It had been nearly a week since Aarohi had joined the new school. By now, she had settled in and grown comfortable with most of her classmates—except a few: Nirvay, Shreya, and Shreya's inseparable friends, Riya and Piya.
Aarohi never tried to approach them. Why would someone like him even think of being friends with me? she often told herself. He already has too many friends. I'd just be extra—completely unnecessary.
In her mind, Nirvay had everything: he was too popular, too good-looking, too smart, and possibly even too rich. Too much of everything.
On the other hand, Nirvay was genuinely confused. He had tried speaking to Aarohi a few times over the past week, but she always seemed to brush him off, as if his existence didn't matter. He couldn't understand why her indifference bothered him. It wasn't something he was used to. It unsettled him more than he cared to admit.
---
The Start of a New Week
One morning, as the school week began, Aarohi was bubbling with excitement.
"Sukhi, guess what? My brother's going to gift me a scooter soon!" Aarohi's eyes sparkled with joy.
"Wow!" Sukhi beamed. "Now we can go anywhere after school. No more depending on anyone else!"
As they approached the school gate, Nirvay was standing nearby. He caught sight of them and greeted cheerfully, "Hi, Sukhi. And hello to your friend, too."
"Good morning, Nirvay," Sukhi responded politely.
Aarohi, as usual, completely ignored him.
Shreya, standing a little distance away, smirked and whispered to Nirvay, "See? She didn't even bother to reply. Why do you keep talking to her? She's so full of herself. Too much ego."
Nirvay didn't respond, but something about Aarohi's constant coldness gnawed at him.
---
Later, Near the Canteen
During lunch break, Sukhi and Aarohi sat outside the canteen, sharing snacks and enjoying their usual banter.
"You're so lucky, Aarohi," Sukhi complained playfully. "No matter how many chips or chocolates you eat, you never gain weight. And me? Even oxygen makes me fat!"
Aarohi laughed. "You're already cute the way you are. But honestly, I'm seriously stressed. There's a physics test next week, and you know how amazing I am at physics and maths."
Sukhi grinned. "Yeah, as amazing" as rats love for cats," she teased.
They both burst out laughing when Nirvay suddenly appeared in front of them.
"Hey, Sukhi, have you seen Ayush around?" he asked, his tone casual.
Before Sukhi could answer, Nirvay glanced at Aarohi and noticed a small crumb on her cheek. Without thinking, he gently brushed it away with his fingers.
"There was something on your cheek. It's gone now," he said, as if it was no big deal.
Aarohi instantly pulled back, her eyes blazing.
"How dare you! Why did you touch me?" she snapped.
"I was just helping you," Nirvay said, genuinely surprised by her reaction.
"You could've simply told me. I would've wiped it myself."
"Why are you overreacting? I just touched your cheek, that's all."
"And my cheek is still part of my body. You don't have the right to touch it," she shot back firmly.
Sukhi quickly supported her. "She's right, Nirvay. You should've asked."
Without another word, Aarohi grabbed Sukhi's hand and walked away, leaving Nirvay standing there, baffled.
What made things worse was that Shreya, Riya, Piya, and nearly half the school had witnessed the entire scene. Whispers and curious glances followed Aarohi and Sukhi as they left.
Nirvay ran his hand through his hair in frustration.
Why does she always react like this? Why does it even bother me?
Shreya's mocking voice rang out behind him, "See? I told you. She's crazy. Just stop paying attention to her."
But Nirvay's mind was already somewhere else, replaying the scene, trying to understand this new girl who seemed completely immune to him.