Hearts In Harmony | On Hold

03 | No! She's here.

| VIKRAM |

I parked my scooter in the usual spot before heading into school. I achieved the highest score in boards in our school, and it feels great - everyone started to notice me, and I'm getting chocolates and gifts from my juniors, haven! I'm really enjoying this.

While heading to my classroom, I noticed Kiara talking to a girl who seemed strangely familiar. Hold on, is that Chandramukhi? Why is she here? Oh, wait, she's wearing our school's uniform. So, it looks like she got admission here.

Fucking biscuit!!

I hit the brakes in my entrance when Kiara spotted me. She began vigorously waving her hands, yelling, "Hey, donkey!" Of course, no one batted an eye because, you know, this is our daily ritual. I gave her a classic eye roll and ambled over. Right on cue, as I approached, Reshmi casually pivoted, making it a slow-motion turn - wait!

Why the fuck it's happening in slow motion?

As I was walking, I couldn't help but gaze at her. Suddenly, I tripped and fell. The embarrassment hit me as my ears, face, and neck turned red. It turned out I slipped on a banana peel someone carelessly left in the corridor. In frustration, I picked it up and threw it into the dustbin.

Glancing at her, I noticed she was laughing, and it bothered me. Bandariya's laughter, especially directed at me, always gets on my nerves.

I couldn't help but scrunch up my face when Chandramukhi joined her, and she burst into giggles, shaking her head. I don't want to admit it but she's pretty.

Ugly! Pretty ugly! Yes.

I couldn't resist rolling my eyes as I strolled over. Letting out a scoff, I strutted into the classroom, making sure to give Reshmi a teasing nose scrunch before disappearing inside.

I headed straight to my seat, placing my bag, and when I turned around, both Kiara and Reshmi were entering the classroom. While I knew Kiara opted for PCB, I wondered about Reshmi. She initially mentioned humanities-what made her switch to science? I was curious about her decision.

Oh no! She's looking to compete with me, Vikram Raj Choubey!

The teacher, Mrs. Gupta, briskly walked to the front of the classroom, "Good morning, class! I hope you all had a wonderful vacation. Now, let's get down to business. We have a new student joining us today. Please welcome Reshmi to our class," Mrs. Gupta announced.

A few claps filled the room as Chandramukhi nervously made her way to the front.

"Hello, I'm Reshmi Thevar. Nice to meet you all, thank you," she said, offering a polite smile.

"What's wrong with her name? Ugh, like seriously, Reshmi? That's like, totally ancient. Get with the times, it's, like, so not fab, you know?"

I heard that Aanya. Her ego is practically its own zip code. So, I shoot her a grin and go, "That's why I call her Chandramukhi," accompanied by a raised eyebrow.

She flashed a smile but then furrowed her brow, "Do you know her?" she inquired. I nodded quietly before averting my gaze.

Reshmi returned to her seat, which is next to Kiara. Her seat is in the middle row, second bench, and it's two benches away from where I am.

As the chemistry class began, I found myself tuning into Mrs. Gupta's less-than-engaging lecture. Somehow, my attention drifted to Reshmi, who was absorbed in the material.

It's frustrating because she always strives to be the best, but I don't want to let her outshine me in everything. I paused to take a deep breath before redirecting my attention to the lecture.