The next day, Aarohi's father dropped her off at school. As she reached the school gate, Sukhi came running up to her, practically screaming with excitement.
"Ayush told me 'I love you' yesterday! đ„° We're officially a couple now! đ€ Wait, but how did you get hurt?" Sukhi paused, noticing the small bandage on Aarohi's hand.
Before Aarohi could reply, Nirvay, standing near his car, called out.
"Good morning, Sukhi. And good morning, Aarohi. Is your injury better now?"
"Good morning. Yes, it's much better," Aarohi answered calmly.
Sukhi's eyes widened. "Oh my God! Since when? You two are talking so nicely now! What did I miss?"
Aarohi smirked. "I'll tell you in class. Or maybe I won't even get the chanceânowadays, you're too busy with your new boyfriend." đ€
Nirvay grinned. "So, Aarohi, we're friends now, right?"
Aarohi raised an eyebrow. "Why? Do you even need more friends? You already have the whole school wrapped around you. 99.99% of people here are your friends."
"Then you be the last one. Let's make it 100%," Nirvay teased. "How long will I stay Dettol, huh? Let me be human too." đ
Sukhi burst out laughing. "Dettol?!" đđđ
Aarohi smirked but walked away, choosing to ignore him as she and Sukhi continued chatting.
Aarohi sighed. "Tomorrow's the first physics test. I haven't studied a single chapter. I'm doomed."
Sukhi tried to comfort her. "It's just a test. You can prepare properly for the next one."
"You know how terrible I am at physics and maths, right?" Aarohi whined. "Nothing makes sense to me!"
Behind them, Nirvay, who had been casually following, chimed in. "Should I help you get good marks in the test tomorrow?"
Aarohi whipped around. "Were you listening to our conversation? And how exactly will you help me? The test is tomorrow, and I haven't studied even one chapter. No one can help me now."
Nirvay smirked. "If I manage to help you, you'll have to seal this friendship for real."
Aarohi crossed her arms. "What are you, some kind of superhero?"
Sukhi laughed. "Kind of! You can actually trust him. Nirvay always scores 100 in physics and maths. Plus, his 'physics' is so good that Sharma Sir is obsessed with him. Sir even keeps all the test papers in the physics lab with Nirvay, so yeahâhe can really make things happen."
Aarohi squinted. "Wait, are you suggesting I should cheat?"
Nirvay shrugged. "It's better than public embarrassment. Remember, during test submissions, everyone announces their name and their marks in front of the class."
"Yeah, it's a bit brutal," Sukhi added.
Aarohi paused, thinking carefully. "Fine. Let's see how much you can actually help me tomorrow."
Nirvay's playful grin softened a little. "Honestly, I don't like telling you to cheat. But there's no time now. Next time, I'll help you properlyâI'll teach you physics and maths myself. No cheating needed."
The three of them walked into class together.
---
Later at Lunch
Shreya cornered Nirvay near the canteen, her arms crossed.
"Nirvay, don't you think you're giving Aarohi a little too much attention? Does she even deserve it?"
Nirvay stayed calm. "It's nothing like that, Shreya. Chill."
Shreya narrowed her eyes. "I've never seen you try so hard for anyone. I'm genuinely confused about what's going on in that head of yours."
Nirvay simply smiled.
"........"
Shreya, still a little suspicious, smiled back. "Well, okay then."
Was it just a friendship, or was something else starting to bloom?
The answer was waiting, just ahead.