Chapter 20

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Here is Chapter 20!

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Kashvi Pov -

Everyone left...

The house became silent again.

And just like every time-

The silence felt louder than anything.

I sat there for a while.

Lost.

And then-

Those memories came back.

I still haven't forgotten...

What they did 9 years ago...

Not even a single thing.

People say- kids forget everything...

But I remember everything.

Every word...

Every moment...

Every pain.

Sometimes I don't understand...

If parents don't even want their child...

Then why bring them into this world?

Wouldn't it be better...

To end everything before it even begins?

Because living like this-

Dying every single moment...

It hurts more than death itself.

Tears rolled down my cheeks.

I didn't even try to stop them.

Crying like that-

Somewhere between pain and

exhaustion-

I fell asleep.

Author's POV

Next day-

Classes were going on.

Everyone was unusually quiet.

Soon-

One period ended.

Another teacher entered.

"I'll be taking a surprise test."

The entire class-

Groaned.

"Ma'am, we are not ready!"

"Please no test!"

Ishvik leaned back-

"Yaar... yeh surprise test kisne banaya hai?"

Eshaan sighed-

"Hai na..."

"Agar zinda hota na- main khud usse maar deta."

"Exam kam the kya jo yeh surprise test bhi aa gaya..."

Saanvi rolled her eyes-

"Offo... tum dono aise react kar rahe ho jaise boards likh rahe ho."

Aarohi added-

"Aur nahi toh kya... dramebaaz."

Saanvi smiled-

"Hum toh ready hain."

Ishvik frowned-

"Tum log ready ho toh kya hua?"

"Hum thodi na ready hain!"

Just then-

Kashvi spoke-

"Ruko... main try karti hoon bolne ka..."

Ishvik instantly-

"Haan haan bolo!"

Kashvi stood up.

"Ma'am..."

Teacher turned-

"Yes?"

Kashvi smiled slightly-

"Ma'am... we all are ready."

Silence.

Ishvik & Eshaan-

"DHOKA."

Aarohi and Saanvi giggled.

Arjun and Vedansh smiled.

And Netrabhan-

Just looked at her.

Smiling softly.

"Okay, All members sit according to roll numbers."

Everyone started shifting.

Aarohi groaned-

"Yaar... mummy papa ne galat kiya mere saath..."

Kashvi laughed-

"Kyu?"

Aarohi said dramatically-

"Mera naam 'A' se kyu rakha?!"

"Humesha first bench milta hai!"

Saanvi-

"Toh problem kya hai?"

Aarohi-

"Yeh first bench mere liye bani hi nahi hai!"

Kashvi pushed her lightly-

"Chal baith."

Soon-

Papers were distributed.

15 minutes later-

Kashvi finished her paper.

She sat quietly.

First row.

Fourth bench.

Wall side.

Her eyes wandered-

And stopped.

On him.

Netrabhan.

Second row.

Opposite side.

Writing calmly.

Focused.

Hayee... kitne shaant se likh rahe hain...

Koi itna pyara kaise ho skta hai.....

She kept looking.

Admiring.

After a few minutes-

He looked up.

Their eyes met.

He raised his eyebrow-

"Kya hua?"

She shook her head-

"Kuch nahi..."

He signaled-

"Ho gaya?"

She nodded-

"5 minute pehle hi."

Then both of them kept looking at eachother like silently talking to eachother with there eyes

Slowly-

Both rested their heads on the desk.

Still looking at each other.

Kashvi felt shy.

She covered her face with her paper.

After a few seconds-

She peeked.

With one eye.

He was still looking.

At her.

She mouthed-

"Kahi aur dekhiye..."

He shook his head.

"No."

And just like that-

They stayed.

Lost.

From the last bench-

Vedansh saw everything.

His expression fell slightly.

But he said nothing.

Just rested his head.

And kept looking at her.

Silently.

On the other side-

Saanvi finished her paper.

Beside her-

Eshaan.

She watched him.

Nibbling his pen.

Thinking hard.

One answer left.

He knew she was watching.

And somehow-

His heartbeat increased.

Suddenly-

Saanvi tapped his paper.

He turned.

She signaled-

"Kya hua?"

He shook his head.

After a while-

He got irritated.

Then finally-

He tapped the question.

Asking for help.

Saanvi smiled softly-

"Cute..."

And showed him.

He quickly wrote.

Then-

Closed his paper.

Took out a chocolate.

KitKat.

And passed it to her secretly.

She took it-

"Kyuu?"

He replied softly-

"Thank you..."

"...aur aise hi."

