🥀🌸"तुझसे नाराज़ नहीं ज़िन्दगी, हैरान हूँ मैं

तेरे मासूम सवालों से परेशान हूँ मैं

जीने के लिए सोचा ही नहीं, दर्द सम्भालने होंगे

मुस्कुराएँ तो, मुस्कुराने के कर्ज़ उतारने होंगे..."🌸🥀

Happy reading ❤️‍🔥

_______________<<<>>>>_______________

Aria returned to class and saw Avni already there. She quietly walked over and sat beside them. Saavi was trying hard to control her laughter, while Avni sat there fuming.

"Everything good?" Aria asked Avni.

Avni turned to her. "No, it's not. That stupid Rohan-arghhhhhhh!"

She didn't even finish her sentence, but Aria understood - they had fought again.

The History class began, and Mr. Prakash entered the room. The first thing he did was glare at Avni and Saavi.

"You both - where are your brothers? Or do I need to call your parents?" he said coldly.

"Sir, they must be coming," Saavi said confidently, trusting her brother to help her out.

Mr. Prakash nodded and began teaching. Saavi and Avni sat there, waiting for their brothers.

After 15 minutes, Mr. Prakash spoke again.

"Aaya nahi tumhara bhai abhi tak? Ya bhool gaye? Ohh sorry, vo bhi thak gaye honga... tum logon ki yeh harkatein dekh kar," he said mockingly.

[Your brother hasn't come yet? Or did he forget? Oh sorry, maybe he's also tired... after seeing your behavior.]

The class burst out laughing, and Avni and Saavi sat there, embarrassed. Aria was clearly uncomfortable with the teacher's tone.

"Khair, galti unki bhi nahi hai. They're discipline in-charges of the school. And their sisters..." he paused dramatically, "well, let's not complete that."

[Well, it's not their fault either. They're the discipline in-charges of the school. And their sisters... let's not complete that.]

Avni was fuming. Saavi sat with tears in her eyes.

They had just been mocked in front of the entire class.

"Now give me your parents' numbers," Mr. Prakash ordered sternly.

Silently, Aria passed a small folded note to them.

"Give these numbers."

Two phone numbers were written neatly on the paper.

Avni and Saavi looked at her, confused, but tore the page and handed each number to Mr. Prakash.

He dialed the number Avni gave first - switched off.

Then he tried Saavi's - again switched off.

"Dono ke ghar ke number bhi off hain? Seriously? Chhodo... mera itna time waste kiya. Go and sit on your seats," he said angrily.

[Both of your home numbers are off too? Seriously? Forget it... you wasted my time. Go and sit on your seats.]

Both of them quietly made their way back and sat down.

"Thank you, Aria," they both whispered.

Aria just gave a small smile.

Avni and Saavi smiled back... but deep down, they were hurt.

And angry - at their brothers.

---

After History class ended and Mr. Prakash walked out, Saavi stood up silently and left the classroom without a word.

Avni followed her instantly, but before stepping out, she grabbed Aria's hand too.

Aria stiffened at the sudden touch - her body still not used to it - but she didn't pull away.

She let Avni lead her.

Somewhere deep down... she wanted to go too.

They entered the girls' washroom.

Aria stopped mid-step as her eyes fell on Saavi - her back to the mirror, tears silently running down her cheeks.

It was only Aria's second day here, and yet... this sight hurt.

These girls - their kindness, their chaos, their warmth - they had already become something to her.

Seeing Saavi like this didn't sit right in her chest.

Avni rushed forward and hugged Saavi tightly. "It's okay... chhoti... it's okay," she whispered, her anger simmering but her arms gentle.

[It's okay... little one... it's okay.]

In a few minutes, Saavi calmed down. She washed her face under the cold water.

The two girls turned back to Aria.

"Thank you, Aria," Saavi said, her voice still a little shaky. "Tumne humari help ki."

[You helped us.]

"It's fine," Aria replied softly, giving a small smile.

She observed them carefully - how Saavi cried quietly, how Avni's anger flared louder.

She was starting to understand their nature.

"Emm... Saavi, ek baat puchu?" Aria asked hesitantly.

[Um... Saavi, can I ask something?]

Saavi nodded.

