I reached home around 5:00 PM, utterly exhausted.
"Eyana, come have your lunch!" Mom called out.
"Coming, Mom! Just freshening up," I replied, dragging myself to the washroom.
A few minutes later, I sat down at the dining table. "What's for lunch?" I asked, rubbing my tired eyes.
"Curry rice with potato fritters," she said with a warm smile.
"How was your first day at school?" she asked.
"It was okay, Mom. Just trying to get used to the new atmosphere. People here are so... rich," I said, trying not to sound too overwhelmed.
"Well, why should that matter? Focus on your studies, that's what's important."
"Yeah, I know, Mom."
"Alright, finish your lunch. I'm going to rest for a while."
After eating, I headed to my room and collapsed on the bed. My body felt heavy from the day's drama. As I closed my eyes, one thought gnawed at me: I forgot to apologize to Avyansh. I'll have to do that tomorrow.
Lying on my bed, I absentmindedly scrolled through Instagram. I saw Tejal and Jhanvi's friend requests and accepted them. Then I stumbled upon his profile—Avyansh. And for some reason, I started scrolling through his photos... basically stalking him.
What the hell am I doing? I snapped out of it, shut my phone, and forced myself to focus on arranging my books and assignments.
Avyansh's POV
I didn't even look at Eyana when I left school. Whatever. I don't care.
When I got home, I sat at the table, starving.
"Avy, go freshen up first before you eat," Mom said.
"Ugh, Mom, I'm hungry. I'll do it later."
"You're such a brat," she muttered, handing me a plate.
"What's for lunch?"
"Naan and creamy butter garlic chicken."
"Damn, my favorite."
As I ate, she reminded me, "Put your uniform and socks in the laundry, and your father wants to talk to you."
"What? Why?"
"What do you mean 'why'? He's your father. He'll talk to you whenever he wants."
"Mom, you know how things are between us. Why can't he just pass the message through you?"
"I'm done getting between you two. Handle it yourself. I'm heading out with Rakshita."
"Alright, bye."
I did what she asked and headed back to my room. I've never had a healthy relationship with my father. All he ever does is humiliate me and treat me like a burden. No matter what I do, I'm never enough for him.
I booted up my PC and played games to escape it all. Time flew, and it was already 8 PM when I heard him come in, yelling at the house help.
"Where is Avyansh? Bring him to me!"
I sighed. Here we go again.
I went downstairs.
"There you are. Always wasting my hard-earned money and precious time. Can't you do anything useful with your life?"
I stood there silently, absorbing the bitterness. He's always been like this—for as long as I can remember. I just want to graduate and leave this place. Far away. Far from him.
Eyana's POV
"Eyana! Get up or you'll be late!" my mom shouted.
I groaned, eyes still half-closed. I had only 45 minutes to get ready and make it to school. I rushed through my morning routine, skipped breakfast, and bolted out the door. Thankfully, the school was just a 30-minute bus ride away.
I arrived five minutes before the gate closed. That was close.
Morning prayer was done, and everyone was already in class. Thank God the teacher wasn't there yet.
"Eyana! You're finally here. We thought you'd be absent because of the rumor," Jhanvi said.
"Rumor? What rumor? About who?" I asked, confused.
"I told you she didn't check the group messages," Tejal said, shaking her head.
"Can someone please explain what the hell is going on?"
Tejal gave me a look. "Well... after yesterday's cafeteria drama, the whole school thinks you're either dating Siddhartha or Avyansh."
"Wait, WHAT?!" I nearly choked. "I don't even know them properly, and they're not even friends! What kind of school is this?!"
"Dumbass territory," Jhanvi said. "Especially the girls drooling over those four guys like they're gods."
Avyansh's POV
As I walked into school, Atharva and Veeryansh grabbed me and dragged me into the sports room.
"What now?" I groaned.
"Dude," Veeryansh said, "there's a rumor going around after yesterday's cafeteria thing."
"Huh? What rumor?"
"The whole school thinks you're either dating Eyana... or that she's with Siddhartha."
