At first, everything felt normal.
Not perfect, but still better than before.
Aarvika was not alone anymore. She had people to sit with, to talk to, and to spend time with during school hours. It was something she was still getting used to, but she didn't question it. For her, even having a place to sit with others felt like something.
They sat together every day in class. During breaks, they shared lunch, talked about small things, and sometimes just stayed quiet without saying much. There was nothing special in those moments, but still, they mattered to her.
For others, it was normal.
For Aarvika, it was enough.
After some time, two more girls became part of the group—Kavya and Kiran.
With their entry, the group became bigger. There were more people, more talking, and more time spent together in school.
Aarvika and Kavya both were good in studies. They understood things quickly and often helped each other during class. Whenever someone in the group had doubts, they tried to explain things in a simple way. Slowly, this became something regular.
Teachers also started noticing them.
Sometimes they appreciated their work.
Sometimes they asked them to help others in class.
It was something normal for Aarvika and Kavya.
But not everyone saw it the same way.
After that, things slowly started changing.
Not suddenly.
Not clearly.
Just little by little.
They still sat together.
Still talked.
Still stayed in the same group.
But something felt different.
They often spent time in the playground after classes. Some of them played together, talked, and enjoyed those moments. Aarvika stayed there with them, but she didn't take part much. She mostly stayed quiet, watching and listening.
She was there.
But not completely involved.
At first, she didn't think much about it.
She thought everything was fine.
But slowly, small things started happening.
Sometimes, they talked among themselves and didn't include her.
Sometimes, she didn't understand what they were discussing.
Sometimes, she just sat there without saying anything.
She noticed it.
But she said nothing.
At first, she thought maybe it was normal.
Maybe she was just thinking too much.
But after some time—
it didn't feel normal anymore.
Then one day, something small happened.
Her pen went missing.
She looked for it in her bag, in her desk, and around her.
But she couldn't find it.
She didn't think much about it at that time.
But later, she saw the same pen with Anika.
She recognized it immediately.
It was hers.
For a moment, she wanted to ask.
But she didn't.
She stayed quiet.
After that, it didn't happen just once.
Her things kept going missing.
A pen.
A notebook.
Small things.
At first, she ignored it.
But slowly, it didn't feel like a coincidence anymore.
Still—
she didn't say anything.
She didn't want to create any problem.
She didn't want to argue.
So she stayed the same.
She still sat with them.
Still talked when needed.
Still stayed part of the group.
But inside—
something had already changed.
Sometimes they talked normally.
Sometimes they didn't.
Sometimes everything felt okay.
And sometimes it didn't.
It was not clear.
But it was not the same anymore.
Aarvika didn't try to understand everything.
She just felt it.
That something was changing.
And this time—
she didn't try to stop it.
Slowly, a distance started forming.
Not loudly.
Not suddenly.
But clearly.
And Aarvika could feel it.