"Tum isliye ro rahi thi... kyunki sir ne daanta?" she asked carefully.

[Were you crying because sir scolded you?]

Avni immediately scoffed. "Daanta? Unhona mock kiya, Aria. Insult kiya - sabke saamne. That wasn't scolding."

[Scolded? He mocked us, Aria. He insulted us - in front of everyone.]

Saavi shook her head. "Nahi Aria... main isliye nahi royi."

[No Aria... I didn't cry because of that.]

She looked away, blinking fast. "Main isliye royi... kyunki main sochti rahi ki bhaiya aayenge. I trusted him. Par... vo nahi aaye."

[I cried because I kept thinking bhaiya would come. I trusted him. But... he didn't.]

Her voice cracked again. "Aur Aksh bhi nahi aaye Avni ka lia..."

[And even Aksh didn't come for Avni...]

Avni sighed beside her, "Hamesha busy rehte hain dono. Hum important nahi hai, bas unki duty important hai."

[They're always busy. We aren't important, only their duty is.]

Aria just nodded slowly.

She understood now.

This wasn't about the teacher.

This was about broken expectations.

Saavi washed her face again, trying to hide the last few tears.

And together - the three of them - walked back to class.

No more words.

But a new bond had quietly begun to solidify between them.

---

Few hours before.

Akshat and Shivansh were standing near the corridor, checking ID cards and monitoring uniforms as part of their discipline duty.

"Oye, yaad rakhiyo... Saavi aur Avni ki class mein jaana hai," Akshat reminded.

[Hey, remember... we have to go to Saavi and Avni's class.]

Shivansh nodded. "Haan haan. Saavi ne subah hi bola tha."

[Yeah yeah. Saavi said so in the morning.]

Just then, Preeti walked up, all smiles - a little too sweet, as always. She knew exactly what she was doing. The boys had no idea she despised their sisters.

"Hello Bhaiya," she greeted in her usual chirpy voice.

"Hi Preeti," both of them replied casually.

"Bhaiya... aap class mein aaoge na aaj?" she asked innocently, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

[Bhaiya... you'll come to class today, right?]

"Haan," Shivansh nodded. "Saavi ne bola tha... Prakash Sir ne bulaya hai."

[Yeah. Saavi told me... Prakash Sir called us.]

"Avni ne bhi yaad dilaya tha," Akshat added.

[Avni reminded me too.]

Preeti smiled wider. "Haan, aap toh aayenge hi. Avni aur Saavi toh hamesha bolti hi hain - 'humare bhai toh aa hi jaayenge, unka toh badge hai, koi kuch bol bhi nahi sakta.'"

[Yeah, of course you'll come. Avni and Saavi always say - 'our brothers will definitely come, they have a badge, no one can say anything to them.']

Shivansh blinked, slightly surprised. "Aisa bola?"

[They said that?]

Preeti tilted her head, acting thoughtful. "Haan... matlab direct toh nahi, but itni confident thi dono. Jaise... teacher unse kuch keh bhi nahi sakte."

[Yeah... not directly, but they were both so confident. Like... the teacher can't say anything to them.]

Akshat frowned a little.

Just then, two of Preeti's friends joined in.

"Haan Bhaiya," one girl giggled. "Avni toh keh rahi thi - 'Sir kuch bhi kahe, mere bhai Akshat aa jaayenge... hum toh safe hain."

[Yeah Bhaiya, Avni was saying - 'No matter what sir says, my brother Akshat will come... we're safe.']

"And Saavi toh keh rahi thi - 'Shivansh bhaiya na handle kar lenge sab,'" the other added with a chuckle.

[And Saavi was saying - 'Shivansh bhaiya will handle everything.']

And with one last sugar-sweet smile, the trio walked off.

Akshat and Shivansh stood in silence for a moment.

"Overconfident ho gayi hain dono?" Shivansh murmured, unsure.

[Have both of them gotten overconfident?]

Akshat looked toward the corridor that led to their sisters classroom.

"Kya kara?" Akshat asked Shivansh.

[What should we do?]

"Pata nhi bhai. Lagta nhi ha dono asa bolnagi."

[I don't know, bro. Doesn't seem like they would say that.]

Akshat nodded and then glanced at his watch.

They didn't move.

