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ANSH'S POV

Everyone thought I was the kind of guy who didn't feel. Like my veins ran on logic instead of blood, like nothing touched me deep enough to shake me and maybe that was true. I didn't waste my time smiling at girls who fluttered their eyelashes for attention.

I had one job to lead. To win. To own the ground every damn time I stepped on it. And that's exactly what I did. I was the Sports Captain of Blue House For the whole damn year.

But today , There she was.
Wearing Blue House T-shirt tucked into her white skirt like she didn't even care how imperfectly it fit on her , with her hair tied in that messy ponytail and god, she is always laughing. She wasn't playing in the match.

She was just standing and chatting with her friends her voice? It was loud, unfiltered, and annoyingly magnetic like it had no volume control, no sense of place or time.

I hated how my eyes kept finding her instead of the match. The game was going on girls from our house playing and there I was, the so-called sports captain , watching her. because she was the exact opposite of me .

Yash voice hit my ear like a mosquito. " ooae bas kar ja ankhain bahar aajayengi "

I didn't even turn to look at him. Just muttered under my breath, "Say one more word and see what I can do."

He laughed like it was cute. Like my threats were jokes. They weren't. Not today.Because I was losing control. Because she was distracting me in ways I didn't think I was capable of being distracted..

AUTHOR'S POV

In the middle of all that chaos, two girls walked like they had no idea anything else was happening.
Aarvi and Annie.

They were in their own world, their steps lazy, shoulders brushing as they chatted about the most random things . delusional ladkiyaan uff...

Annie was giggling, her eyes half-closed from laughter, when suddenly she froze , mid step..

And Aarvi who obviously wasn't paying attention walked straight into her back with full force.

"SAALI LANGDI GANDHI!" Aarvi yelled dramatically, stumbling back a step and gripping Aninies shoulder ..

But Annie said nothing. Her mouth was open. Her eyes locked straight ahead And that's when Aarvi followed her line of sight.

Yash.

In his yellow house T-shirt his yellow handband shining . But Aarvi's eyes didn't stay on him for long because walking beside him, in his usual silence, wearing his Blue House shirt like it was stitched onto his soul, was none other than Ansh Rathore.

Hair slightly messed from the wind. Expression unreadable.

They walked past the girls casually. Harsh gave a stupid smirk, but Ansh didn't even glance their way.

And then they were gone. Just like that Annie let out a deep sigh like she'd been holding her breath.

Aarvi stared at her for a beat, then raised an eyebrow. " yash jiju ahem ahem."

"I ...I ma- chupp," shouted ..

Aarvi smirked. " haaw bache gali nhi bakte."

AUTHOR'S POV

The boys' match had just begun. Players from both houses — Blue versus Yellow — took their places. Ansh , sitting on the ground with his teammates..

And while he was there focused the girls had begun to scatter across the field like phool kae piche bhawree. Annie disappeared into a gaggle of giggles somewhere near the benches, while Aarvi and Niyati walked arm-in-arm, laughing like they had no idea a war was happening five feet away.

And thenout of nowhere Niyati grabbed Aarvi's wrist with a smirk.

"Chal na," she said, dragging her toward the ground.

"Abey kya hai, kya kar rahi hai tu?" Aarvi protested, trying not to trip over her own shoes.

But Niyati didn't stop. "Bas chal. Ground ke paas ka view zyada accha hai yk ."

Before Aarvi could figure out she found herself right at the edge of the field standing eyes locked on the game.

Ansh.

Knees pressed to the ground. He hadn't seen her yet. Or maybe he had and pretended not to. Either way, Aarvi stood still , while Niyati whispered something stupid and gossipy into her ear.

The match was heating up. The whistle blew again. And now it was Harsh's turn to run ... On the opposite side? Ansh's team to catch and out. Perfect.

Harsh sprinted into the field, breath loud, arms flying,

His mission: don't get caught. Ansh's mission: get him out..

The moment the previous runner gave him the "Kho!", Ansh shot forward. Fast. Really fast. His feet barely touched the ground, his reflexes sharper than any boy on that field. His target was Harsh who had already sensed the chase and started screaming like a dying animal.

But just before the contact just before Ansh could tap him...

Harsh twisted back dramatically, shouting across the whole damn field with a voice that cracked like a bad mic.

