Episode 1: Welcome to the Wrong Side of Paradise
Aadhya's POV
Great.
Just great.
The day hadn't even started properly and it was already trying to fight me.
The sun was too bright. My shoe lace came undone twice. And now I was walking toward my new school—
International School of Mumbai.
Wow.
Rich rich.
Like, not "upper middle class rich." No. This was foreign-return parents, private jet dreams, emotional trauma hidden behind Gucci sunglasses rich.
I looked down at myself.
Yep.
I looked like a lost charity case.
The school was massive. Huge glass buildings, shiny floors that probably got cleaned more often than my life decisions. Fancy furniture. Green lawns that looked illegal to step on.
Students everywhere. Speaking in English, French, maybe Klingon—I don't know. Everyone looked loud, confident, expensive.
A few couples were kissing openly.
Like openly openly.
So cute. So bold. So not me.
I trip on flat roads.
I inhaled deeply and marched to the reception like a brave soldier going to war.
Behind the desk stood the student council—obviously. Perfect uniforms. Perfect hair. Perfect judgmental eyes.
"Hi," I said politely. "I'm here for my ID."
The guy didn't even look up. "Name?"
"Aadhya Jain."
He typed.
Paused.
Looked up.
And stared at me like I had personally offended his ancestors.
Disgust.
Not confusion. Not curiosity.
Disgust.
"Section… E?" he asked slowly.
I nodded. Small nod. Defensive nod. Please don't eat me nod.
"Eww," the girl beside him said, wrinkling her nose like I smelled bad.
Rude.
"Go from the back door," he said flatly. "You'll find it."
Back door.
Of course.
Why front door when you can exile someone?
I walked away, my back straight, dignity hanging by a thread.
Okay, fine. I knew Section E was the last section. I knew my previous school labeled me as "rebellious." But rebellious doesn't mean feral.
Right?
Right??
The path led me to a completely different side of the campus.
And… wow.
This building looked like it had its own tragic backstory.
Old walls. Cracks. Peeling paint. The kind of place where ghosts file complaints.
Honestly, if I dug a little, I might find ancient coins.
Or a skeleton.
Or both.
Dust everywhere. Spider webs waving at me like, welcome home.
Perfect place for a horror movie.
International School of Mumbai—and then there's this.
Only one classroom had its light on.
Above it, a broken nameplate hung helplessly. Everything had fallen off.
Only E remained.
Iconic. Tragic. Symbolic.
A few students were standing outside. Shirts untucked. Ties loose. Expressions that screamed we skip classes and survive.
They looked like thugs.
Or maybe third-class villains who get beaten up by the hero in the first half.
I swallowed and walked toward them.
The moment I reached, their conversation stopped.
All eyes on me.
Okay, Adi. Smile. Don't look weak. Don't look like prey.
"Uh… is this Section E?" I asked.
They exchanged looks.
Serious ones.
Like they were deciding my fate.
One of them stood out—the tall one. Broad shoulders. Lazy posture. A lollipop in his mouth, sucking it like he had all the time in the world.
He finally spoke. "Section E's been moved to the main building."
"Oh," I said. "But the guy at the reception—"
"I said it's moved," he cut me off.
No expression. No explanation.
"Just go away."
Wow.
Just… wow.
I stared at him for a second, then turned around and started walking.
I swear—I swear—if this wasn't my first day, I would've grabbed that lollipop and shoved it straight into his lungs.
But no.
Calm down, Adi.
Breathe.
Remember what you promised Aarav bhaiyya.
No more fights. No more drama. No more punching people who deserve it.
I clenched my fists and kept walking.
Yes.
New school. New start. New personality.
Focus on studies.
Definitely not plotting revenge.
Definitely not remembering faces.
Absolutely peaceful.
Totally.
I walked toward the main building and—wow.
Yeah, who wouldn't want to leave in that creepy ghost building, right? 🙄
I spotted a section that had to be E. Confidence level: 100.
(It was C.)
I walked in.
Instant silence.
All eyes on me. Full slow-motion Bollywood entry, minus the background music.
I ignored them, lifted my chin, and sat on the last bench like I belonged there. Just then, a girl walked up to me.
"Hi, I'm Sakhi. I'm the class leader. I wasn't aware a new student was arriving. Can I see your ID card?"
I handed it over. She looked at it. Looked at me. Looked again.
"Oh no… Aadhya, this is Section C."
And boom.
Laughter. Everywhere.
My ears burned. My soul left my body.
I didn't walk out—I ran, clutching my bag like it was the last thing I owned.
That scoundrel.
That certified idiot.
He did this on purpose.
"Idiot, I swear—" I muttered while storming toward the old building.
I reached the door and knocked so hard it almost filed a complaint. The door opened with a thud. The sir inside looked startled… then amused.
"Is this Section E?" I asked, double-checking reality.
He nodded. "Miss Aadhya, right?"
"Yes, sir. Sorry for being late. Someone sent me to the wrong section," I said—very deliberately—looking straight at that idiot.
He didn't react.
Poker face.
Dark eyes. Dark circles. Cold expression.
Ice king vibes.
"It's okay. Come and introduce yourself," the sir said.
I walked to the front.
"Hello, I'm Aadhya Jain. You can call me Adi."
No response.
No interest.
Everyone was busy doing… whatever nonsense they do here.
Except him.
That idiot was staring at me. Not blinking. Not smiling. Just… watching.
His gaze felt heavy, dark—like he was dissecting me without touching me. It was unsettling. Annoying. And for some reason, it made my skin prickle.
"Class president, do you have anything to ask?" sir asked.
Silence.
I thought maybe the president was absent. Lucky him.
But sir insisted.
And of course—
He stood up.
Wow.
Just look at my luck.
Luck my ass.
He smiled—slow, lazy, irritating.
"Are you still a virgin?"
The class exploded with laughter.
Sir snapped, "That's enough!"
"But sir, you asked for a question," the idiot said casually.
Wow. Rude and shameless.
"Sir is asking for an appropriate question," I shot back, glaring at him.
"Oh?" he tilted his head. "Then fine. An appropriate one—when are you leaving our section?"
The class went dead silent.
I smiled sweetly. "Why don't you go first?"
"OHHHHH—" the class erupted.
His jaw tightened. Irritated. Good.