Aadhya's POV
"Mouth of death…"
I stopped mid-thought and sighed. "Wow. Great start, Aadhya. Very positive."
I stood there for a second, just staring at the huge school board in front of me, my fingers tightening slightly around my bag strap.
"New school… new beginning," I whispered to myself, like saying it softly would somehow make it less scary.
"God, please don't let me embarrass myself today," I added quickly, just in case He was listening.
Then I looked up again…
And my confidence? Gone. Finished. Evaporated.
"This… is a school?"
It didn't look like one. It looked like one of those places rich people casually walk into like, "Oh yeah, I own half of this."
For a solid ten seconds, I genuinely thought I had come to the wrong place.
I quickly pulled out my phone, checked the address again—once… twice… three times.
Nope.
It was right.
"Okay," I exhaled slowly. "So we're doing this."
I adjusted my bag, straightened my shoulders a little, and walked inside.
The moment I stepped in, it felt like everything became louder and brighter at the same time. Students everywhere—laughing, talking, walking past like they had their lives perfectly together.
Meanwhile, I was just… there. Trying not to look lost.
My eyes kept moving—
the garden looked like it was taken straight out of a movie,
the floors were so clean they reflected light,
and the furniture… even the chairs looked expensive.
I glanced down at my shoes and almost laughed under my breath.
"They don't belong here," I muttered.
For a moment, I actually slowed down, walking more carefully—like I might accidentally ruin something just by existing.
"Stop it, Aadhya," I whispered to myself. "Act normal."
Normal. Right.
Except… I had no idea where I was going.
That small realization slowly turned into panic.
"Okay… okay, just ask someone," I told myself, even though my stomach had already started tying itself into knots.
I walked up to the reception, trying to look confident and failing miserably.
"Um… my class?"
They asked for my ID card. I handed it over quickly, almost dropping it in the process.
One of them glanced at it… then at me… then back at the card.
Something about that look made my chest tighten.
They frowned.
And then one girl, without even trying to hide it, went, "ew."
I blinked.
For a second, I genuinely didn't know how to react.
Was that… for me?
I looked around slightly, just to be sure there wasn't someone worse standing behind me.
There wasn't.
"Section E," the other one said flatly, handing my card back like it weighed nothing.
Section E.
I nodded slowly, taking the card back, pretending like that didn't just happen.
"I'll manage," I told myself as I turned away, even though something about their reaction stayed with me.
They pointed me towards the back.
Of course.
I walked around the building, the polished floors slowly disappearing, the noise fading a little…
And then I reached it.
I stopped.
"…you've got to be kidding me."
The building in front of me looked nothing like the rest of the school.
It didn't even look like it belonged here.
The paint was peeling off the walls, the windows looked tired, and for a very brief moment, I actually wondered if it was safe to go inside.
I hesitated.
"Maybe this is some kind of test," I murmured. "Like… survival training."
Still, I stepped in. Slowly. Carefully.
The air felt different. Quieter.
The benches were scattered, not arranged—like no one really cared where anything was supposed to be.
I walked further in, my steps echoing slightly, until I found a classroom.
"Section—"
I paused.
That's all it said.
Just Section.
The "E" was gone.
I stared at it for a second, then let out a small, disbelieving laugh.
"Even the letter left," I whispered.
There were a few boys standing nearby, talking among themselves.
I took a breath and walked towards them.
The moment my footsteps got closer, their voices stopped.
And then… all of them turned to look at me.
At the same time.
My steps slowed.
There's something very unsettling about being looked at like that—like you've just interrupted something you weren't supposed to.
"Um…" I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, suddenly very aware of myself.
"Is this Section E?"
They didn't answer immediately.
They looked at each other first, exchanging something I couldn't quite understand… then looked back at me.
And then one of them stepped slightly forward.
He was taller than the others, standing a little lazily, a lollipop resting between his lips like he had absolutely nothing better to do in life.
"It's been moved," he said, voice flat. "Main building."
"Oh—okay, I was just told—"
"I said it's moved."
His tone was sharper this time. Louder.
I flinched.
It wasn't even that he shouted… it was just so sudden.
"Okay," I nodded quickly. "I'm going."
I turned around almost immediately, not trusting myself to say anything else.
My grip tightened around my bag as I walked away, my steps a little faster now.
And then, once I was out of their sight—
"I swear—" I muttered under my breath, my frustration finally slipping out, "if this wasn't my first day, that lollipop would not still be in his mouth right now."
I let out a breath, trying to calm myself down.
"Relax… relax, Aadhya," I whispered. "You promised bhaiya. No fighting. No trouble."
I slowed down a little, forcing myself to breathe normally again.
I looked around like a lost puppy.
No, scratch that—like a kidnapped puppy who just realized the kidnapper forgot to leave breadcrumbs.
"Okay… calm down… just find the class," I muttered, turning my head left, then right, then left again like that would magically spawn answers.
Students passed by like they had built-in GPS.
Meanwhile, I was out here buffering.
Then—finally—I spotted a classroom across the corridor.
"Section… C…?" I squinted.
There was something else scribbled near it that kind of looked like an E.
"Close enough," I decided, because clearly my life decisions peak under pressure.
I walked in and quietly slipped into the back seat, placing my bag down like I was trying not to wake a sleeping dragon.
And instantly—
Whispers.
Soft at first. Then not so soft.
"New girl?"
"She's pretty…"
"Do we have a new classmate?"