I clenched my jaw. "Seriously? What the hell? I don't even know that girl! This school is full of idiots making up nonsense!"
"Yeah, yeah. Chill, man," Atharva said, trying to calm me down.
Back in class, I caught Eyana looking at me. Her eyes were soft—like she wanted to say something. But I ignored her and sat down.
Eyana's POV
I saw Avyansh walk in. We locked eyes for a second. His gaze wasn't harsh—it was... calm. Like he was waiting for something too. But then he looked away and took his seat.
Okay... I'll talk to him during lunch.
But this stupid rumor... Ugh.
I never thought I'd get caught up in something like this on my second day of school.
Of course, Tejal and Jhanvi noticed.
"Eyana, just keep your distance from Siddhartha," Tejal warned.
"Yeah," Jhanvi agreed. "That guy already has a reputation..."
"I know, I know," I muttered.
"You're too pretty to go unnoticed here," Tejal teased. "You're officially part of the drama club—even if you didn't sign up."
"Ugh," I groaned, half-laughing.
"What's the next class?" I asked.
"English."
"W-wait... Samiksha ma'am?" I panicked. "She's gonna know about the rumor too. Great. Just kill me now."
"Don't say that," Tejal said, narrowing her eyes.
"Yeah, never speak ill about yourself," Jhanvi added with a soft smile.
ust as I was about to mentally prepare myself for English class, the door swung open.
Speak of the devil.
Samiksha Ma'am walked in, her heels clicking sharply against the tiled floor. Her presence could silence a riot—elegant, intimidating, and with a sixth sense for drama.
"Good morning, class," she said, her smile sharp enough to slice paper.
"Good morning, ma'am," we all echoed, some more nervous than others.
Her eyes scanned the room... then paused. Right on me.
Great.
As she turned to write something on the board, a ripple of whispers started again in the classroom. Tejal leaned toward me and whispered, "She knows, Eyana."
"Fantastic," I muttered.
On the board, she wrote in neat cursive:
Debate Assignment – Partnered Discussion
Topic: what is meant by love?
I blinked. Love?
She turned around, resting the chalk carefully on the table
She turned back to us, her expression unreadable.
"For this assignment," she began, "you will work in pairs. The debate will be presented in front of the class next week. I expect coordination, strong opinions, and solid reasoning. It's an open discussion—define love, debate its meaning, argue its necessity or its illusion. Interpret it however you like. But make it real."
She paused, clearly enjoying the confusion that had spread through the class.
Murmurs filled the room. Everyone was already mentally pairing up.
Then she added, "I have already chosen your partners. This is not negotiable." This is not up for discussion. Consider it... character building."
Collective groans echoed.
One by one, she started calling out names:
"Sohel and Keertika"
"Aarav and Rupeksha"
"Tejal and Atharva."
"Veer and Prakrtiti."
"Aarsh and Keeva."
"Kian and Arohi."
"Jhanvi and Veeryansh."
My stomach twisted. Those pairings felt oddly intentional.
"And Eyana... you'll be partnered with Avyansh."
The entire room went quiet.
My heart skipped a beat. I heard Jhanvi whisper a stunned "Damn." I felt my soul leave my body for a split second. Tejal whispered a stunned "Oh shit." and Jhanvi muttered, "Ma'am really said 'let's pour kerosene and throw the match'."
Across the room, I turned to see Avyansh looking equally surprised—and far from happy. "This is going to be a disaster," I muttered under my breath.
What we didn't know—what no one in class knew—was that Samiksha Ma'am had a plan. She had heard the cafeteria gossip. Samiksha Ma'am stood at her desk like a queen watching the drama unfold. No doubt she had heard the rumors. And now she was using this assignment to turn up the heat. She wasn't assigning a debate. She was creating a test. She had seen the way we locked eyes.
She was watching us. Testing us. Waiting to catch us in some act that would confirm the rumors she so desperately believed were true.
This wasn't a debate.
