🌸🥀"पहली बारिशों में, बारिशों का पानी

दिल के कोने छू गया था कहीं

पहली दोस्ती का, दोस्ती का एहसास था

डर के बादल छंट गए थे सभी..."🥀🌸

Happy reading ❤️‍🔥

_______________<<<>>>>_______________

Everyone was at the dining table for breakfast. Shivansh sat across from Saavi, glaring at her because she had hidden his phone - which made him late in getting ready.

"Mummy, mujhe Uttar Pradesh jana hoga aaj," Aditya said while eating.

(Mum, I have to go to Uttar Pradesh today.)

"Kyun beta? Sab thik hai?" his mother, Sonali, asked, concern crossing her face.

(Why, son? Is everything okay?)

"Haan mummy, sab thik hai. Ek case ki wajah se jana padega," he replied calmly.

(Yes mum, everything’s fine. I have to go because of a case.)

"Kab tak aayega?" their father, Rajveer, asked, putting down his newspaper.

(How long will you be gone?)

"Pata nahi, Papa. 2-3 mahine lag sakte hain," Aditya said, and Saavi's smile slowly faded.

(I don’t know, Dad. It might take 2–3 months.)

"And Tanya? She'll be going too, right?" Sonali asked gently.

"Haan mummy, woh bhi ja rahi hai," he confirmed.

(Yes mum, she’s going too.)

"Kya case ha beta?" Rajveer asked his son.

(What case is it, son?)

"Papa kuch 5 saal phala vaha ek accident hua tha..open and shut case. Uss time pe mai vha tha posting pe yadd ha aap logo ko? Toh kisi na vo case reopen kraya ha." Aditya told them.

(Dad, about 5 years ago there was an accident there… an open and shut case. I was posted there at the time—do you remember? Someone has now reopened that case.)

"Thik ha beta. Dhyan rakhna." Sonali said to Aditya and Tanya.

(Alright, son. Take care.)

Sonali's eyes lingered on Saavi a second longer - she had noticed her daughter's silence.

After breakfast, Shivansh and Saavi stood up to leave for school. They hugged Aditya and Tanya tightly.

"Ansh... dhyaan rakhiyo choti ka," Aditya said, still hugging Saavi, his voice a little softer than usual.

(Ansh… take care of your little sister.)

Shivansh nodded firmly. "Always."

And with that, the two siblings left for school.

---

At School

They reached school just as Rohan pulled into the parking lot. Saavi waved goodbye to her brothers and hugged Shivansh quickly - like she did every day.

Inside the building, Saavi spotted Avni in the hallway. The two girls walked together toward their class, chatting like always.

But as they reached the classroom door, they froze.

Preeti was standing by Aria's desk, her voice syrupy sweet - too sweet.

"Aria, tum new ho... tumhe nahi pata yeh dono ladkiyaan kaise hain," she said, her smile sharp despite her tone.

(Aria, you're new… you don’t know how these two girls are.)

"Inse door raho. Warna teachers bhi tumse pasand nahi kranga."

(Stay away from them. Otherwise, even the teachers won’t like you.)

Aria didn't say anything. She just stared at her quietly.

Preeti leaned in a little closer. "Tum humare saath raho. Hum achhe students hain. Saavi aur Avni se door raho. Tumhe benefit hoga."

(Stick with us. We’re good students. Stay away from Saavi and Avni. You’ll benefit.)

From the doorway, Saavi and Avni stood frozen - fuming - but they didn't interrupt.

Then Aria finally spoke. Her voice was quiet, soft... but unshaken.

"Preeti, I'm not here to choose between you and them. I'm here to study. Thank you for your concern... but I can decide for myself who's good for me."

She paused.

"And I think Saavi and Avni are good. They've been kind to me."

Preeti tried again, a little less sweet now. "Tum unhe nahi jaanti abhi, Aria."

(You don’t know them yet, Aria.)

Aria nodded. "Haan, nahi jaanti. Par main kisi ko judge karne nahi aayi hoon. Unhone mujhse kabhi yeh nahi kaha ki main tumse door rahoon. Aur jab mujhe lagega ki unka saath theek nahi hai, main khud peeche hat jaungi. But for now... I want to talk to them."

