𝐇𝐞𝐲 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞✨❤️
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤. 𝐒𝐨 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐦𝐞.
𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲.❤️
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The rickety auto screeched to a halt at the grand gates of Starlight International School. Saanvi Mishra adjusted her dupatta, held her tiffin tight, and stared up at the building that looked less like a school and more like a luxury hotel.
"So this is Mumbai," she muttered. "And this... is where I try not to die of awkwardness."
"Beta, tumhare andar confidence hona chahiye," her father had said earlier that morning. "Yeh Bareilly nahi hai."
"Exactly," she'd replied. "Bareilly mein at least log hindi bolte hain."
She stepped in.
Kids zoomed past her. Some were recording Reels in the hallway. Others were flashing their latest sneakers and iPhones. She caught a glimpse of someone sipping from a mason jar.
"Are they... drinking salad?"
She adjusted her jhumkas and walked on, chin up.
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Meanwhile, the student council room was a battleground of clipboards and caffeine.
Reyansh Malhotra stood by the whiteboard, arms crossed. "Is the sound system for the assembly checked?"
"Yes, boss," said Prisha, ticking her list.
"And the welcome banner?"
"Up since 7:30," Samar yawned from the couch. "You know, some of us sleep."
"You were here ten minutes ago with a samosa."
"Exactly. Balanced diet, balanced life."
Reyansh turned to Prisha. "There's a new student joining today. Saanvi Mishra. From Bareilly."
"Transfer case. We should assign someone to her."
"I'll do it," Samar offered quickly. "Maybe she needs emotional support. Or food."
"You'll scare her off," Prisha said flatly.
Samar looked offended. "I'm a delight."
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Just outside, Saanvi tried locating the admin office when she slammed into someone solid.
"Dekho toh sahi-" she began, but paused as she looked up.
Tall. Tie in place. Jaw clenched like he had never smiled.
"You alright?" he asked, straightening his blazer.
"Physically? Yes. Emotionally? Traumatized."
He raised an eyebrow. "You're the new student."
"Guilty. Saanvi Mishra. From the mystical land of Bareilly."
"I'm Reyansh. Headboy."
"Oh. So you're the school police?"
He blinked. "Not exactly."
"Cool. Do you arrest students for having personality?"
Samar leaned out of the student council room. "Hey, is she giving you a hard time already?"
"Is this a regular thing here?" Saanvi asked. "Girls bump into boys, boys forget how to blink?"
Samar grinned. "Welcome to Starlight."
***************************************
In class 12-B, Vivaan Batra strolled in fashionably late, humming to himself and balancing a muffin in one hand.
"Morning, legends."
"You're twelve minutes late," Prisha scowled.
"Twelve is just a number. Like my attendance."
Devansh, nose deep in his physics book, didn't even look up. "If you miss the practical again, sir's gonna ban you from finals."
Vivaan sat down, unfazed. "I thrive on chaos."
Behind them, Inaaya was scribbling something in her diary.
"What rhymes with ridiculous?" she mumbled to herself.
"Vivaan," said Devansh.
"Hey!" Vivaan turned. "Hurtful, bro."
"You asked."
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Moments later, Prisha walked to the front.
"We have a new student joining us today. Please don't be weird."
Saanvi stepped in, smiling.
"Namaste, classmates. I come bearing parathas and opinions."
Whispers.
"Is she wearing jhumkas?"
"That's... different."
Saanvi ignored them and walked to the only empty bench beside Inaaya.
"Hi," Inaaya whispered.
"Hi," Saanvi whispered back. "Do you like aloo paratha?"
Inaaya's eyes widened. "Yes."
Saanvi opened her tiffin. "Want some?"
And just like that, friends.
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Lunch break exploded with chatter and clatter. Saanvi sat with Inaaya at a corner table.
"So... you write poems?" she asked.
Inaaya nodded. "Mostly sad stuff."
"Why?"
"It's easier than being happy."
"Damn, that was deep. Want more paratha?"
"Yes."
At another table, Aadhya sipped her iced coffee.
"She's been here for five minutes and already has a fan club," she said.
"Jealous?" asked Rivan quietly.
She turned. "Did you just speak?"
He sipped his water. "Only when it matters."
"Wow. Mystery boy speaks. Alert the media."
He shrugged. "You were being loud."
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That evening, Saanvi flopped onto her bed and video-called Aarohi.
"You should've seen them. One guy looked like a toothpaste ad. The other was eating samosa like it was currency."
"Tell me more," Aarohi grinned. "Anyone cute?"
Saanvi sighed. "Headboy is cute. In a 'my dad would never approve' kind of way."
"Typical."
Suddenly, Shaurya walked past shirtless.
Aarohi gasped. "Was that-?"
"Stop staring, you creep!"
"I wasn't."
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At the Malhotra household, Kavya tossed her shoes aside.
"Guess what? New girl wore jhumkas and had half the class hypnotized."
Reyansh walked in, tired.
"She's loud."
"She's interesting."
"She's... different."
"Exactly."
Kavya smirked. "Careful, bhai. Sounds like the start of a love story."
"It's not."
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And yet, as Mumbai roared with its usual chaos, something had shifted.
A new girl with jhumkas.
An old school with secrets.
And hearts just waiting to be stirred.
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𝗘𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿
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