Then added-

"Kisi aur ko mat dena."

"Yeh sirf tumhare liye hai."

She smiled.

"Okay."

First bench-

Aarohi was trying not to laugh.

Because beside her-

Ishvik.

Already irritated.

From test.

From first bench.

From everything.

She whispered-

"Ishvik..."

He turned calmly-

"Haan bolna..."

She froze for a second.

Abhi tak irritated tha...

Aur ab... itna calm?

Kahi koi personality disorder toh nhi..??

He repeated-

"Kya hua?"

She smirked slightly-

"Tu thoda pareshan lag raha hai..."

"Help chahiye?"

Ishvik replied sarcastically-

"arey nhi toh... main toh bohot maze mein hoon."

"Maza aa raha hai mujhe."

"And btw- mera paper ho gaya."

She laughed.

Then suddenly-

He asked-

"Aarohi..."

"Main tujhe kaisa dikhta hoon?"

Her heartbeat-

Skipped.

She was about to answer-

"Ishvik."

"Yes ma'am."

"Collect the papers."

"Okay ma'am."

He stood up.

Collected everyone's papers.

Gave it to ma'am.

Ma'am said-

"I'll return them after lunch."

And left.

But that question-

Stayed.

Unanswered.

Between them.

[••••••••••••••••••]

Aarohi's POV

"What do I look like to you?"

That's what he asked.

Just like that.

Out of nowhere.

And for a second-

Everything around me just... paused.

Ishvik.

Asking that question?

Not teasing.

Not joking.

Serious.

My heartbeat-

Suddenly faster.

Why would he even ask that?

I mean-

I've seen him a thousand times.

Annoying.

Loud.

Irritating.

But also-

Funny..

Protective..

Real..

And today...

Different.

The way he said my name-

"Aarohi..."

Not like before.

Soft.

And that question-

Mai tujhe kaisa dikhta hu?

I wanted to answer.

I really did.

But what would I even say?

That you're annoying?

Or that...

I notice you more than I should?

That your silence bothered me?

That when you got irritated-

I noticed.

That when you didn't reply-

I didn't like it.

And when you asked that question-

Something felt... different.

Like it mattered.

More than it should.

I opened my mouth-

"Ishvik-"

"Ishvik."

Ma'am's voice cut through everything.

"Collect the papers."

And just like that-

The moment broke.

He stood up.

Like nothing happened.

Like he didn't just ask something-

That stayed in my mind.

I watched him.

As he moved around.

Collecting papers.

Normal again.

But I wasn't.

Because that question-

Was still there.

Unanswered.

And now-

It was bothering me.

More than it should.

Because I know one thing-

If he asks again-

I might not be able to joke my way out of it.

And that thought-

Was both...

Scary.

And strangely-

Exciting.

••••||•••••

Lunch period ended.

Everyone came back to class.

But today-

There was a different kind of tension in the air.

Because now-

Everyone was waiting for one thing.

Test results.

Soon-

Ma'am entered the class.

With answer sheets in her hand.

"Let's see... how much you all were 'ready'."

The class went silent.

Completely.

She started calling names.

One by one.

Students went-

Took their papers-

Came back.

Some happy.

Some disappointed.

"Eshaan."

He stood up.

Went.

Came back.

Saanvi immediately leaned-

"Kitna aata?"

Eshaan smirked slightly-

"Pass ho gaya... bas."

Saanvi rolled her eyes-

"Drama."

"Tumne pura likha tha."

He whispered-

"Tumne dikhaya tha."

She smiled.

"Next- Saanvi."

She went.

Came back confidently.

"Kitna?"

Eshaan asked.

"Tumse zyada."

He scoffed-

"Expected."

"Arjun."

He went calmly.

Got his paper.

Came back-

No expression.

Vedansh followed.

Same.

Then-

"Kashvi."

She stood up.

Walked slowly.

Took her paper.

And came back.

Didn't say anything.

Saanvi leaned-

"Kitna?"

Kashvi showed her paper.

Saanvi's eyes widened-

"Topper."

Aarohi leaned too-

"Of course..."

"Yeh toh hona hi tha."

Kashvi smiled slightly.

Then-

"Netrabhan."

He went.

Took his paper.

Came back.

Sat.

Kashvi glanced at him.

He noticed.

Turned slightly-

And showed his paper.

Same marks.

As her..

For a second-

Both just looked at each other.

A small smile.

Unspoken.

Competition?

Or something else?

Then-

"Ishvik."

He stood up dramatically-

"Aakhri din aa hi gaya..."

Aarohi rolled her eyes.

