Aadhya's POV
Next day.
Back to school.
Back to chaos.
Back to being the official Idiot of Section E.
I walked toward my classroom, swinging my bag slightly, feeling… oddly happy today. I mean—HELLO—I got a new phone AND a bicycle yesterday.
A bicycle.
Your girl now has transportation.
No more walking like a rejected background character.
And the phone?
Not just any phone.
A SMART one.
Premium vibes.
Luxury entry.
This morning, Avi downloaded this game—Pokeymon or whatever—and now I'm addicted. Like seriously addicted. I've been roaming around the whole school searching for one specific creature.
Pikachu.
The legend.
The king.
The yellow rat.
And then—
"YES! I CAUGHT ONE!"
I shouted like I just cracked a national exam.
Avi came running out of the classroom like his life depended on it.
"Whom did you catch??" he asked, eyes wide like a kid seeing chocolate for the first time.
"Pikachuuuu!" I said, showing him my screen and even imitating its voice.
Priorities.
"WOW!" he gasped, immediately pulling out his phone.
"Is there a Pikachu here??" one of the monkeys shouted, running out too.
And just like that—
mass migration.
Phones out.
Eyes glued.
Humanity lost.
Even Dheeraj joined us, casually placing his arm around Avi.
"What's up?" he asked.
"Pokeymon," Avi replied like it was the meaning of life.
And boom—another one pulled out his phone.
I laughed.
Wow.
Whole Section E reduced to Pokémon trainers.
Historic moment.
After a while, I felt thirsty.
Damn it.
Forgot my bottle.
But it's fine.
I have…
connections.
I sneaked to the back and called, "Reetu auntyyy…"
And like magic, she appeared from behind the cafeteria.
My secret partner.
My undercover supplier.
"I just want a water bottle," I said sweetly.
She handed it over.
I gave her money.
She smiled.
I smiled.
Illegal business done successfully.
I turned back toward my building, sipping water like a queen—
When I noticed something moving near the garbage bins.
Hmm?
What's that?
Dog?
Cat?
Alien?
I slowly walked closer.
Then—
"Hey!"
I shouted.
The figure flinched.
Started shaking.
Wait…
That's not an animal.
That's a person.
A girl.
Same uniform.
I stepped closer.
"Miss… are you okay?" I asked softly.
She suddenly grabbed my knees.
"Please… don't tell Reyansh I'm here…"
Her voice was trembling. Broken.
Oh.
Oh no.
I quickly bent down and held her shoulders, lifting her up.
"Okay okay—don't cry. I won't tell him anything. We're not even close," I said quickly, trying to calm her.
She kept shaking.
I looked at her properly this time.
And my stomach dropped.
Her hair—messy.
Uniform—crumpled.
Face—bruised.
Hands—scratched.
And then…
Her neck.
Marks.
Clear marks.
Like someone tried to strangle her.
My grip tightened.
I looked at her again.
Wait…
"Jiya…?" I asked carefully.
She nodded.
Oh god.
"What happened to you? Who did this?" I asked, my voice sharper now.
"Section D…" she whispered after a pause.
My blood boiled.
"What the hell? Why? Since when?" I asked, anger rising.
"That… since you… and Riya…" she said, barely audible.
…
Oh.
So this is because of me.
Great.
Fantastic.
I ruined someone else's life too now.
"Did you tell anyone? No one helped you?" I asked, irritation slipping into my voice.
She shook her head.
"No."
Wow.
Amazing.
What a wonderful school.
"Yuvika would have… but she isn't coming to school," she added.
Of course.
Perfect timing.
I ran a hand through my hair, thinking.
I can't leave her here.
No way.
What if those D-for-Demons come back?
No.
Not happening.
"You're coming with me to my class," I said, grabbing her hand.
She immediately pulled back.
I looked at her.
"Don't worry, I won't take you to Reyansh," I assured her.
She shook her head again.
"It's not that…"
Then what?
Wait.
I narrowed my eyes slightly.
"Is it Samar?"
She froze.
Then slowly nodded.
Ah.
Got it.
"Look, if I leave you here and they come back, you're done. So you don't really have a choice," I said firmly.
"But Aadhya…" she hesitated.
"Just stay away from him. I won't let him come near you, okay?" I said.
She looked at me.
Then nodded.
Good.
Step one complete.
"First, we clean you up. Let's go."
I took her to the nearest girls' washroom.
Checked all cubicles first.
After my last experience?
Yeah.