I froze.
"I can hear all of you," I said in my head, blinking slowly. "I'm not deaf, just new."
I kept my face neutral, pretending I wasn't internally combusting.
Then suddenly—
A girl walked up to me.
And for a moment… I forgot how to breathe.
She was beautiful.
Like unfairly beautiful.
Soft black hair, perfectly shaped lips, rosy cheeks—
She looked like the kind of person who says "hi" and flowers bloom in the background.
So beautiful. So elegant. Just looking like a wow.
She smiled. And wow, even her smile had manners.
"Hi, I'm Saanvi. I'm the class president," she said gently.
"Actually, we weren't informed about a new student… so we were a bit surprised. Do you mind giving me your ID card?"
Her voice was so polite I almost apologized for existing.
"Yeah—yeah, sure," I quickly handed it over.
She looked at it.
Her expression changed.
And then—
"Oh no, Adi… this is the wrong section. This is Section C."
Silence.
One second.
Two seconds.
And then—
The entire class burst out laughing.
I swear I felt my soul leave my body and sit in the corner like, "I'm not part of this."
"I—I—what?" I stammered, my brain officially shutting down.
And then someone from behind said—
"Ohh… that lollipop guy."
Pause.
"You're gone."
Excuse me?? Gone where?? Graveyard??
Nope. That was it.
I grabbed my bag so fast it nearly slapped someone and walked—no—stormed out of the class.
At this point, I wasn't even walking anymore. I was a mission. A disaster with legs.
I reached the building again, anger bubbling so nicely inside me like a perfectly heated revenge plan.
And then—
I didn't open the door.
I attacked it.
It burst open with a loud bang.
Inside, the teacher literally paused mid-sentence, chalk in hand, staring at me like I had just entered through a wall instead of a door.
"Is this Section E?" I asked, slightly out of breath, slightly possessed.
He blinked once… then nodded.
Good. Finally. Civilization.
I walked in, trying to regain whatever dignity I had left.
"Sorry, sir… good morning," I said quickly.
"Hmm… you're Aadhya Verma, right?" he asked.
I nodded.
And then—
I looked at him.
That idiot.
Standing there.
Lollipop. Same bored face. Same audacity.
Except now—
There was a smirk.
A small, irritating, punchable smirk playing on his lips.
You absolute menace, I thought. I will ruin your life.
"Why don't you introduce yourself, Miss Aadhya?" sir said, calling me forward.
I walked to the front, feeling every pair of eyes on me.
"Hello… I'm Aadhya Verma, from Gyan Sarvottam School. I'm a new transfer student here. I look forward to—"
I stopped.
Because no one was listening.
Absolutely no one.
They were busy talking, laughing, existing like I wasn't even there.
Except…
Him.
He was staring.
Not casually. Not curiously.
Intensely.
Dark eyes fixed on me like he was trying to figure something out… or destroy it.
His hair was a mess—like a comb had personally offended him.
Uniform? Equally tragic.
But none of that was the problem.
The problem was his aura.
There was something… off.
Not loud. Not dramatic.
Just… heavy.
And then—
He smirked again.
I narrowed my eyes.
Keep smirking. I'll wipe it off personally.
"Does anyone have any questions for the new student?" sir asked, looking around.
Silence.
"Where is the class president?"
Wow. Amazing leadership. Invisible.
"Vivaan," sir called out.
Oh. So the president is named Vivaan.
Nice.
I looked around—
And then slowly…
He stood up.
…
No.
No no no.
You have got to be kidding me.
THIS idiot is the class president??
God really said, "Let's make her life interesting."
"Any questions?" sir repeated.
Vivaan tilted his head slightly, that annoying smirk still there.
And then—
"Are you still a virgin?"
…
The class exploded.
Laughter everywhere.
Someone even clapped. Clapped.
I stood there, stunned. Not embarrassed—just… shocked at the audacity.
Sir immediately started scolding him.
"Vivaan! This is not appropriate!"
"It's just a question, sir," he said, completely unbothered.
Oh. Oh he's that type.
I took a step forward, folding my arms slightly.
"Sir is asking for a decent question," I said, looking straight at him.
"Maybe you don't know the meaning of 'appropriate.'"
The class went—
"OHHHHHH—"
What are they, paid audience??
His smirk dropped.
Eyebrows pulled together.
Ohhh. Did I hit a nerve? Good.
"You want an appropriate question?" he said, voice colder now.
"Then when are you leaving our section?"
Ah. There it is.
The attitude. The ego. The unnecessary drama.
I smiled slightly. Not sweet. Not friendly. Just enough.
"Why don't you go first?"
"OHHHHHH—"
Again.
Seriously, do they rehearse this??
Sir stepped in immediately before we turned the classroom into a boxing ring.
"Okay, enough. Both of you. Aadhya, take your seat."
I exhaled slowly and stepped away, scanning the class.
And wow.
Even the seating arrangement had issues.
All the benches were pushed to the sides and back, leaving the middle weirdly empty—forming this awkward U-shape like some failed group therapy setup.
"Of course," I muttered. "Why would anything be normal?"
I walked to the middle and sat down, dropping my bag beside me.
For a moment, I just stared ahead.
Then slowly…
I turned back.
Our eyes met again.
This time—
He wasn't smirking.
He was glaring.
Good.
I glared back.
What, you think only you have eyes?
Next time I'll attach lasers to mine.
Idiot.