"Nahi jaate... Preeti kyun jhooth bolegi," Akshat finally said.

[Let's not go... why would Preeti lie?]

"I was about to say the same," Shivansh agreed.

They didn't go.

Not out of anger.

But doubt.

And that's all Preeti needed.

_____

Currently

After three more periods, finally it was lunch break. The mood was off of all three girls. Saavi was still sad... Avni was still angry... and Aria... she was trying to understand their feelings.

"Chalo lunch krta ha." Aria said, breaking the tension.

("Come on, let's have lunch.")

Both the girls also stood and Aria stood. They moved out of class.

But today they didn't go to the ground - that surprised Aria. She remembered Saavi's words from yesterday:

"Hum log iss neem tree ka niche lunch krta hai. Bhot years se."

("We eat lunch under this neem tree. Been doing it for years.")

They went to the canteen and ate their lunch quietly.

---

Meanwhile on the ground...

Akshat and Shivansh came with Rohan under the neem tree like they did daily.

Shivansh glanced around, brows furrowing.

"Weird," Akshat muttered. "They're always here first."

Rohan leaned against the tree trunk, arms crossed.

"Maybe they're in the canteen?"

Akshat shrugged but didn't move. Shivansh, however, took a few distracted steps forward, eyes still searching the crowd. His gaze swept across the campus - the basketball court, the benches, the far side of the field - but no sign of them.

He finally sat down beside Rohan, but the usual ease was missing. A quiet silence lingered between the three - one that felt heavier than usual.

"Kya hua?" Rohan asked, sensing his friends' distress.

("What happened?")

"Pata nahi... wait... Akshat, kahin vo dono naraz toh nahi humse?" Shivansh said.

("I don't know... wait... Akshat, do you think they might be angry at us?")

Akshat looked at him.

"Haan ho sakta hai... lekin unki galti hai... aisa hamara badge ka use kar rahi thi."

("Yeah maybe... but it's their fault... they were using our badges like that.")

Rohan looked at them, confused.

"Kya hua? Seedha seedha batao."

("What happened? Just tell me straight.")

Shivansh told him everything - how Saavi and Avni asked them to come to their class in History period as Prakash sir wanted to talk to them, and then Preeti's conversation with them.

As he finished telling, Rohan looked at them blankly.

Shivansh and Akshat shared a confused glance.

"ARE YOU BOTH STUPID?" he yelled, gaining nearby attention too.

"Abe kya hai?" Akshat asked him.

("What the hell?")

"Tum dono ne aisa socha bhi kaise ki vo tumhara badge ka use karengi? Pagal ho kya tum?" Rohan snapped.

("How could you both even think that they'd misuse your badge? Are you crazy?")

"Par Preeti ne bola. Why would she lie?" Shivansh fired back, getting panicked sensing something is wrong.

("But Preeti said so. Why would she lie?")

"Yeah, thanks to Preeti," Rohan snapped. "She played you both like amateurs."

Akshat's eyes widened.

"Wait - how do you know?"

"I was there, dude. She came back after talking to you and couldn't stop giggling. I didn't think much... but after hearing what happened in class, I put two and two together."

Shivansh ran a hand through his hair, frustrated.

"They trusted us," Akshat said, his voice unusually quiet. "avni told me this morning, 'Bhaiya aa jayenge.' I told her I would."

("'Bhaiya will come.' I told her I would.")

Shivansh shook his head.

"I didn't think twice. I thought she was exaggerating... like always."

"You doubted them," Rohan said sharply. "And Preeti knew exactly what she was doing. She made you believe they were misusing your position."

Akshat's voice dropped.

"Mujhe sirf unka disappointment nahi... unka trust todne ka guilt ho raha hai."

("I'm not just sad they're disappointed... I feel guilty for breaking their trust.")

A heavy silence fell between the three.

Shivansh looked away, jaw clenched. He could feel the sting of guilt creeping in like poison - slow, silent, and suffocating.

---

After lunch, the trio - Saavi, Avni, and Aria - walked toward the water point to refill their bottles.

Saavi and Aria went first, chatting quietly as they filled theirs.

Avni waited her turn. Just as she stepped up to the tap, bottle in hand...

Preeti appeared.

Her tone was honey-laced with venom.