No trust.
No risks.
Clear.
I took out my handkerchief, wet it, and looked at her.
She was still crying.
Sigh.
I gently wiped her face.
Carefully.
She had small bruises everywhere.
I cleaned her hands.
Her knees.
Fixed her uniform as much as I could.
Still… she looked broken.
Not just outside.
Inside too.
Without thinking, I pulled her into a hug.
She stiffened.
Didn't hug back.
That's okay.
She didn't need to.
"You're not alone," I whispered softly.
For a moment… she just stood there.
Then nodded slightly.
That's enough.
I pulled back, held her hand again—
And this time, she didn't resist.
Good.
"Come on," I said.
And just like that—
I took her with me.
To Section E.
"Hey Adi, where were you?"
Avi came running toward me, slightly out of breath like he had just completed a marathon of worrying.
Then his eyes shifted.
And froze.
"Aai—why is she with you?" he asked, completely shocked.
I sighed.
"That's a long story… but for now, she's here."
And I walked in with Jiya beside me.
The moment we stepped into Section E—
whispers.
"Why is she here?"
"What if Vivaan finds out?"
"Does Reyansh know this?"
Wow.
Breaking news: Section E has turned into a news channel.
Of course, since it was Jiya…
Samar was the first one to react.
He rushed toward us immediately.
Jiya instantly hid behind me.
Okay… message received.
He noticed that.
His steps slowed down.
"What happened?" he asked, worried.
I ignored him.
Completely.
Instead, I made Jiya sit beside my bench.
I took out dettol and cotton from my bag and gently started cleaning her wounds.
She winced.
"Adi, gently!" Samar almost shouted—right into my ear.
I flinched.
"I'm not deaf!" I snapped back.
Seriously, why do people think shouting increases effectiveness??
Jiya quietly took the cotton from my hand.
"I'll do it… you already helped me enough," she said softly.
I let her.
The class was still buzzing.
Murmuring.
Judging.
Thinking.
As usual.
Then suddenly—
Silence.
I didn't even need to turn to know who had entered.
Nikansh.
Vivaan.
Mahi.
The trio of trouble with attitude.
Vivaan's eyes immediately landed on Jiya.
And just like that—
his expression hardened.
He walked toward us.
Slow.
Dangerous.
"What is she doing here?"
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
"I need to save her from Section D," I replied, equally steady.
"We can't get involved in their mess," he said.
Calm outside.
Anger visible underneath.
"I'll handle them," Samar spoke up instantly.
Of course he would.
For her?
Always.
"Fuck—no."
Vivaan ran a hand through his hair, pacing slightly.
"She can't be here."
Oh no.
Here we go again.
Why is he so stubborn??
"You can't get involved in their mess… then why did you get involved in mine?" I shot back.
His eyes twitched.
Bullseye.
The entire class went silent.
"That's different," he said. "She's different. You're different."
He emphasized every word.
I frowned.
"It's not different. It's the same. You helped me, right? Then why can't you help her?"
I stepped closer.
"Why is helping me okay… but helping her isn't?"
Our eyes locked.
And for a second—
something shifted.
"If it's not you… then I don't care."
His voice dropped.
Soft.
But cold.
…
What the hell was that supposed to mean?
I didn't even know how to respond to that.
So I didn't.
"I don't know. She stays here," I said firmly.
"She can't stay here. Final decision," he replied, glaring.
That was it.
Fine.
If that's how it is—
Then so be it.
I turned to Jiya, grabbed her hand, picked up my bag.
"Let's go. I'll drop you home."
I helped her stand.
"No… it's fine. I'll go on my own. You've already done a lot," she said hesitantly.
"No."
I cut her off.
"I'll drop you. At least I'll know you reached safely. Come."
And I walked out.
Not looking back.
Not caring who watched.
If she couldn't stay there—
Then I wouldn't leave her alone.
Now we were walking.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Together.
"I'm really sorry, Adi…" Jiya said again.
I think this was her 57th apology.
I sighed dramatically.
"You know what, Jiya? You apologize way too much. If you paid me every time you said sorry, I'd have bought the entire McDonald's menu by now."
She laughed.
Finally.
Good.
At least she's not crying.
I was holding both our bags and supporting her with my arm.
Honestly?
I feel strong.
Like superhero level strong.
"Do you think they're still following us?" she asked softly.
I glanced back.
Yep.
They were.
"As expected," I muttered.
Samar.
Obviously.
