The bell had rung, but the teacher hadn’t arrived yet. A rare five-minute breather hung in the air as students lazily scrolled through their phones or chatted in low voices.

Esha sat sideways on her chair, chin in hand, talking to Sanskar, who was half-listening, half-sketching random doodles on the back page of his notebook.

"...and I'm telling you, the canteen uncle deliberately gave me less chutney. I saw him smile. It was personal," Esha was saying, animatedly.

Sanskar smirked, not even looking up. “Maybe he’s tired of you asking for extra chutney every single day. Canteen uncle bhi insaan hai, Esha.”

“Insaan hote toh thoda pyaar dikhate,” she huffed, crossing her arms.

Just then, a strand of her hair flew across her face—and she blinked rapidly, frowning.

“Ow—wait—something’s in my eye.”

Sanskar immediately looked up. “What happened?”

“I don’t know… ugh—maybe dust or that paper scrap you just flicked at me—”

“Excuse me, my aim is too good for that,” he said, already moving closer to her. “Let me see.”

She instinctively flinched back. “No no—I’ll manage—”

“Esha,” he said, softly this time, locking eyes with her in a way that shut her up instantly.

She stilled.

He gently tilted her face, brushing aside her hair, his expression losing all its mischief.

His thumb hovered near her cheekbone as he leaned slightly forward, trying to get a better look. “Don’t blink for a sec,” he murmured.

Esha held her breath.

“There’s a tiny speck... got it,” he said, then lightly blew near her eye to ease the irritation.

She blinked rapidly again, this time slower. “Better?”

“…Yeah,” she said, voice a little quieter than before. “Thanks.”

He leaned back, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Wow. Esha Rathore letting someone help her? Kya baat hai.”

“Shut up,” she said, the blush already creeping in. “I was just… being efficient.”

“Oh totally,” he grinned. “I’m sure that’s what you’ll write in your diary tonight: ‘Today, Sanskar was efficient with my eye.’”

She picked up a pencil and half-heartedly threatened to throw it at him.

But her eyes lingered on him for a second too long before looking away.

And Sanskar? He looked back down at his doodle, but now, instead of random squiggles, he began sketching a little cartoon girl.

With a tiny spark in her eye.

-----

The auditorium buzzed with quiet anticipation. Students whispered in scattered corners, some nervously revising their notes, others glancing toward the jury panel seated in the front row—three teachers with sharp eyes and stricter standards.

In the middle row, the OG Four sat together.

Well—physically together.

Emotionally? Not so much.

Ridrakshika sat between Esha and Sanskar, flipping through cue cards for the tenth time, her posture perfectly straight, expression focused. Adyansh sat at the edge, arms crossed, chewing lightly on his pen cap while casting casual—yet too frequent—glances at her.

"Relax, we’re gonna kill it," Esha whispered, nudging Ridrakshika gently.

"I know," she nodded, eyes still on her notes, carefully not looking to the right.

“OG Four,” the event host’s voice rang out. “You’re next.”

All four stood up in sync—hours of silent coordination working like clockwork—even if their hearts were no longer in sync.

They walked to the stage. Adyansh handed the clicker to Sanskar and stepped aside. The lights dimmed. The first slide blinked on:

“Analyzing Business Environment: Market Dynamics and Youth Innovation”

Their presentation began. Esha took the intro, flawless and poised. Sanskar broke down the framework with charm and clarity. Ridrakshika’s turn followed. Her voice—steady, confident, laced with fire—drew everyone's attention. Even the teachers leaned in slightly.

Then came Adyansh.

No script, no cards. Just raw confidence and charm that made even the most boring economic models sound cool. He ended with:

“In short, it’s not just about surviving the business world. It’s about creating a space where your ideas roar louder than the market noise.”

A beat of silence.

Then—applause. Loud. Echoing. The jury clapped too.

They stepped down, hearts racing. Once backstage, the host returned after a few more teams had finished.