He went.

Took the paper.

Came back.

Sat.

Silent.

Too silent.

Aarohi leaned slightly-

"Kitna aaya?"

He didn't reply.

She snatched the paper.

And looked.

Then-

She burst out laughing.

"Seriously?!"

"ITNA?"

He glared-

"Has mat."

"Zyada nahi aaya toh kya hua..."

"Zinda toh hoon."

Aarohi kept laughing-

"Tu toh gaya..."

"Isse zyada toh main bina padhe likh leti."

He leaned closer-

"Tu na..."

"Bahut bolne lagi hai aaj kal."

She smirked-

"Toh?"

He stared at her for a second.

Then looked away.

But his lips-

Slightly curved.

Meanwhile-

From the side-

Vedansh was watching.

Netrabhan.

And Kashvi.

The way-

They shared that look.

That silent understanding.

Something twisted inside him.

Not anger.

But something close.

Uncomfortable.

••••••••••••

Ishvik pov

I don't know why I asked that.

Seriously-

I don't.

It just... came out.

"Aarohi... main tujhe kaisa dikhta hoon?"

The moment I said it-

I knew.

Yeh kya bol diya maine?

This wasn't me.

I don't ask things like that.

I joke.

I tease.

I annoy her.

But this?

This was different.

And the worst part-

I wasn't even joking.

I was serious.

Completely.

I think it started in the morning.

When she said-

"Dono kaafi hot hain..."

About them.

Vedansh.

Arjun.

I don't know why-

But that line stayed.

Like it got stuck in my head.

On repeat.

Hot hain...

And suddenly-

I wanted to know.

What about me?

Where do I stand?

In her eyes.

Am I just...

Some annoying guy she fights with?

Or-

Something more?

I didn't like the way she said "aap" to him.

Didn't like how easily she talked to them.

And me?

Always fighting.

Always arguing.

But today-

When I said her name-

"Aarohi..."

Something changed.

Even I noticed it.

She noticed it too.

And I didn't hate that.

Not even a little.

During the test-

She was laughing at me.

Of course she was.

I was irritated.

But still-

I wasn't actually angry.

Because she was the reason.

And somehow-

That didn't feel annoying.

It felt...

Normal.

Like it should be that way.

Then I looked at her.

Properly.

For once-

Without joking.

Without acting.

And that question just came out.

"What do I look like to you?"

Because I wanted to know.

Not as a joke.

Not as timepass.

But genuinely.

Because for the first time-

Her opinion mattered.

More than it should.

And I don't like that.

Or maybe-

I do.

I saw her reaction.

She froze.

Didn't expect it.

Didn't have an answer ready.

And that told me something.

She felt it too.

At least a little.

But before she could say anything-

Ma'am called me.

Perfect timingb woww.

I stood up.

Acted normal.

Collected papers.

But inside-

I was still stuck there.

On that moment.

On that question.

On her answer-

Which I didn't get.

But I will.

Sooner or later.

Because now-

I need to know.

What I am-

To her.

∆∆∆∆••∆∆∆∆

All the classes finally ended.

Everyone started packing their bags.

Tired.

Relieved.

But also-

A little distracted.

Because too much had already happened today.

Suddenly

Aarohi spoke.

"Waise... project karna hi hai na..."

"Toh kyu na mere ghar pe karein?"

"What do you all say?"

Everyone looked at each other.

Then nodded.

"Haan... theek hai."

"No problem."

Aarohi smiled.

"Done then."

Then she turned towards Arjun and Vedansh-

"Tum dono bhi aana koi bahana nhi."

Both of them nodded-

"Yeah, sure."

Everything seemed settled.

Simple.

Normal.

But only from the outside.

Because inside-

Someone was thinking something else.

Ishvik.

He stood there quietly.

Listening to everything.

But his mind-

Was somewhere else.

On one question.

What do I look like to you?

Una

nswered.

Still hanging between them.

He glanced at Aarohi.

She was talking normally.

Laughing.

Like nothing happened.

And that-

Annoyed him a little.

Kahi yeh Ignore toh nhi kar rahi hai na...?

He exhaled slowly.

Theek hai...

Jawab toh chahiye kaise toh bhi...

And then-

A small smirk appeared on his face.

Because now-

He had a plan.

A plan to make her answer.

No matter what.

"Chal, milte hain shaam ko," Eshaan said.

Everyone started leaving.

One by one.

But Ishvik-

Walked out last.

Still smiling to himself.

Because tonight-

Wasn't just about the project.

It was about getting his answer.

From her.

And here comes the end of this chapter...

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