Riya sighed, twirling her pen between her fingers, her eyes fixed on the desk as if it would give her the right words.
"It wasn't… random," she finally whispered.
Aanya's mouth dropped open, and Priya nearly fell off her chair. "I knew it!" they chorused, practically vibrating with excitement.
"But it wasn't what you think either," Riya added quickly, her tone warning them to calm down. "He didn't say anything. Just… looked at me. Like he was waiting for me to say something first. And when I didn't, he walked away."
"That boy," Priya muttered, narrowing her eyes. "Always pulling this intense-silent-brooding act. What even is his deal?"
"I don't know," Riya said honestly, "and it's messing with my head."
Aanya leaned closer. "Did your heart race? Tell me the truth."
Riya hesitated.
"…yes," she admitted.
And just like that, the teasing began. But beneath the giggles and jokes, a tension hung in the air—a question none of them dared to ask out loud:
Was this just the beginning… or the start of something repeating all over again?
---
Want the next scene to shift to Vishal's point of view, or stay with Riya and her friends for a while?
The laughter faded slowly as Riya leaned back in her chair, hugging her arms around herself. Aanya and Priya exchanged a glance—something was still on her mind.
"I don't love him," Riya said suddenly.
Both of them blinked.
"I mean… not the way I used to," she clarified, her voice soft. "It's not like I lie in bed thinking about him or anything. It's just… when he's around, I feel—confused."
Aanya tilted her head. "So, you're saying… there's still something?"
Riya sighed. "Maybe not feelings. Not exactly. But maybe… a chance? Like—I want to know if he's changed. If he really wants to talk, to make things right. I just don't want to shut the door on something that could… I don't know… mean something."
Priya raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure it's not your heart playing tricks on your brain?"
"Probably," Riya said with a small smile. "But even then, isn't it fair to give someone a chance to show they're not who they used to be?"
Aanya nodded slowly. "Just promise us one thing?"
Riya looked up.
"Promise you won't let yourself break again. If you give him a chance, make sure he earns it."
Riya met her friend's eyes and nodded, firm this time.
"He'll have to."
The school corridors had emptied out, the echoes of laughter and chatter fading into the stillness of the late afternoon. Riya walked briskly toward her classroom, her mind preoccupied with the half-finished homework she'd accidentally left behind. The golden sunlight streamed in through the tall windows, casting long shadows along the walls. It was peaceful—too peaceful for what was about to happen.
She turned the corner near the back stairs when she suddenly paused. Just ahead, in the quiet alcove near the old notice board, she heard voices. Familiar ones.
It was Aanya. And Priya.
Riya took a step forward to say hi, but something about the tone of their voices made her stop. She froze in place, hidden behind the wall.
"Are you sure about this?" Aanya's voice was uncertain, like she didn't want to believe what she was hearing.
There was a sigh.
"Yes," Priya said. "I like him. Vishal."
Riya blinked. Her heart thudded once. Loudly. Then again. Slower, heavier.
"You like Vishal?" Aanya repeated in disbelief. "Since when?"
"For a while now," Priya admitted. "I tried not to. I told myself it was nothing. But every time he smiles at her, every time he chooses to sit next to her or laugh at her jokes, it just… stings."
Riya felt something twist in her chest.
"But Riya doesn't even like him that much," Priya continued. "She said it herself. She doesn't feel for him like that anymore. Then why is she holding on? Why does she want to give him a chance?"
There was a silence.
"I'm not saying she's a bad person," Priya whispered. "But if she doesn't love him… she shouldn't play with his feelings. That's not fair."
Aanya didn't respond immediately. Riya could almost imagine her shocked expression.
"And if she walks away," Priya added, "maybe… maybe I'll finally have a chance."
Riya stepped back, her breath shallow.
Her feet moved on their own, quietly retreating down the corridor.
She didn't know what to feel. She wasn't angry. Not really. She knew Priya—she knew how kind and thoughtful she was. She wasn't the type to stab someone in the back. But… this wasn't nothing.
Was she really playing with Vishal's feelings?
Was she being unfair?
Did she even know what she wanted?
She remembered her conversation with the girls earlier, where she'd admitted she didn't have strong feelings anymore, but was willing to give Vishal a chance. Because maybe—just maybe—something could still be there.
But now… she wondered if that "maybe" was hurting more people than she'd realized.
Her heart beat faster. Confusion clouded her thoughts. Part of her wanted to march back there and say something—anything. Part of her wanted to cry. But mostly, she just wanted to be alone.