"TERI BLUE HOUSE WALI LADKI KI KASAM, ANSH! MEREKO OUT MAT KAR BHAIIIIIIII!"

The ground fell silent for half a second.
Ansh... stopped.

Literally stopped.

His fingers were inches away from Harsh. Just a little reach, and he could've ended him. But that sentence that stupid, loud, ridiculous sentence hit harder than the wind.

Slowly. Heart racing for a reason he couldn't admit yet. He glanced over his shoulder, and sure enough standing at the edge of the field, sunlight kissing her face — was Aarvi.

And for just a second, just one moment suspended in time, their eyes met.

He looked at her like she was the one thing that made him forget who he was.

And then, he smiled , Not a full one. Just enough. Ansh turned back, slowed down... and instead of tagging Harsh, extended his hand toward his own teammate.

"Kho."

Someone else took over.
Harsh ran.

-

Aarvi lightly nudged Niyati's arm, her voice carrying that half-whiny, half-playful tone.
"Niyati, I'm thirsty... let's go."

But Niyati, still completely glued to the game happening on the field, didn't even glance at her. Instead, she smirked and waved her hand towards her in noo.

"Are you mad? No way. Just look at them, Aarvi. They're looking like proper item bombs out there.. And you want to leave this view? You must be out of your mind."

Aarvi wrinkled her nose, pretending to look disgusted.

"Chi, Niyati. Have some shame. You're staring like a complete creep. Come on, my throat is drying up."

But Niyati's eyes still didn't leave the field. She leaned closer to Aarvi and whispered dramatically, "see them pure chummeshwari lag rhaee."

Aarvi groaned, rolling her eyes. "You seriously need therapy."

Without waiting for her reply, Aarvi grabbed Niyati's wrist and pulled her away from the field. Niyati, of course, protested loudly the entire way.

"you're breaking my heart!."

They slipped and walked toward the building aarvi said .. " abe yar agar pakda gye toh Sali budhi chudail ghum rhi hogi bhut bakaegi bhai woo agar pakad li toh."

Niyati gave her a smug smile. "tu gtadhi ab mereko yha tak lai hai toh class chal aur bhiool mat teri dost yani ki main art secretary hu school ki ykk"

They both stifled their giggles ... The distant sound of the crowd outside faded, replaced by the hollow clack of their shoes against the tiled floor.

The moment they started climbing the stairs, their conversation switched to random topics.
Niyati began, " tereko pta hai wo shreyanshi ka banda ban gya."

Aarvi replied. "hamko kya banne daee."

By the time they reached the halfway landing, Aarvi sighed dramatically. "I swear, if I don't drink water in the next two minutes, I'll collapse, and you'll have to carry me to class."

Niyati raised an eyebrow. "I'd rather leave you here."

Aarvi stopped in her tracks, glaring. "You are the worst friend."

Niyati grinned innocently. "And you love me for it."

"By the way, Aarvi," Niyati said, narrowing her eyes with a sly grin as they climbed the stairs, "be honest for once... the real reason you didn't participate in kho-kho is because you knew you'd trip over your own feet and embarrass yourself in front of the whole school, isn't it?"

"Shut up, Niyati, I'm not—" Aarvi started, rolling her eyes , but before she could even finish her sentence, her foot slipped on the edge of the step.

she stumbled forward, barely catching herself before she fell flat, twisting her ankle in the process.

"ooww!" Aarvi yelped, grabbing the railing with one hand and leaning her other against the wall for balance. Her face twisted in pain as she hissed ..

Niyati, instead of showing even an ounce of sympathy, burst into laughter so loud it echoed through the empty corridor.

She clutched the railing like she might fall herself, her body shaking as she laughed like some over-excited idiot. "Oh my God—Aarvi—you actually proved my point in two seconds!!" She started doing a dramatic re-enactment of the fall .

Aarvi, still wincing, glared at her through half-lidded eyes. "Abe saali kamini... kali juuban... aahhh, mummy, mera Bichara paer!" she muttered, rubbing her ankle while still keeping her balance against the wall.

Niyati only laughed harder, bending over and gasping for breath. "You oh my God your face right now is priceless"

"You are such a horrible friend," Aarvi said, finally starting to limp forward, one hand sliding along the wall for support. "My ankle is in pain, and yo..u -"

"Oh please, madam," Niyati said, following her but still laughing between words, " I'm not letting this moment die—"

She suddenly broke into another exaggerated mimic, twisting her body dramatically like she'd just been shot, clutching at her ankle and shouting ....

