Months later
Nitesh and I were coming back from our tuition. We saw Neetu and Shweta walking in front of us, and suddenly some strange guy approached them.
He was talking in an abusive way. We both stepped in and asked him, "Who are you?"
He replied, "Why should I answer you?"
We said, "They're our friends, and you're talking nonsense to them. Do you two know him?"
Both Neetu and Shweta said, "No…"
We told him to leave. At first he misbehaved with us too, but when we called for help, he finally left.
Neetu and Shweta thanked us. We told them, "If he ever tries to misbehave again, just tell us. We'll handle it in another way."
After that, we walked them home to ensure their safety.
Time passed. It was 14 February 2022.
I was in school, doing some trigonometry in the library. I was the only one there. My back was facing the door, so I couldn't see who was coming or going. I was almost done when I heard footsteps. I thought maybe the librarian had come, so I didn't bother turning.
But then someone covered my eyes from behind and whispered, "Guess who…"
From the voice, I guessed instantly — it was Sneha.
I said, "Why did you cover my eyes?"
She replied, "Just listen carefully… whether you love me or not, it doesn't matter. I'll always love you."
I said, "That's your choice… but don't expect anything from me."
She giggled and said, "When I leave the library, open your notebook."
Then she left.
I opened my notebook and found a chocolate bar. I picked it up and ran outside to find her. I found her in the corridor.
I said, "I can't accept this."
She said, "Just take it, or someone will see us. You know our teachers banned chocolates."
Then she ran away. I had no choice but to keep it and hide it in my bag.
In tuition
The teacher was explaining the topic on the board while Neetu was chit-chatting with me about random things. Suddenly, out of nowhere, she asked, "Did you receive any Valentine chocolate?"
For a moment, I was confused — should I tell her or not?
Before I could answer, she took out a cupcake from her bag and offered it to me. "You can have it," she said.
I hesitated a little, then took it. Before eating, I asked, "Did you buy it?"
She said, "Naah… someone in school proposed to me today."
My heart skipped a beat.
I asked, "Did you answer him?"
She said, "No. I didn't."
"Why not?" I asked.
She stayed silent for a few seconds and then quietly said, "Because I already like someone else."
I asked, "So why did you accept this cupcake?"
She said, "He forced me to take it."
When the class ended, I left before her. Outside the parking area, I told Nitesh everything that happened in the school library.
When I took out the chocolate Sneha gave me, Neetu saw it from a distance. She rushed toward me and said, "Where did you get this? And it's so big!"
I said, "It's not mine."
She asked, "Are you planning to give it to someone?"
She was teasing me with a grin.
I couldn't handle the teasing anymore, so I said, "Someone at school gave it to me."
After hearing this, Neetu started walking home without saying anything. She was walking so fast. I called her from far behind and said, "You can have it if you want!"
She stopped but didn't turn back. She shouted, "Okay, fine! I'll take it if you're insisting so much! Come give it to me."
I sighed. Insisting? Whatever… I can't take this home anyway.
I walked to her and handed her the chocolate. Then I left.
On the way, Nitesh asked, "Bro, did you just propose to her?"
I said, "What are you saying? I just gave her chocolate. I can't take that huge chocolate home — it's too big to hide."
Nitesh laughed and said, "And honestly, if you had said anything at that moment… you almost made a confession without even realising."
When I reached home, I relaxed for an hour watching TV. After dinner, I sat to study. I opened my bag to take out my books and felt something inside the other compartment.
I opened it and found another chocolate with a note:
'Thanks for being kind to me. I love you the way you are. And please help me with my studies.'
I had no idea who put that chocolate in my bag — or when.
March started with a wave of exams, viva, and practicals.
Days were hectic, and we didn't even get time for lunch breaks. Because of incomplete syllabus, school teachers were taking extra classes. I didn't have any extra classes because my grades were good, but Ajay did.
One day, Ajay insisted I join the extra class with him. I agreed because Aman was absent and I didn't want to walk home alone.
I sat on the last bench at first, but the teacher asked me to shift to the first bench.
After some time, Sakshi said, "Sir, I can't hear from the back. Can I sit in the first bench too?"
The teacher nodded.
Sakshi came and sat beside me. I wasn't paying attention — I already knew the topic.
After a while, I noticed her handwriting in her notebook.
I thought, I've seen this handwriting before.
I asked her, "Did you give chocolate to someone on Valentine's?"
She said, "Yes, I did."
"To whom?" I asked.
She looked at me… and remained silent.
I understood everything from her silence — and I didn't say a word.