As Aryan gave Aanya a sly smile across the breakfast table, she instantly looked away, her cheeks warming in embarrassment.
His mother furrowed her brows. "Do you have any idea about this, Aryan?"
He glanced at Aanya, who looked like a deer caught in headlights. She panicked internally.
Just as she opened her mouth, Aryan spoke first. "I ate it."
Aanya's eyes widened. What?
His mother turned to him. "Aryan, you ate again last night?"
Aryan nodded with a small smirk. "Yes. I was hungry."
Prerna raised an eyebrow. "But, Brother… you never eat late nights."
Aanya turned to Aryan.
Aryan shrugged. "I felt hungry last night. What could I do?"
Aanya smiled quietly to herself, touched by his lie.
Prerna narrowed her eyes.
"But you've already eaten. How can you eat again?"
Aanya immediate looked at Aryan.
Aryan cleared his throat.
"I worked a lot last night, so i felt hungry. Okay! Any other doubts?
Prerna tilted her head. "Really?
Aryan grinned. "Prerna, stop interrogating me like I'm a criminal. I'm getting late."
Devika shook her head with a soft smile.
"It's okay, Aryan. If you're hungry, you can eat even at late night. There's no need to give explanations."
Then she looked at Prerna.
"And you — stop teasing your brother and eat your food quietly."
Prerna huffed. "I was just asking."
Aanya bit her lip, barely holding back her laugh. She was impressed… and touched.
Then Aryan's mom turned to her. "Aanya, eat well today. You skipped dinner last night."
Aryan suddenly coughed. Aanya looked at him sharply.
His mom handed him a glass of water. "Aryan? Are you okay?"
He sipped water quickly, then peeked at Aanya, who caught his glance and smirked knowingly.
Later, inside the car, silence filled the space between them.
Aanya finally turned toward him.
"Mr. Aryan… who told you to say that you had eaten last night?"
Aryan looked at her, confused.
"Wait… what?"
"I thought you were feeling embarrassed when Mom asked," he continued. "So I helped you out. And instead of saying thank you, you're asking why I said it?"
Aanya blinked.
"Okay… yes, I was embarrassed," she admitted softly. "But I was even more embarrassed when you said that."
Aryan frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"
"I mean… you could clearly see that Prerna didn't believe you. She knows you don't eat late at night. You never break your rules. That's why she kept asking so many questions."
Aryan glanced at the road, silent.
"And one more thing…" she asked, hesitantly. "Why did you cough when Aunty told me to eat more?"
Aryan cleared his throat. "It wasn't because of you. Something got stuck in my throat."
She raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
He kept his eyes on the road. "Yes."
"Don't fool me, Mr. Aryan. I know you did it on purpose."
Aryan's lips twitched despite himself.
"I didn't."
"You're smiling," she accused.
"I'm not smiling."
"Mr. Aryan, I have eyes. And I can clearly see that you're smiling."
Later At the College - Principal's Office
Inside, the room was tense. Aryan sat, Aanya, Rhea, and her two friends stood before the principal.
"Rhea," the principal said sternly, "do you realize how serious this is? Ragging is strictly prohibited. And you thought locking a student in a classroom was funny?"
Rhea lowered her gaze. Her friends stood in awkward silence.
The principal turned to Aryan. "Mr. Mehra, I deeply apologize. We have no idea Aanya was your relative."
Aryan's voice was calm but firm. "You don't have to apologize to me, sir. This didn't happen to me—it happened to her."
He looked at Aanya.
The principal turned to her. "Aanya, I'm sorry. I didn't expect this kind of behavior from them.
He faced the three girls again. "All of you are suspended immediately. Bring your parents."
Rhea gasped. Aanya too was stunned.
"Sir, please!" Rhea begged. "Give us one chance. We won't repeat this."
Rhea looked at Aanya with teary eyes. "You always said everyone deserves a second chance. Please… please say something Aanya."
Aanya hesitated. Her heart tugged.
Then she softly said, "Sir… please don't suspend them. Just give one chance."
Aryan turned sharply to her. Their eyes met.
The room fell silent.
At home, the storm had calmed—but something had shifted in the silence.
End of Chapter 11