Chapter 1: A new beginning

⋋✩⋌ 🎀Aria's POV🎀 ⋋✩⋌

"Some mornings feel like the start of something... even if you don’t know what yet."

The corridor smelled like chalk and cold air-conditioned mornings. Soft fluorescent lights flickered overhead, and my shoes clicked against the clean, too-polished floor. I clutched the strap of my bag tighter, my heart pounding a little too fast for this early in the day.My fingers tightened around the strap of my bag as I whispered a quiet promise to myself:

This year will be different. It has to be.

I’d spent too many years shrinking into the background—sitting in the corners of rooms and conversations, watching everyone else glow while I stayed dim. I was tired of that version of me.

First day of Class 12-D.

Science stream. Lab coats. Notes. Pressure. Sleepless nights.

And me—already late.

Great start, Aria. Really killing it, I muttered to myself, slowing near the last classroom on the left.

The laughter behind the door wasn’t aggressive or loud. It was easy. Familiar. Warm. And for a second, I considered turning back and hiding in the washroom until the bell rang.

But I took a breath and opened the door.

The scene inside was something out of a coming-of-age movie—messy, silly, and somehow perfect. Two figures stood at the center of the room, locked in a dramatic stick fight using those long wooden pointers teachers always carried. One of them was Tanya, un surprisingly.

But the other one—he—was a surprise.

He had his shirt tucked in perfectly, his navy uniform pants hanging just right. His shoes shined like he’d polished them that morning. But it wasn’t just the neatness that made him stand out.

He had a soft, almost babyish face, but his jawline was sharp—so sharply defined it almost looked like it didn't belong to the same person. There was a delicate balance to him: boyish, but with lines that hinted he was growing out of that phase, slowly, carefully.

His hair was short, straight, effortlessly styled without trying to be—no curls, no drama—just clean edges and confidence. He had the kind of presence that didn’t need to announce itself. The kind that quietly claimed space.

“You little—” he muttered as she knocked the stick from his hand.

“Yeah? Let’s see who’s little now!” she chirped, twirling her stick like a sword from a fantasy novel.

He bent down to grab his fallen stick—I paused for just a second too long.

And then his eyes flicked to the doorway.

Our gazes met.

His grip on the stick dropped slightly, his lips parting. I looked away quickly, heat rushing up my face.

And something in me stilled.

His gaze wasn’t heavy. It wasn’t even intense. It was curious. Amused. Bright.

Still, I looked away—too fast. Heat bloomed across my cheeks. I fumbled forward, acting like I hadn’t just been caught staring like a hopeless cliché.

I dropped into a front bench seat, clutching my bag like a shield. Why was my heart doing this? Stop. Breathe. Be cool.

“Aria!” Tanya’s voice cut through my inner spiral as she flung her arms around me. “We're in the same section! What was your rank?”

“Sixth,” I murmured, still dazed.

Tanya, she , grinned . “Ah, smarty pants. Love it.” She ruffled my hair.

my eyes darting to the boy still recovering from the duel.

Tanya rolled her eyes, following my gaze. “That’s Aarav.”

I tilted my head. “He looks new… as much as I know.”

I gestured vaguely toward the center of the room. “And the way you both are playing... I didn’t expect—”

“Oh yeah, he is new,” she cut in quickly. “And yeah, he—he’s just fun. You can see.”

I blinked at her. Something about the way she stuttered that line caught me off guard. I eyed her, a little suspicious.

“And handsome too,” she added with a mischievous wink, then spun on her heel and jogged back toward him.

I stood there, a little stunned. Watching them laugh again. Watching them pick up the sticks. Watching how easily she made friends. How effortlessly she talked to people.

What am I even thinking? I shook my head. She’s good with people. That’s all.

It’s just me. I’m the kind of person who takes three months to feel comfortable enough to say hi to someone without panicking.

The room seemed louder now. Brighter. Like the air had changed somehow.

My eyes flicked back—just once.

Aarav Malhotra. I caught the name on his ID card. So that's his full name It suited him.

I slowly walked to the front row and sat down.

But I couldn’t stop glancing over.

He wasn’t like the boys I’d seen before. He didn’t perform. He just… existed in high definition. Unbothered and unafraid.

I didn’t even know him, and yet watching him felt like seeing something I wasn't supposed to—like flipping to the last page of a book too soon.

I hated that I already hoped he wasn’t brilliant in studies more than me . That was my one thing. My one edge. Still... I wanted to be near whatever that energy was.

“Yeah, Aria! Save me!” Tanya shouted mid-swing, laughing breathlessly.

Without thinking, I grabbed a spare stick and stepped forward. My pulse jumped.

Why was I doing this?

I swung—awkward, wide.

He turned to face me, and his grin widened like a summer sunrise.

Our sticks clashed lightly.

I flinched.

His stick brushed my knee, just enough to throw me off.

I stumbled.

Thud.

I hit the ground with a yelp. A small gash formed on my knee, red blooming like a question.

“You okay?” Tanya called, half-laughing.