about to make a sarcastic comment.

Mahi knew exactly when Aarav was pretending not to be amused.

Aarav knew when Mahi hadn't studied enough.

Mahi knew when Aarav was tired even though Aarav never said it.

They knew each other's habits.

Their reactions.

Their strengths.

Their weaknesses.

Years of rivalry had made them strangely familiar with each other.

Yet neither considered that familiarity important.

To them, it was simply part of the competition.

That evening, Mahi packed his bag and looked toward Aarav.

“Monday.”

Aarav looked up.

“What?”

“New challenge.”

Aarav nodded.

“Fine.”

Mahi smiled.

“Don't lose.”

Aarav stood.

“Same to you.”

They walked out of the classroom separately.

Neither of them knew that this ordinary rivalry was approaching its final ordinary day.

Because the next chapter wouldn't be about marks.

Or trophies.

Or winning.

It would be about something neither of them had prepared for.

And for once...

there would be no competition to win.

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