“And the winner of the Best Presentation Award for the Business Environment Project is… OG Four!”

Cheers erupted.

Esha squealed, hugging Sanskar, who grinned from ear to ear. Adyansh laughed, running a hand through his hair.

Ridrakshika smiled—tentatively. It felt…nice. After all the chaos, after all the storms—they’d won.

“Group hug!” Esha announced suddenly.

Ridrakshika froze for half a second as Sanskar and Adyansh leaned in. Her eyes met Adyansh’s—brief, unsure.

But before she could retreat, Esha grabbed her wrist and yanked her into the circle.

All four were tangled in a chaotic, lopsided group hug. Laughter, adrenaline, and unspoken words swirled in the air.

Ridrakshika tried to ignore the warmth of Adyansh’s arm brushing hers.

Adyansh? He let the smile linger a little longer than needed.

From a distance, Tanisha and Rehan watched—expressions stiff, lips pursed.

Because despite everything... the OG Four had won.

Together.

------

The hallway buzzed with leftover excitement. Students congratulated each other, teachers passed by with small smiles, and the trophy now gleamed in Sanskar’s hands.

But in one quieter corner of the corridor, Adyansh stood beside Ridrakshika, who had just stepped away to take a breather near the window.

He approached, voice a little softer than usual.

"Hey Thunder…"

Ridrakshika didn’t respond. Just stared outside, arms crossed.

"Look, I— I know you're still mad. And honestly, you should be," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I messed up. Big time. I shouldn’t have… I should’ve trusted you, okay?"

Ridrakshika turned, her eyes sharp. "It’s not about trust anymore, Adyansh. It’s about basic respect."

He flinched slightly but nodded. "I get that. I really do. And I'm not asking for things to go back to normal overnight. Just… don’t push me away completely. At least allow me to fix what I broke."

Before she could answer, a third voice cut in—mocking, smooth, and laced with the kind of grin that made Adyansh’s jaw clench.

"Touching."

They turned. Rehan leaned against a locker, slow clapping sarcastically.

"Wow, Sachdeva. From stone-hearted narcissist to regretful romeo in under a week. Impressive character development."

Adyansh’s fists curled.

Rehan continued, strolling closer.

"But seriously—if Ridrakshika meant that much to you… why didn’t you trust her in the first place?"

Adyansh’s expression changed. One muscle twitched in his cheek.

"You claimed she was your teammate, your friend… maybe even more. But the moment things went south, you threw her under the bus in front of everyone. Kya dosti thi, bhai. Emotions ki toh waise bhi value nahi hoti na tere jaise logon ke liye?"

Ridrakshika shifted uncomfortably, not meeting either of their eyes.

"Bas ek ladki ko protect karne ka shauk chadha tha aur jab waqt aaya, tu ussi ladki ko blame kar aaya? Tch."

Adyansh took a step forward. "Rehan—"

"Nahi, nahi," Rehan interrupted, smirking wider. "Main toh sirf facts gina raha hoon. Sach mein, Ridrakshika, I’m surprised you’re even listening to him after all that."

Adyansh’s patience snapped. He grabbed Rehan by the collar, voice low and dangerous.

"Another word out of your mouth, and you won’t have any teeth left to flash that smirk."

Ridrakshika instantly stepped between them, placing a hand on Adyansh’s chest.

"Enough."

Her voice was firm, but her eyes betrayed conflict—between fury, fatigue, and something else deeper.

Adyansh backed off, but his stare didn’t waver.

Rehan, smug as ever, raised his hands.

"Relax. Just a friendly conversation."

Ridrakshika turned to Adyansh.

"Don’t lose your temper over someone like him. Not worth it."

Adyansh looked at her, softer this time.

"You are."

The words hung heavy in the air. Ridrakshika blinked once.

Then she turned without a word—and walked away.

Leaving both boys behind.

One smiling in victory.

The other standing in regret.

__________________________________

Stay tuned for further updates 🎀

~shanshya🧿