Chapter 1: The Return of the 'Gold Medalist'
The sweltering heat of a Mumbai April didn't bother Mrs. Sharma half as much as the dust on her mahogany display cabinet. She swiped a cloth over a trophy—Ishaan's 10th-grade debate championship—and glanced out the window at the house exactly twelve feet away.
"Meera," Mrs. Sharma called out, her voice dropping into that specific tone of competitive sweetness. "Did you hear? The Khannas' daughter is back from London."
Meera, currently buried under a mountain of architectural blueprints and empty coffee mugs, didn't look up. "Which one? The one who supposedly discovered a new planet or the one who breathes in IPOs?"
"Ananya," her mother chirped, pulling the curtains back further than necessary. "The 'Perfect' Ananya. She's moved back for good. Apparently, she's taking a 'sabbatical' from that big tech firm."
Meera froze. The name hit her like a cold splash of water. Ananya Khanna. Her shadow. Her rival. The girl who had shared a literal wall with her for eighteen years and managed to outshine her in every single one of them.
The Unwilling Reunion
Meera's plan for the evening was simple:
Avoid the sun.
Avoid human interaction.
Eat her weight in pani puri.
Fate, however, followed a K-Drama script. As Meera stepped out of her gate in her most "unstylish" oversized t-shirt and mismatched socks, a sleek black cab pulled up.
Out stepped a pair of designer loafers, followed by a woman who looked like she had just walked off a high-fashion shoot rather than a sixteen-hour flight. Ananya Khanna hadn't just returned; she had leveled up.
"Meera?" Ananya's voice was like silk. She pushed her sunglasses up, a small, knowing smirk playing on her lips. "Is that you? You haven't changed a bit. Still wearing the... um... 'vintage' look?"
Meera felt the familiar itch of irritation. "It's called comfort, Ananya. Some of us don't treat the driveway like a runway."
"Clearly," Ananya laughed, but as she reached for her heavy suitcase, her foot caught on the uneven pavement—a classic Gulmohar Lane hazard.
The 'Clumsy' Moment
The world slowed down. Ananya stumbled forward, her designer tote flying. Meera, fueled by a reflex she didn't know she had, lunged forward to catch her.
Instead of a graceful save, they both ended up in a tangled heap on the Khannas' manicured lawn.
"Get... off... me," Ananya gasped, though she was suppressed by a fit of giggles that didn't match her polished exterior.
"You crashed into me!" Meera retorted, trying to untangle her headphone wire from Ananya's bracelet.
"Girls! Look at you two! Just like the old days!"
They both looked up to see their mothers standing on their respective balconies, beaming down at them like they had just witnessed a heartwarming reunion rather than a structural collapse.
Meera looked at Ananya. Up close, the "Perfect" girl looked... exhausted. There were faint dark circles under those expensive sunglasses.
"Welcome home, neighbor," Meera muttered, finally standing up and brushing off the grass. "Try not to break the pavement on day one."
Ananya watched her go, the smirk fading into something softer, something almost lonely. "See you around, Meera. Closer than you think."