(Yes, I don’t know them. But I haven’t come to judge anyone. They never told me to stay away from you. And if I ever feel they’re not good company, I’ll step back myself. But for now... I want to talk to them.)

Preeti's smile faltered. "Very well then," she muttered, before walking off stiffly.

At that, Saavi and Avni exchanged a proud smile and finally entered the classroom.

"Hey Aria," they greeted together.

"Hi," Aria said with a soft smile.

"Tum yahan kyun baithi ho? You don't want to sit with us?" Saavi asked gently.

(Why are you sitting here? Don’t you want to sit with us?)

Aria hesitated. "Nahi aisa kuch nahi... I just didn't know if you wanted to sit with me again. So I sat here."

(No, it’s nothing like that… I just didn’t know if you wanted to sit with me again. So I sat here.)

Avni smiled, walking over. "Aria, hum toh hamesha wahi seat pe baithte hain. And of course we want to sit with you. Tum ab humari friend ho."

(Aria, we always sit on that bench. And of course we want to sit with you. You’re our friend now.)

Saavi nodded quickly. "Friend means... permanent seat confirmed."

Aria's smile widened a little. "Ummm Okay. I'll sit with you. Thank you... for your friendship."

The three girls walked together to the last bench - something about them already feeling like a team.

---

The weather was cloudy that day, so the assembly was canceled. The class teacher came in, took attendance, and a few students left for sports practice.

Among them was Avni.

As 3-4 students walked out, Aria turned to Saavi.

"Practice for what? I mean... kya yahan koi tournaments hote hain?" she asked curiously.

(I mean… do they have tournaments here?)

"Yeah" Saavi grinned "humara school ka competition hota ha baki schools se. Alag alag level par. Uski ka lia practice hoti ha. School start hona pr hoti ha one hour ka lia..tab tak baki classes mei padhai nhi hoti. Sooo we are free for one hour."

(Our school has competitions with other schools. At different levels. So we practice for those. The practice is held for an hour before classes begin… so until then, there are no regular lessons. So we’re free for one hour.)

"Oh, okay. Toh Avni bhi sports mein hai?" Aria asked, more intrigued now.

(So Avni’s into sports too?)

"Yeah, Avni is the girls' hockey team captain. And Rohan bhaiya is the boys' captain. Actually, he's the overall Sports Captain too."

"Sirf hockey hoti hai?" Aria asked, trying to understand better.

(Only hockey is played?)

"Nahi yaar, kaafi saare sports hote hain. Volleyball, athletics, basketball - sab kuch."

(No yaar, there are many sports. Volleyball, athletics, basketball—everything.)

Aria nodded slowly, absorbing it all.

After a moment, she looked up again, slightly hesitant.

"Umm... Saavi, can I borrow your English notebook? Mera admission ek month late hua na, toh pura month ka kaam pending hai."

(My admission was a month late, so I have an entire month’s work pending.)

Saavi smiled and handed it to her. "Here. Tumhara toh sabhi subjects ka work incomplete hoga, right?"

(Your work must be incomplete in all subjects, right?)

Aria nodded, opening both notebooks.

"Toh main toh free hoon ek ghanta. Koi notebook de do - I'll help you out," Saavi offered kindly.

(I’m free for an hour. Give me one of your notebooks—I’ll help you.)

Aria blinked, surprised by her offer.

But she shook her head with a faint smile. "No, no... it's okay. Main kar lungi."

(No, no… it’s okay. I’ll do it.)

"Aree koi nahi, Aria. Main help kar dungi." Saavi grinned. "Yeh na... friendship code hota hai humara. Toh notebook do - history ki de do. Warna sir tumhe suna denge."

(Aree, it’s fine, Aria. I’ll help. It’s part of our friendship code. So give me your notebook—give me the History one. Or else sir will scold you.)

After a beat of hesitation, Aria finally gave in and handed over her History notebook.

The two girls worked, Saavi engaging her in small conversation.

As the class continued, the door creaked open and a familiar voice spoke.

"May I come in, ma'am?" Akshat asked politely. His discipline in-charge badge gleamed against his shirt, silently announcing his authority.

Saavi instantly looked up at the sound of his voice.

Aria noticed - both his presence, and Saavi's reaction.