This was a trap
"I expect thorough preparation," she said, folding her arms. "Your first planning session starts tomorrow. You may use the library or the courtyard—but I will be checking your progress."
Her gaze swept across the classroom, lingering on me for just a second longer than everyone else.
Message received.
I caught the slight emphasis in her voice. She wanted to catch something. She was watching me and Avyansh like a hawk. She was baiting us.
Avyansh's POV
Are you kidding me?
What is meant by love?
And I'm paired with her?
Is the universe trying to punish me?
Out of everyone, she paired me with Eyana?
The girl who literally cursed me out yesterday. The girl who—somehow—has the entire school believing we're a thing.
I looked over. She looked... tense. Maybe guilty. Or nervous.
Good. Let her panic too.
Still, something about this didn't sit right. Samiksha Ma'am assigning debates? Pre-picking pairs?
It was unlike her. She usually gave full freedom. This was strategic.
I glanced at her. She wasn't watching the class—she was watching us.
Us.
Why do people even think we're dating? What the hell did we even do?
And now I'm stuck debating with the girl who caused all this drama in the first place.
"Your first planning session starts tomorrow," Ma'am said. "You may use the library or the courtyard. And I'll be observing your progress closely."
Her eyes flicked toward me, then Eyana.
Samiksha Ma'am didn't assign that topic by accident. She knew the rumors. She saw the cafeteria drama. And now she was stirring the pot like she was directing a movie.
I glanced at Eyana. She looked like a deer caught in headlights. Great. Now I'd have to deal with that energy all week.
Still... I couldn't deny a part of me was curious. Curious about what she would say. Curious about what I would say. Curious if we could even talk to each other without starting World War III.
The bell rang, and yet I didn't move. My head was spinning with thoughts—about the rumors, the pairings, and most of all, the fact that I now had to talk to the one guy who probably hated me the most. Tejal came over. "Oof, girl. Paired with your almost-enemy. That's juicy."
"Shut up," I muttered, burying my face in my bag.
"Look, maybe this is your chance to apologize and clear things up," Jhanvi said gently.
"Yeah, like he'll even listen to me," I sighed
"Girl... this is literally a Netflix series now," Tejal said, sitting down beside me.
"Yeah, and we didn't even get a chance to approve the script," Jhanvi added.
I groaned, laying my head on the desk. "This is a mess."
"Look, maybe it's fate," Tejal said, smirking. "You're teamed up with the boy you yelled at. Jhanvi's with Veeryansh. I'm with Atharva. Like, come on... something's up."
"You don't think...?" I whispered, eyeing Samiksha Ma'am's desk.
"She's testing you," Jhanvi said, nodding. "Trying to catch you two red-handed."
"She really picked 'what is meant by love'—for you two?" Tejal added. "That's like setting fire to a gasoline truck."
"I swear to god, I'm gonna lose my mind."
"Well, not if you lose the debate first," Tejal teased.
I glared at her, but couldn't help laughing a little. Despite the tension, they always knew how to keep me grounded.
Still, the nerves were real.
How was I supposed to apologize to Avyansh now?
And worse—how was I supposed to work with him?
I peeked at Avyansh. He was stone-faced, but I could tell he was thinking the same thing I was.
This wasn't just awkward
This was war.
"Alright, kids," Samiksha Ma'am announced, her voice cutting through the chatter, "Here are the rules. This debate isn't about arguing against your partner. You're a team. Work together, gather information from your surroundings—even from outside the school."
She walked around the classroom with a certain calculated calmness. "Your debate should include the following:
TYPES OF LOVE
IT'S EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL ASPECTS
HISTORY OF LOVE
The best-written piece will be published in the school's monthly article." She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Good luck."
The class buzzed in response. Some were excited, some annoyed—and me? I was freaking out.
I stared blankly at the chalkboard, barely registering the bell that marked the end of class. Love? As a topic? On my second freaking day of school? And with Avyansh of all people?
Why on Earth would Samiksha Ma'am pair us like this? And opposite-gender teams only? This was more than just a coincidence. My gut told me she had an agenda.
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