But—
why are those two idiots here too?
Avi.
And Dheeraj.
Wait.
Correction.
DJ.
(My invention. My rules.)
"Yeah… they are," I replied casually.
Then suddenly—
that letter.
It popped into my mind.
Hmm.
I looked at Jiya.
Then away.
Then back again.
Okay… should I ask?
Is it okay?
Ugh.
Fine.
"Umm… Jiya… is it okay if I ask you something about you and Samar?" I asked, a little hesitant.
She paused.
Then nodded slowly.
"What really happened between you two?" I asked quietly.
And just like that—
The air changed.
Something deeper.
Heavier.
Like I just opened a door…
That wasn't meant to be opened so easily.
Samar's POV
She's right in front of me.
So close… I can see every little detail—her hair, the way she walks, the way she avoids looking at me.
But I can't go near her.
Not anymore.
She doesn't want me.
And that… hurts more than anything.
I clenched my fists.
I know I messed up.
I shouldn't have agreed to the breakup.
I should've fought.
For her.
For us.
But I didn't.
And now… she's right there.
So close.
Yet feels like she belongs to another world.
I swallowed the lump in my throat.
I'm really sorry, Jiya…
My love.
Flashback
"Another love letter," Mahi said, casually dropping it on my desk.
I didn't even look at it.
"Throw it away," I said, annoyed.
It's always the same.
I love you Samar.
You're so handsome.
You're my prince charming.
Ugh.
Corny.
Mahi stared at me for a second… then thap!
He smacked my back.
"Ouch! What the hell!" I winced, instantly pressing the spot and glaring at him.
"Do it yourself. Do I look like your maid, my prince charming?" he mocked.
I choked.
Did he just read my mind??
I rolled my eyes, grabbed the letter, and threw it straight out of the window.
"Hmm. That's why Section E building is turning into a dumping site," Yuvika said, glaring at me.
I smirked.
She is cute.
If only she was mine.
But yeah… not happening.
Everyone knows Vivaan likes her.
And I'm not suicidal.
"Ewww, don't smile like that. You're creepy," she added.
"Make me," I shot back.
Her eyebrows knit.
"Mister Playboy mode on," Avi's voice came from behind.
I turned slowly.
Did he just call me a Playboy?
Excuse me??
I'm not a Playboy.
Okay fine—girls like me.
A lot.
But that's not my fault.
"Avi, come here. I'll show you what Playboy means," I said, cracking my knuckles.
"Uhh—he's fighting me!" Avi ran and hid behind Yuvika like she was his bodyguard.
That was it.
This kid is dead.
Next Day
A girl approached Yuvika.
Her friend, I guess.
Simple.
Neatly dressed.
Long hair.
Quiet.
She kept glancing at me.
Hmm.
Another one.
Looks like someone has a crush.
Yuvika walked away to grab something.
And just like that—
The girl came to me.
She held out a letter.
"I hope you read it…" she said softly, a little shy.
Not again.
I don't even like reading these.
I'll just throw it later.
I took it anyway.
"Don't throw it away," Yuvika's voice came from behind.
I looked at her.
"Someone has liked you for a long time. She just kept it to herself… because I stopped her."
I raised an eyebrow.
"And why?"
"Because you're a Playboy."
I scoffed.
Whatever.
That Evening
I reached home, exhausted.
Didn't even bother changing.
Just dropped on my bed.
Something fell from my bag.
I frowned.
Picked it up.
The letter.
I was about to throw it—
Then I remembered what Yuvika said.
Fine.
I'll read it once.
Just once.
I opened it.
And read—
Dear Samar,
I know a lot of girls confess to you daily. And you've probably received a lot of letters. Since you're reading this letter, I hope you read it till the end.
I wanted to tell you how I first met you. It was the first day of our 11th class. We bumped into each other… but you didn't even apologise.
Then the next day, during orientation—you forgot your pen. You kept asking everyone. I gave you one. But you didn't thank me… or return it.
I know, I mean… I'm not asking for the pen back. I'm just telling you how I met you.
Then there were rumors about you… that you were dating a 10th class girl. Then a few days later, you were with someone else.
I know a lot of girls like you. And… I'm also one of them.
So I just wanted to tell you that.
Thank you for reading till the end.
– Jiya Bharti ❤️
I stared at the letter.
For a long time.
No cringe lines.
No fake drama.
No "prince charming."
Just…
simple.
Honest.
Real.
And for the first time—
I didn't feel like throwing it away.