"Arey arey... kya hua? Poor girls. Aaj insult ho gayi? Bade bhaiya nahi aaye bachane?" she smirked.

("Oh my... what happened? Got insulted today? Big brothers didn't come to save you?")

Saavi shot her a glare.

Aria looked at her curiously - confused about where this hate even came from.

Preeti leaned closer, enjoying every second.

"Kya hua? Samajh aa gaya na? Unhe bhi embarrassment hoti hai tum dono se."

("What happened? Realized it now? Even they get embarrassed because of you two.")

Saavi turned her face away like Preeti didn't even exist.

Aria remained quiet, but her jaw tightened.

Avni, however... stood frozen. Her grip on the bottle tightened.

Still, she said nothing.

Preeti wasn't done. Her words grew sharper.

"Bechare tumhare bhai bhi soch rahe honge... kaash tum unki sisters na hoti."

("Your poor brothers must be thinking... if only you weren't their sisters.")

SPLASH!

Without a second thought, Avni turned and threw the entire bottle of water straight into Preeti's face.

Everyone froze.

Preeti stood there, soaked, stunned, and silent. Water dripped down her perfectly blow-dried hair and school uniform.

Avni stepped forward, eyes blazing.

"Apni aukaat mein reh. Be in your limits."

("Stay in your place. Be in your limits.")

Her voice was low but deadly calm.

"Next time, muh kholne se pehle yeh soch lio ki- mai muh todne se pehle nahi sochungi."

("Next time, before you open your mouth, just remember - I won't think before breaking your face.")

Tears of humiliation welled in Preeti's eyes - not from pain, but from the shock of being silenced for the first time.

Saavi burst out laughing, unable to hold it back anymore.

Even Aria smiled - a small, satisfying smile.

"This isn't over," Preeti hissed, wiping her face with trembling hands.

"For a long time," Avni warned back, voice steady as steel.

Preeti turned and stormed off, her pride shattered - but her bitterness still burning.

The three girls stood there quietly, a shared energy passing between them.

This time, Aria didn't feel like an outsider.

She was one of them now.

---

After three more periods, the final bell rang.

School was over.

Students spilled out from classrooms, rushing toward the gates in their usual chaotic swarm.

As always, Saavi, Avni, and Aria walked together - but this time, there was a shift.

No laughter. No teasing. Just silence.

When they reached the main gate, Saavi and Avni didn't stop.

Instead, Saavi turned to Aria.

"Aria, we're going home. Alone. We... we don't want to go with our brothers today. But if you want, we can stay with you until your dadi comes to pick you."

Aria blinked at her, surprised by the offer. But she shook her head with a soft smile.

"No, no. It's fine. Tum dono jao. I'll wait."

("You both go.")

They nodded.

"Call us if anything feels weird," Avni added quickly.

Aria smiled again.

"Okay."

They waved goodbye, and the two girls walked off - heads high, but hearts still heavy.

---

Aria stood by the school gate alone, arms folded, her bag clutched to her side.

Just then, the familiar hum of two bikes approached.

Akshat and Shivansh.

Both rolled to a stop near the gate and looked around - surprised to see only Aria there.

"Hey, Aria. Saavi aur Avni kahaan hain?" Akshat asked, removing his helmet.

("Where are Saavi and Avni?")

"They already left," Aria replied.

"Left? Alone?" Shivansh's voice held alarm now.

Aria nodded.

Akshat frowned.

"Why didn't they wait? They always wait near the gate for us."

Aria hesitated, but then answered honestly.

"Woh dono... bahut gusse mein hain aap dono se."

("They're very angry with you both.")

"Because we didn't come to class today?" Shivansh's brows drew together.

Aria nodded again.

"Prakash Sir insulted them. Badly," she added, her voice low.

"In front of everyone. And... umm..."

Both boys stiffened.

Akshat leaned slightly forward.

"Aur... kya hua?"

("And... what else?")

Aria bit her lip. She didn't want to make it worse, but they deserved to know.

"Saavi... she cried."

Her words hit like a punch.

Shivansh's face lost all expression.

Akshat's jaw clenched.

And deep inside - beyond the guilt, beyond the shock -

something else twisted in Akshat's chest.

The thought of her crying... did more than just bother him.

It hurt.