After that day in coaching, things didn't feel the same anymore.
I tried to sit with my books like before. I opened my notebook, picked up my pen, and stared at the questions.
But my mind was somewhere else.
Sometimes it was thinking about the argument in class. Sometimes it was thinking about the exams. And sometimes… it was thinking about you.
I never planned to have a crush.
In fact, during Class 10, everyone kept saying this was the time to focus only on studies. No distractions. No unnecessary emotions.
But feelings don't really follow school rules.
It started with small things.
A simple conversation.
A small smile.
A moment that stayed longer in my mind than it should have.
And slowly, without realizing it, you started appearing in my thoughts more often than my textbooks.
While studying mathematics, I suddenly remembered something you said.
While revising history, I started wondering what you were doing at that moment.
It was strange.
Part of me knew this distraction could affect my preparation. But another part of me didn't want those thoughts to disappear.
Because strangely… those thoughts made my stressful days feel a little lighter.
But life rarely stays simple.
As days passed, the pressure of exams kept increasing, my coaching problems didn't go away, and my friendships kept changing.
And in the middle of all this chaos, I was trying to understand something important—
Was this feeling helping me… or slowly pulling me away from my goals?
I didn't know the answer yet.
But one thing was clear.
Class 10 was not just testing my knowledge.
It was testing my emotions, my patience, and my strength.
And the real challenge had only just begun.