Just as Priya finished speaking, the silence between the two girls stretched longer than expected. The weight of her confession lingered in the air like unspoken guilt. Aanya leaned against the railing, arms crossed, her gaze locked on the fading sky outside the window.
"Priya," she said quietly, her voice more serious now, "I've been holding this back for weeks, but I think you need to hear it…"
Priya looked up, eyebrows slightly raised.
"Aarav," Aanya continued, choosing her words carefully. "He likes you. He's always liked you."
There was a long pause.
The words hit Priya like an unexpected gust of wind. "Aarav…?"
"Yes," Aanya said firmly. "And you know it too. Don't pretend you don't."
Priya turned away, her fingers nervously tugging at the edge of her sleeves. She said nothing at first. But her silence spoke volumes.
"Aarav's one of the good ones," Aanya went on. "You talk to him every day. You share your notes with him, laugh at his dumb jokes, even tease him when he forgets his lunch. You think he does all that just to be a friend?"
Priya opened her mouth but couldn't form a response.
"I've seen the way he looks at you," Aanya added. "Like you're his whole world."
Priya let out a shaky breath and finally sat down on the stairs.
"I know," she whispered. "I know he likes me. And I care about him, Aanya. He's so… easy to be around. So kind. So safe. But—"
"But he's not Vishal," Aanya finished quietly.
Priya nodded miserably.
"I don't know what's wrong with me," she admitted. "Aarav's been there for me more than anyone else. Even when I had my panic attacks before the exams, it was Aarav who stayed back after school with me, not Vishal. Aarav who walked me home when I forgot my umbrella. Aarav who listens to everything I say, even when I'm just rambling…"
Her voice cracked.
"But when I see Vishal," she continued, "it's like my heart wakes up. It's this pull I can't explain. I know it's stupid and selfish. Aarav deserves someone who sees him first—not someone who keeps comparing him to a boy who barely notices her."
Aanya sat beside her, the stone steps cool against their legs.
"It's not selfish," she said gently. "It's human. But you're standing at a crossroads, Priya. One road leads to someone who truly cares for you. And the other…"
"Leads to someone who probably never will," Priya finished with a sad smile.
Neither girl said anything after that. They just sat in silence, the late afternoon breeze brushing past them, rustling the pages of a forgotten notebook nearby.
What none of them knew was that behind the door, Riya was still standing, frozen.
And in the hallway down the stairs… Aarav had arrived to collect his charger from the class.
The sharp clang of the recess bell echoed through the corridors, slicing through the thick silence that had settled around Riya like a cloak. Students began to shuffle back into the classroom—laughing, joking, still buzzing from their half-hour of freedom.
Riya quickly straightened up, blinked a few times to gather herself, and stepped away from the corner where she'd been standing. Her heart was still thudding—she could feel the pressure of Priya's words echoing in her chest.
"She likes Vishal…"
"Aarav likes Priya…"
"She should leave him if she doesn't love him…"
She shook her head.
Now's not the time, Riya. Act normal. You didn't hear anything. You weren't even there.
Sliding into her seat as casually as she could, she plastered on the most natural smile she could manage just as Priya and Aanya walked in behind her. Their conversation had clearly shifted to something lighter now—they were giggling about someone's hairstyle in the corridor and a meme Aanya had seen earlier.
"Guys," Riya piped up, sounding bright and bubbly, "do you know what Aman did during music class yesterday?"
Both girls turned to her, slightly surprised by the sudden energy in her voice.
"What?" Priya asked, tucking her hair behind her ear and settling into the seat beside Riya.
Riya grinned. "He tried to show off on the tabla and literally broke one of the drumsticks. And the look on Ma'am's face—I wish I'd recorded it."
Aanya laughed first. "Only Aman! God, that boy's never normal."
Priya chuckled, too, and for a moment, everything felt easy. Normal. As if Riya hadn't just overheard a storm brewing between her two closest friends.
But underneath her smiles and laughter, Riya felt that tension, like a quiet hum beneath the surface. Priya avoided her eyes just a little too much. Aanya's laugh was just a second too delayed. And Riya... Riya could feel the truth resting on her tongue, but she swallowed it down like bitter tea.
She wasn't ready to confront them. Not yet.
So, she laughed with them. She joked about Aman. She commented on the class test coming up and gossiped about the new substitute teacher. And when the next period started, she opened her notebook and pretended like her world hadn't tilted slightly.
Because if she said something now—if she told Priya that she knew—everything would change.
And maybe… she wasn't ready for that either.