The teacher nodded, and Akshat stepped in. After whispering something to her, he walked toward their bench.

"Hey Saavi. Hey Aria," he greeted, flashing a polite smile.

"Hi..." Aria replied softly.

Then he turned to Saavi, holding something out.

"Saavi, ya please... tum Avni ko de dena? Subah school aate waqt le aaya tha, but mere paas hi reh gaya."

(Saavi, please… give this to Avni? I brought it this morning on the way to school, but it stayed with me.)

Saavi blinked and nodded, reaching out to take the pen -

their fingers brushed.

It was nothing dramatic. Just a second of contact.

But it sent a small jolt through her - enough to make her heart skip.

She couldn't speak. She didn't usually get tongue-tied around him.

But today... that small moment made her silent.

Akshat smiled again and walked out.

Aria turned to Saavi, surprised by the sudden shift in her expression.

"Saavi... you okay?" she asked gently.

"Huh? Yeah-yeah, I'm fine," Saavi mumbled, her cheeks slightly pink.

But a moment later, she couldn't hold it in.

"Aria... tumne dekha?" she whispered, eyes sparkling.

(Aria… did you see?)

"Humari fingers touch hui. Meri... aur Akshat ki!"

(Our fingers touched. Mine… and Akshat’s!)

Aria blinked, confused. "Okay?"

Saavi bit her lip, then leaned closer, whispering like it was a secret too sacred to say out loud.

"Aria... mujhe Akshat pasand hai. Like, not just a crush... more than that."

(Aria… I like Akshat. Like, not just a crush… more than that.)

Aria was quiet - not out of judgment, but surprise.

She barely knew how friendship worked yet... and here was Saavi trusting her with feelings.

"But he's... Avni's brother, right?" Aria asked carefully. "Avni ko pata hai tum unke bhai ko like karti ho?"

(Avni knows that you like her brother?)

"Haan, haan! Use sab pata hai," Saavi said quickly. "Bohot pehle se."

(Yes, yes! She knows everything. Since a long time.)

"Pehle se?" Aria asked, her curiosity growing. "Kab se pasand hai tumhe Akshat bhaiya?"

(Since before? Since when have you liked Akshat bhaiya?)

Saavi's cheeks turned a deeper red.

"Bohot time se... 2-3 saal se."

(For a long time… 2–3 years.)

Aria blinked not knowing what to say.

"Ohh emm...but he is your brother bestfriend...does your brother know ki tum unka bestfriend ko like krti ho?" Aria asked.

(Does your brother know that you like his best friend?)

Saavi's eyes widened "nonono....unha nhi pata aur batana bhi nhi."

(No no no… he doesn’t know, and I’m not going to tell him either.)

Aria nodded finally understanding.

______

As Akshat left the class, he took a long breath...

That small brush of Saavi's fingers - it was nothing dramatic, but for him?

It lingered.

He looked down, touched the same finger again... and smiled to himself before heading toward his own class.

---

💥 On the School Ground

The weather had cooled, but the ground was buzzing.

All the sports students were now in their kits. Rohan, standing with his whistle, looked around with his usual strict expression.

"Warm-up laps, everyone. Move!"

As the students started jogging, he folded his arms, watching them closely.

He wasn't just leading - he was making sure no one slacked.

He had already completed his own warm-up. After all, he wasn't just the Sports Captain... he was the boys' hockey captain too.

Soon, the laps ended, stretches were done, and the students divided for games.

Today, things were different.

The boys and girls were playing together - a mixed hockey match.

Two teams.

Rohan leading one. Avni the other.

And honestly? It didn't feel like practice anymore.

It felt like war.

Their sticks clashed more than necessary.

Their passes were extra fast.

Their shots - way too intense for a friendly game.

Even the players could feel it.

They weren't just playing for points - they were proving something.

By the end, everyone was exhausted. The match wrapped up. The teachers left.

But the tension? Still there.

Avni wiped sweat from her face, grabbed her bottle, and took a big sip while walking off with her friends.

And just as she turned the corner -

she collided.

Water spilled straight onto someone's chest.

She gasped.

It was Rohan.

His entire front was soaked.

His face darkened. His jaw clenched.

"Shit," Avni muttered under her breath.

Rohan's eyes snapped to hers, full of fire.

