The next morning, Aarya stepped out to find her cycle neatly parked by the wall.
She frowned. "When did Riya drop it off?"
Her father, sipping tea at the dining table, looked up. "You were asleep. Believe me, even I was a little startled it was four in the morning."
Aarya raised her brows. Four in the morning? She could imagine Riya, sneaking through the still-dark streets like some covert operative on a mission to return a bicycle.
Shaking her head, she got ready for school. When she walked into class, she headed straight to her seat… still empty beside her. Priya, her deskmate, was usually the first one in, but today? No sign.
This girl. Every time I call, she says nothing's wrong. Maybe I should just visit her, Aarya thought.
Before she could dwell on it, the bell rang and class began.
At lunch, she opened her tiffin and stopped. Inside were two boiled eggs, a slice of bread, and a banana.
She stared at it. What is this, a diet plan?
"Maybe I should make my lunch," Aarya muttered.
Right then, Priyanka Sharma and her little group Aayush and Shruti strolled in.They're always a pain. Only remember I exist when they need homework. In class, they don't even look my way.
Aayush grinned. "What's up, pretty girl? We're sorry if we seemed rude to you. You know… I still want your notes."
Shruti glanced between us. "Yeah, I guess we do come off as mean sometimes. Sorry, okay? Anyway, we're planning to visit Priya tomorrow. You free?"
Priyanka added her trademark fake smile. I don't know where her mind was, but I decided to be blunt. "By the way, your smile looks totally fake."
Priyanka turned to Shruti. "You told me to smile. Does it really seem fake?"
Shruti hesitated. "Uh… maybe? Then stop smiling,"
Priyanka snapped.
I blinked. For a second, she had that mean, arrogant look no wonder she usually only keeps a tiny smile on her face.
"Well," I said, "it's better than your full smile. That one looks like you're about to plot someone's downfall."
Aayush, completely fixated on the eggs on my plate, suddenly asked, "May I have one?"I nodded, and he immediately started stuffing it in his mouth.
"So," I asked, "whose idea was the whole smiling-face thing?"
Priyanka and Aayush both mid-bite looked straight at Shruti.
Shruti's face went pink. "Is it really that bad of an idea?"
That's when it hit me: I'd been comparing them to my old friends.But these three? Just a bunch of weirdos.
The bell rang, and they all went back to our seats as class was about to start
The classes finally ended, and Aarya quickly packed her books and notebooks into her worn canvas bag. The bell's echo hadn't even faded before she was out of her seat. The afternoon air outside was thick with heat, clinging to her skin as she cycled home. Once inside, she placed her bag neatly on the desk, switched on the ceiling fan, and without being told, began her homework like the model student everyone believed her to be. Math problems first, then English reading, followed by a quick revision of her history notes.
By the time the clock edged toward five, she carefully closed her books and started getting ready for the evening class at the centre. She changed into a fresh kurti, braided her hair, and gathered her pens and notes.
The evening air was cooler than the afternoon heat, carrying the faint smell of roadside tea stalls. When Aarya arrived at the centre, When she pushed open the heavy glass door of the library, a familiar voice greeted her.
"Early again, Aarya?" Sid looked up from behind the front desk. He was part of the administrative staff, the one who kept the place running like clockwork. His sleeves were rolled up, a pen tucked neatly behind his ear, and his easy grin carried a warmth that made even the dullest day a little brighter.
Aarya smiled faintly. "Class doesn't start for another fifteen minutes. Thought I'd wait here."
"You know," Sid began, falling into step beside her as they walked inside, "people have always said Ms. Iqbal had… a special student she trusted. More than the others."
Aarya paused mid-unpacking, curiosity pricking at her. "Special student?" she echoed.
Sid shrugged. "Well… maybe not a student-student. More like… someone she confided in. Someone who could walk into her office without knocking. Mohan, for example."
"Mohan?" Aarya repeated, the name lingering in the air like a secret. She'd seen him around before. Mohan wasn't just "good-looking." He had that effortless kind of handsomeness that belonged in glossy advertisements tall, with a lean, athletic build that made his shirt fit just right, hair neatly styled but with a few rebellious strands falling over his forehead. His jawline was sharp enough to rival the geometry tools in the staff room, and his warm brown eyes held a quiet steadiness. Even the simple act of placing books on the counter seemed to have an unhurried grace to it.
The image stitched itself together too easily in Aarya's mind. She imagined whispered conversations among the dusty bookshelves, the two of them sharing tea during breaks, exchanging glances full of unspoken meaning.
She tilted her head toward Sid. "So… you think they're…?"
Sid smirked again, that maddening half-smile that could mean anything. "I'm just saying, people notice things."
She tilted her head. "Well, my curiosity was right last time."
He set down the books, pretending to be casual, but his tone carried a knowing edge. "Yeah. Your guess was right. Something's going on."
Aarya's thoughts were already racing ahead, weaving a story where Mohan and Ms. Iqbal were quietly in love, bound by some tender secret.
But while Aarya was spinning her little story, the truth lay elsewhere.
In reality, Mohan wasn't in love with Ms. Iqbal at all. He was in the back room of his family's shop right now, hunched over a ledger that didn't balance, the weight of overdue payments pressing down on him harder than his father's silence. Ms. Iqbal's trust had nothing to do with stolen glances or secret meetings it was about a long-forgotten promise to his late mother, one Mohan wasn't sure he could live up to