Aruhi Mehra

"Sorry, man, didn’t see you," I looked up, startled, trying to catch a glimpse of whoever had just barreled into me. Wow, what a way to start my first day at a new school. But the hallway was already empty.

I turned my head to the left just in time to see a guy sprinting down the corridor, his bag bouncing behind him.

"Vedant! You fuckin bastard!" a loud voice screamed, followed by a huge guy chasing after the one who had bumped into me.

Dang. Strange school. Strange students.

I brushed myself off, adjusted my bag, and stepped into the classroom. It was still early and only a handful of students had arrived. The room smelled faintly of sanitizer and chalk dust, the fluorescent lights casting a pale white glow across the worn desks.

Most seats were still empty.

First seat? Hell no.
Second seat? Yeah, that’ll do.

Unfortunately, the second-row seats by the window and wall were already occupied. I ended up settling for the second seat in the row adjacent to the wall. Not my first choice, but hey.....close enough.

Just as I was settling in, I heard soft voices behind me-two girls chatting. I turned slightly and recognized one of them from the admission day.

"Hey, how are you?"

They looked up, surprised but friendly.

"Heya!" said the girl on the left, slightly chubby, with rosy cheeks, round glasses, and waist-length dark hair. There was a warmth to her, something comforting.

"Hi," added the other, smiling widely. She had soft golden highlights in her hair, a pale complexion, and an unmistakably cheerful aura. Her smile was easy, open, the kind that made people feel welcome without even trying.

"We’re good. You’re new here, right?" asked the first one.

"Yeah, never saw you around before," the second added.

"Yeah, I’m actually a new admission," I explained. "I was in Meghalaya before, we moved here because of my dad’s job." I turned to the girl with glasses. "I think we met during admission day?"

She nodded slowly. "Oh! Right, maybe. I’m Anushri." She offered her hand with a polite smile.

"And I’m Anshika," the other girl said brightly, leaning forward to shake my hand too.

We slipped into a casual conversation, about the school, teachers, subjects. They told me which teachers were chill and which ones had surprise quizzes as a personality trait. It was easy to talk to them. Anushri was the quieter one, but observant. Anshika, in contrast, was lively and expressive.

After a few minutes, they resumed their own chat, and I turned around in my seat, not wanting to intrude.

That’s when I heard it, a laughter. Not the usual kind. It was loud, smooth, and came from the front row on the left.

I turned my head, and my gaze landed on a boy standing casually by a desk, mid-conversation with a group of students.

And just like that, something shifted in me.

He had soft, slightly unkempt black hair that fell onto his forehead in gentle waves. His skin was warm and clear. He had wire-rimmed glasses that framed his eyes just right.

He lifted his left arm to loosen his tie, tossed his head back, and chuckled, his eyes crinkling in the process. And Dang! I couldn’t take my eyes off his face.

I wasn’t sure what I was feeling. It wasn’t a dramatic heart-racing moment. No sparks or violins. But my attention stayed with him longer than it should have. And I didn’t feel like looking away.

And then, he turned. Just slightly. His gaze met mine.

My heart thudded against my chest, each beat heavy with nerves. A swarm of butterflies stirred in my stomach, and the tension ran so high, even my chest tingled with it. I couldn't even comprehend what that feeling was and why was I so nervous.

The laughter still lingered in the air around him, but his expression shifted. He didn’t smile. Didn’t frown. Just… looked.

Not intensely. Not curiously. Just long enough for me to forget how to look normal.

I should’ve looked away. Should’ve pretended to fix my bag, anything. But I didn’t. My gaze stayed locked on his, like I had unconsciously paused the world.

It was like one of those songs playing inside my head on loop.

"Hey, Aruhi, let's go out for the assembly, it's about time," I blinked my eyes and shifted my gaze as I felt a pat on my back. It was Anushri standing behind me.

"Yeah uh sure, let's go," I stood up from my seat, straightened my skirt followed by dusting it a bit, "But let's go to the washroom first," Said Anshika holding my hand and pulling me towards the door, "What's with your obsession with washroom, you know Aruhi in 10th she would pull me to the washroom after EVERY PERIOD," Anushri shook her head heaving a sigh of exhaustion, making me chuckle.

"Come on, it's not even that deep don't embarrass me like that, anyways let's go." Anshika pulled my hand, dragging me towards the door while Anushri followed behind us.

The moment I was passing by HIM I could literally feel my heart accelerating and oxygen being sucked out of my system. OH MY GOD! What is happening to me.

.

.

.

I was finally home, after a long tiring day at school.

It was totally exhausting. I threw my bag on my bed and removed my socks and fell on my bed, closing my eyes, seeking comfort.

First day went kinda decent.

After assembly I tried looking for the guy in my class and till lunch break I was on an impression that he was bunking classes until I found out that he was not in my stream.

He was from humanities.

And we had no classes in common. Sucks. I know right!