"What the hell, Avni?! Dekh ke nahi chal sakti kya?" he snapped.

(Can’t you watch where you’re going?!)

She blinked. "Sorry, Rohan-"

"Keep your sorry to yourself!" he interrupted.

"Dekho kya kar diya! And who even drinks water while walking like that? Gir jaati toh?"

(Look what you’ve done! And who drinks water while walking like that? What if you had fallen?)

Avni frowned. "Aree giri toh nahi na. Aur sorry toh bola maine. Ab itna toh mat chilla!"

(Well, I didn’t fall, did I? And I said sorry. Don’t yell so much!)

Rohan stepped back, shaking his head, clearly annoyed.

"You don't get it, do you? Tum gir sakti thi, idiot."

(You could’ve fallen, idiot.)

He didn't mean to say that last part. But it slipped out.

She blinked at him.

And then -

stuck her tongue out. Classic Avni.

That ticked him off even more.

"Five extra laps tomorrow, Ms. Avni Singhania. For treating your safety like a joke," he said stiffly, switching to his Sports Captain tone.

His voice had no softness now - just orders.

"You could've fallen. Tumhe idea bhi hai?"

(Do you even realise that?)

Avni stared at him. Her jaw clenched, her hands curled into fists.

Avni clenched her jaw but didn't argue as he was speaking as a captain now and she didn't wanted to insult his position.

"Fine. Captain," she spat, then turned and walked away.

But the second her back turned,

Rohan's expression cracked.

His fingers curled tighter around the whistle in his hand.

Maybe he was too harsh.

But dammit - the way she was walking, sipping water like that - she could've seriously gotten hurt.

He looked down at his soaked shirt, sighed, and whispered under his breath -

"Pagal ladki..."

(Crazy girl...)

But there was no real anger in it anymore.

---

Aria stepped out of the classroom, heading toward the water point, her bottle in hand.

Her mind was replaying everything - yesterday's lunch, this morning's kindness, the way Saavi and Avni had called her a friend so easily.

Friend.

She finally knew what it felt like. And it scared her.

When she reached the water point, she froze.

A small crowd was gathered there - some drinking, others laughing and throwing water on each other.

Aria clutched her bottle tighter.

Should I go back? Or wait till it's clear?

Her thoughts were spinning when she suddenly spotted someone familiar walking toward her - Shivansh.

She let out a quiet breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

Why did she feel... safe around him?

Why do I trust him? Or Saavi, Avni, Akshat... even Rohan?

Even though Rohan clearly didn't like her - she could feel that from yesterday.

And yet... being around them felt less terrifying than she expected.

"Hey," Shivansh greeted with a smile, his discipline badge shining on his shirt, just like Akshat's.

"Hi," Aria replied, her voice soft but steady.

"Tum yahan aise kyun khadi ho?" he asked, casual but curious.

(Why are you standing here like this?)

"Umm... bottle fill karne aayi thi," she said.

(Umm… I came to fill my bottle.)

"Oh okay."

He looked around, then narrowed his eyes playfully.

"Wait... where's your class pass? Don't tell me - tum phir se bhool gayi?"

(Don’t tell me—you forgot again?)

Aria blinked. "I... I did. I'm sorry. I'm just not used to these rules yet. I swear, I didn't do it on purpose. I wasn't trying to break-"

Shivansh chuckled, cutting her off.

"Aree ruko ruko. It's okay. Don't worry. Chill."

(Hey hey, relax. It’s okay. Don’t worry.)

Aria blinked, realizing he was teasing her. A small smile curved on her lips - hesitant, but real.

"Here, let me help you. Tumhari bottle bhar du?" Shivansh asked, already reaching out and gently taking the bottle from her hand.

(Should I fill your bottle?)

He walked over, filled it up, and returned.

"Here you go. And Aria - try not to forget these rules next time. If any teacher sees you, you might get into trouble.

Aria smiled again and nodded. "Thank you. I'll remember from now on."

"Good," Shivansh said with a soft smile.

Aria turned and walked away, bottle in hand.

But Shivansh didn't move for a moment.

His mind was stuck on her smile - the way it had appeared, uncertain but warm.

He blinked, shaking his head slightly.

Snap out of it, he told himself.

Then finally turned to leave.