The first day of school always feels strange—like standing at the edge of something new without knowing whether to step forward or run away. A fresh day. A new academic year. New classrooms, new faces, and the quiet hope that this year might be different.
I sat on the first bench, my bag neatly tucked under the desk, fingers nervously tracing the edge of my notebook. Around me, the classroom buzzed with half-finished conversations and laughter that felt a little too confident for a first day.
"Hi?"
I turned. For a second, my heart skipped—then relief washed over me.
"Oh—Swasti! Hi!"
Seeing her felt familiar, grounding. Swasti and I used to be badminton partners, spending hours on the court, counting points and teasing each other between rallies. I still didn't fully understand why she had quit badminton at the beginning of the year, but I hadn't pushed. Some things didn't need explanations—at least, not yet.
She smiled and gestured to the girl beside her. "This is Dishita," she said. "I met her during the bridge course."
Dishita smiled shyly, her eyes curious, like she was taking mental notes of everything around her. I smiled back, wondering if this introduction would turn into something lasting or fade away like so many first-day friendships.
Swasti's POV
Thank goodness I saw Nova.
For a moment, I had thought I'd be stuck with Dishita for the entire year. She wasn't bad—just… too new, too unfamiliar. Seeing Nova felt like spotting land after being lost at sea. Someone I already knew. Someone safe.
Dishita's POV
A new school can be terrifying, but that morning, I felt lucky.
I had already found people who smiled back at me, people who didn't make me feel invisible. Nova seemed quiet but warm, and Swasti—well, she felt confident, like she knew exactly where she belonged.
Our class teacher arrived soon after. Rakki Ma'am had a gentle voice but eyes that missed nothing. She introduced herself with a calm smile and told us she would be teaching Maths. Somehow, that made the subject feel less intimidating.
I remember thinking, Maybe this school won't be so hard after all.
Nova's POV
Time didn't walk forward after that—it sprinted.
Before I knew it, a month had passed. Desks had shifted, seating arrangements changed, and the classroom no longer felt unfamiliar.
That was when I met Magdalin.
It happened over something small and ordinary—a pen. She asked if she could borrow one, smiled when I handed it to her, and somehow, that simple moment turned into conversations, shared jokes, and quiet understanding. She had a kind heart; you could feel it in the way she listened.
Then there was Mohit.
He appeared everywhere Dishita was, leaning a little too close, smiling a little too often. Swasti and I noticed it instantly. Soon enough, we started shipping them—teasing glances, raised eyebrows, whispered comments. Magdalin joined in too, laughing with us like she had always been part of the group.
It felt easy. Happy.
Until it didn't.
Three months later, something changed. Dishita and Swasti fought—over what, I wasn't sure. Words were exchanged, silence followed, and suddenly the seating told a different story.
Swasti sat beside me now.
Dishita sat with a boy named Harshith.
Swasti's POV
I glanced across the classroom and felt my nose wrinkle.
Dishita and Harshith were talking—no, flirting. Laughing too freely, leaning too close.
My goodness. Shameless.
It looked ugly from where I sat, and I hated that I couldn't look away.
Nova's POV
I watched them quietly.
Dishita's smile was different—not the polite one she wore on the first day, not the shy one from the bridge course. This one was softer. Brighter.
Unusual.
I leaned back in my chair and exhaled.
"I think they like each other," I thought. And somehow, I knew this was only the beginning of something much bigger than a seating change.