The school corridor buzzed with noise, laughter, and complaints about vacations ending too soon.

Aaradhya stood with her friends, adjusting her bag and laughing at something one of them said. “I swear, first day back feels illegal,” she said, shaking her head. “Vacation should be a basic human right.”

Her friends laughed, and soon the bell rang. They all started moving toward their classes.

Across the corridor, Yuvaan walked with his friends, hands in his pockets, eyes lazy—until they weren’t.

His gaze found her.

Aaradhya.

She felt it before she saw it. When she glanced up, their eyes met for a second too long. She quickly looked away, heart doing something stupid, while Yuvaan smirked slightly and kept walking.

They both went to their respective classes—separate, but aware.

The assembly bell rang, and students lined up section-wise on the ground.

By pure coincidence or maybe bad luck Aaradhya’s section stood right beside Yuvaan’s.

And somehow he ended up standing next to her.

Not too close.
Not too far.

Just enough.

Yuvaan kept stealing glances at her, pretending to stretch or adjust his collar. Aaradhya stared straight ahead, then sneaked a look when she thought he wasn’t watching only to find him already looking at her.

She quickly looked away again.

Her brothers? Completely clueless. Too busy whisper-fighting.

“Notebook mil gaya?”
“Nahi.”
“Chiku ne poora phaad diya, yaad hai?”
“Teacher mujhe zinda gaad dega.”

The pledge started.

Everyone raised their right hand.

“India is my country.
All Indians are my brothers and sisters—”

Yuvaan said it loud like everyone else, then added softly, almost like a secret only the air could hear “Except her.”

Aaradhya’s breath hitched. She didn’t look at him but she heard it.

[A/N:okay this might sound cringe I’m sorry 😭]

The assembly ended, and everyone dispersed to their classes.

First period.
Homework checking.

Danger zone.

The teacher walked between the benches, checking notebooks with a sharp eye. She stopped at one of Aaradhya’s brothers.

“Your homework?”

He stood up slowly. “Ma’am… woh… actually…”

“Yes?”

“Ma’am… mera dog hai na… Chiku…”

The class leaned in.

“Usne mera notebook kha liya.”

For a second, silence.

Then...

The entire class burst out laughing.

The teacher stared at him, unimpressed. “Give me a realistic excuse.”

“Ma’am, woh poora kha gaya,” he added seriously.

“OUT,” she snapped, pointing at the door. “And take your excuses with you.”

One by one, the rest of their gang stood up too.

“No homework, ma’am.”
“Same, ma’am.”
“Didn’t do it, ma’am.”

“ALL OF YOU. OUT.”

They shuffled out, groaning.

Outside the class, they spotted Aaradhya… standing near the wall, eyes red.

They froze.

“Tu bahar kyun hai?” one brother asked, confused. “Tu toh hamesha homework karti hai.”

She sniffed. “Maine kiya tha… but I gave my notebook to a classmate during summer vacation. She wanted to copy. She’s absent today.”

Her voice cracked. “Teacher thought I was lying… she scolded me badly and threw me out.”

Two of her friends stood nearby, equally miserable. “We didn’t do ours,” they admitted quietly.

Her brothers’ expressions changed instantly.

Yuvaan, standing a little away with his friends, clenched his jaw when he saw her eyes fill again.

That was it.

Something in the air shifted.

Protective.
Dangerous.

And this… was only the beginning.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hi Lovlies 🤍

Thank you so much for reading Chapter 3! This chapter had a mix of school chaos, awkward moments, and some subtle tension 😅 I tried to show the small glances, the unspoken feelings, and the unfairness that sometimes happens in classrooms.

I know some parts might feel a little cringe (especially the assembly scene 🙈), but I really wrote it from the heart. As a first-time writer, I’m still learning, so I’d really appreciate constructive criticism—please tell me what you liked and what I can do better.

Thank you for supporting me and this story. It truly means a lot 💛 I’ll try my best to keep improving with every chapter.

With love,
—Author