They both finally stepped into Aarvi's classroom, still half-laughing and half-bickering from the staircase incident.

Niyati looked around dramatically, scanning the room as if she had never seen a classroom before, and then turned to Aarvi with a mischievous smirk.

"Where do you even sit, you idiot?" she asked, her voice loud enough for a few nearby students to turn their heads.

"Last bench," Aarvi replied flatly, still limping a little and shooting her a warning glare.

Niyati immediately grabbed her arm before she could walk there herself. "Perfect. Come on" she drag Aarvi to the last bench like she was leading a reluctant child.

Aarvi plopped down on the seat with a small groanWithout even thinking, she kicked off her shoes, stretched her legs and then froze. Her eyes widened in horror.

"Oh my God look at this!" she exclaimed, pointing at her ankle. "It's red! It's literally swollen! This is all because of you. I hate you. I actually hate you, bitch."

Niyati bent down to look, but instead of sympathy, her face broke into the widest grin possible. "Shut up, idiot. It's not even that bad," she said though her voice was already trembling with laughter.

"Not that bad? NOT THAT BAD?" Aarvi shot back, her voice "I have suffered a near-death experience on those stairs, and all you're doing is laughing!"

That was all the encouragement Niyati needed to completely lose it. She clutched the edge of the desk, nearly sliding off the bench as she wheezed, laughing even harder. "I can't help it, Aarvi! ''..

Aarvi slapped her on the arm. "Stop it, you witch!" she said, but she couldn't hide the small smile pulling at her lips.

"I'm just saying," Niyati continued, leaning back with an innocent face, "maybe you were right not to join kho-kho. If stairs can defeat you this easily, imagine what running would do."

"Oh, wow, thanks for the motivation," Aarvi deadpanned, leaning back and crossing her arms. "Remind me to never rely on you in an emergency."

"Don't worry," Niyati said sweetly, patting Aarvi's head like she was a puppy. "I'll still carry you to the hospital... after I finish laughing."

"Unbelievable," Aarvi muttered, shoving her lightly. But deep down, she was already planning how she was going to get her revenge later.

The classroom was eerily quiet .. The match was still going on, and almost every single student had run off to watch it ..

Aarvi sat on the last bench, her bag shoved to one side, one shoe discarded on the floor, and her injured ankle propped gently in her lap. She was still muttering under her breath about the stairs when the door creaked open.

Ansh walked in.

His eyes immediately scanned the room, and when they landed on her , one leg awkwardly folded up his brows knitted together in concern. Without a second thought, he crossed the room in a few long strides.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice low but urgent.

Aarvi didn't even look up. "Why do you care?" she replied, her tone sharp, her annoyance from earlier still clinging to her like static electricity.

He ignored her attitude entirely and crouched down slightly beside the bench. "Shh, just tell me what happened," he insisted, his voice dropping into that no-nonsense tone he used when he wasn't in the mood for her stubbornness. "How did this happen? Why is it so red?"

"It's nothing," Aarvi muttered, trying to shift her foot away ..

"Nothing? Aarvi, look at this , it's swollen. How can you call this nothing?" His words came faster now, frustration slipping into his voice. "Do you have any idea how bad this could get? Did you twist it? Did you fall? Where exactly did you hurt yourself? And why were you not being careful? You always do this—you rush around without looking where you're going—"

Before he could go on, Niyati's voice cut through the air, dripping with mockery. " jyada nhi yae gadhi badi fursat sae ladke tad rhi thi aur hai hi hadbadi paer todwa li apna..."

Ansh's head turned slowly towards her, and the look he gave could have frozen the sun. His eyes narrowed into a glare so sharp it could have cut glass. Niyati's smirk faltered almost instantly, and she leaned back in her seat, suddenly very interested in staring at the empty teacher's desk.

Without breaking eye contact, Ansh said in a voice that was calm yet heavy with warning, "Don't. Even. Start."

Ansh crouched down beside her bench, one knee pressing into the dusty floor, and without a word, reached for her foot. His hand was warm and steady, fingers sliding under her ankle like he was about to inspect it himself.

