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The Student Council President 'Aditya Agnihotri', still frustrated with everything, grabbed the prakriti wrist.
"You. Meeting. Now,"
She groaned dramatically. "Ugh, do I have to?"
"Yes, because you're my assistant—even though you act like you're allergic to responsibility"
"I am allergic to responsibility!"
vedant snorted as the Aditya dragged her away.
At the same time
Shanaya silently walked in the opposite direction, deep in thought.
She had just witnessed Chaos that's she never thought, She could
And honestly? It was hilarious
But…
Somewhere deep down, she actually felt happy thinking about her bestfriend.
She knows, vedant was clearly doomed if prakriti found out that he had a feelings for her!
And considering how chaotic their friendship was? That was a death sentence!
"How do I help him without making it obvious?"
She needed a strategy, A flawless plan!
And meanwhile, on the verge of another meltdown
Vedant was still cursing his entire existence.
"Why! Why is Shanaya is best friends of my ex-best friend?"
"Why is my angel ALSO the cousin of two of the most popular and annoying guys in this school?"
"WHY IS MY LIFE LIKE THIS?!"
Akshit patted his shoulder with a fake sympathetic smile "It's okay! You're just the universe's favorite punching bag,"
He groaned dramatically "I KNOW!"
As vedant continued his dramatic rant about his cursed fate, Ishika just stood there, smirking!
Which was never a good sign
And then—
She casually said, "I thought you was joking yesterday but you seriously like her!"
Vedant
His brain short-circuited.
"What?"
Ishika smirk grew widen "Oh, come on bhai, You think I don't know?"
Vedant heartbeat sped up.
"Know….what Ishi?" he asked way too quickly.
Ishika gave him a look 'I'm not idiot'
"That you have a crush on my friend Shanaya"
The world tilted.
Vedant choked on air.
Akshit gasped dramatically "WAIT—YOU SERIOUSLY LIKE HER?!"
Vedant went completely still.
His face was somewhere between horror and betrayal.
He turned to Ishika
"HOW DO YOU KNOW?!"
She rolled her eyes "Oh Please, I have eyes and You were keep spating about your crush, and Who's your ex bestfriend others than prakriti di!"
Akshit, who had just been deep in thought about matchmaking, snapped his head up and stating a fact "And Vedant Singh Rajput, who never paid attention to any girl, is now holding a girl in his arms and gazing at her like a wiped lover!"
vedant ran a hand through his hair, panicking. "No way, If you figured it out, that means—"
Prakriti too
Ishika said, her eyes twinkling with mischief "Ohhh, I cannot wait to use this information"
Vedant groaned in despair
"I AM SO SCREWED!"
_____________________________________
The school bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, but Shanaya didn't move. She sat on the edge of a stone bench, staring at the flowers swaying gently in the wind, her fingers tracing the edge of her book. Luna, her cat, wasn't there to comfort her, but the weight in her chest felt just as heavy. Her mother's latest fight echoed in her mind, the words still sharp, still painful.
Behind her, Prakriti appeared, her voice cutting through the silence. "I know you're not listening to me, Shanaya." She sounded playful, but there was a tenderness to her tone. She sat down beside her, close but not too close—enough to respect her space, yet enough to show she wasn't going anywhere.
Shanaya didn't look up. She never did when she felt vulnerable, when the walls around her started to crumble. "I'm just tired, that's all," she muttered, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "Tired of pretending it's okay."
Prakriti didn't ask any questions. She simply sat in silence, waiting, letting Shanaya speak when she was ready.
After a long moment, Shanaya's voice came, barely above a whisper. "I don't know what happened to my family. It was supposed to be different, Prakriti... I thought they'd always be together." Her eyes stung with unshed tears, but she blinked them away, refusing to let them fall. "But now I don't even know where I belong. My cousins… they were my family, and now I don't even know them anymore."
Prakriti's hand found hers, gentle, grounding. "You're not alone, Shanaya. You've got me. You always will."
Shanaya's chest tightened. "But that's the problem. People leave, Prakriti. And when they do, they don't come back." Her voice cracked slightly, betraying the fear she tried to hide so well. "I don't know if I can handle anyone else leaving me. I'm not strong enough for that."
Prakriti squeezed her hand, her grip steady. "You don't have to be strong alone. Let me be there for you, okay? You're not as invisible as you think. You're not the only one who's lost, Shanaya. We all are. But we can choose to face it together."
Shanaya finally turned to face her, her eyes shimmering with emotion. The walls she'd built around herself started to feel a little thinner. "I'm scared, Prakriti," she admitted, her voice barely a breath. "What if I can't trust anyone again?"
Prakriti didn't answer right away. She didn't have to. The way she looked at Shanaya, with that fierce love in her eyes, said everything.
"You're not alone in this," Prakriti whispered. "I promise."
TO BE CONTINUED.....