Aarvi instantly grabbed his wrist, pulling it away. "Arre, what are you doing? Stop it".

He frowned but didn't move back. "I'm just trying to see how bad it is. You don't even know—"

"I said no!" she cut him off, holding his wrist tighter before letting go. "I don't need you acting like  a doctor . I'm fine. It's just a little red, nothing dramatic. bhag ja yaha se."

For a second, his jaw flexed like he was trying to decide whether to argue or just walk out. He exhaled sharply, his voice dropping lower.

"You know what? Fine. Do whatever you want. Samajh nahi aata tujhe agar dard badha toh mereko btanaa jarur ..." He strode out of the classroom, the sound of the door swinging shut echoing behind him.

The moment the door closed, Niyati smacked Aarvi on the head not hard, but enough to make her jerk forward.

"oouch!what did I do now ?" Aarvi rubbed the spot, glaring.

"It's all your fault," Niyati said, leaning closer, her eyes wide with fake outrage. "Do you know how he was looking at me? Like if I even breathed wrong, he would personally drag me to the principal's office and have me expelled."

Aarvi raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at her lips. "Good. Maybe you deserve it"

Niyati gasped in exaggerated offense. "Excuse me? ..

"Shut up," Aarvi muttered...

-

Niyati, unfazed as ever, narrowed her eyes and pointed toward Aarvi's desk. "Where's your bottle?" she asked, her tone sharp enough to make it clear this wasn't idle curiosity but a direct accusation.

Aarvi tossed the bottle toward her, the plastic bouncing once against Niyati's palm before she gripped it. "Here, take it,"

Niyati twisted the cap open and tilted the bottle to check its contents, only to discover there wasn't a single drop inside.

"It's empty? Are you serious right now? You actually carry this thing around all day just for show?" she demanded, shaking the bottle lightly .

"Oh, stop being dramatic, you idiot," Aarvi shot back, finally looking up. "If it's empty, then go fill it."

Niyati placed a hand on her hip, tilting her head in mock disbelief. "Can you, for once in your entire life, keep this thing filled? Kabhi – kabhi toh you don't even bother bringing one, and on the rare occasions you do, it's always empty like this. What's the point?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say," Aarvi replied, rolling her eyes and waving dismissively toward the corridor. "Just go fill it already before I dehydrate to death here."

-

The hallway was quieter than usual, the muffled hum of voices from other classes a faint background to the steady gurgle of the water cooler as Niyati pressed the button and let the bottle slowly fill.

She was halfway lost in her own thoughts when she heard heavy footsteps thundering up the stairs, each one echoing sharply against the tiled floor.

Turning her head, she caught sight of Ansh sprinting toward her, his hair slightly mussed from the rush and a small spray bottle clutched firmly in his hand.

"BEHEN , SUN ," he began without stopping just short of her personal space and leaning slightly forward, clearly out of breath . "I need you to do something for me."

Niyati raised an eyebrow, her expression already suspicious. "Why me? Can't you someone else ?"

"Because you're already standing here, and I don't have the time or patience to go for someone else," he replied flatly, his eyes darting briefly to the water still flowing into her bottle before locking back on her face .

Ansh glanced at the object in his hand, then back at her, his voice taking on a more urgent edge. "This is for Aarvi's ankle. she won't let me spray it. She'll just make a scene . But if you do it, she might actually sit still for once."

Niyati blinked at him, processing the request. "And why would I get involved in this ?" she asked, drawing out her words just enough to make it clear she wasn't convinced.

"Because if you don't," Ansh said, lowering his voice to a dangerous calm, "I'll make sure you're not allowed to go to other states for sports.."

Her jaw dropped, her voice rising instinctively. " yae blackmail hai shayad so called sports captain?"

Suddenly, Harsh came running up the stairs, slightly out of breath .

"Bhai, did you put the spray ? The sprain, It was in your hand, wasn't it?" His voice carried that mix of curiosity and urgency .

Niyati's gaze shifted sharply to his wrist. She froze for a second, noticing the way he was subtly moving it, almost like he was trying not to draw attention to the pain. "Wait... your wrist is hurt?"

She stepped closer, her brows knitting together in disbelief. "Ansh, are you serious right now? Tere khud kae hath mai lagi hai aur tu aarvi kae liye spray leke ghum rha , kyuu?"

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