20 April 2024 (midnight)

"What is all this han?" A furious voice shouted at Ronika. "Ma- maa why are you shouting?" She timidly asked. "Why have you scored less than Aarohi in the formative test again?" Ritu ma'am asked.

"I- I'm- I'm sorry. I read and worked even harder this time b- but I don't know how- how this happened." She replied, stammering and shivering. "Really? Oh c'mon, even you know how stupid you are. You don't just have to work harder, you also have to work smarter, you moron!" Ritu shouted yet again.

Ronika didn't dare to lift her head and let the harsh words of her mother penetrate her soul. Her mother kept on taunting and scolding until Ronika started to cry.

"You're not a kid anymore Ronika! Wipe those tears, right now!" Her voice still held anger rather than sympathy for her daughter. However, after a while, she caressed her shoulders and asked her to stop crying, calmly.

Ronika was now sobbing when Ritu handed her a glass of water. "I'm sorry for the choice of words but you know how much I dislike that girl, beta." Ronika nodded in response. "It's okay, now I'll take care of that girl." She said. "Anyways, what was that Instagram post you were talking about?" Ritu asked.

"A few days prior, Akshit had posted a picture and in the background, there was a girl whose physique looked a lot like me. Henceforth, a rumor started that Akshit and I may be dating secretly." Ronika explained, receiving a knowing smirk from her mother, she added, "Then let the rumor catch fire."

"But why?" Ronika asked. "Because Aarohi seems to be pretty close to Akshit. I have observed how she behaves all protective when you or any other girl is around him." Ritu stated.

"That's the reason why you asked me to behave extra friendly with Akshit, mostly in front of Aarohi and her friends?" Ronika's confusion was now cleared, after receiving a nod from her mother.

The trap has been planted by the mother-daughter duo. Ritu Trivedi had a clear intention to make Aarohi's life academically and mentally difficult.

At school.

"There has to be some specific reason, sir." I said. "We cannot do anything if the authority is directly imparting it on you, Aarohi." Mr. Shukla replied. "Sir, can I at least take a day to think about it?" I negotiated. "OK, but we want confirmation from you by Monday." He left.

"The national committee of education has organized an interactive conference for the students who are willing to put forward their ideology and innovative thoughts regarding 'The current situation of Indian Education System and initiatives to reform or remodel it.' The conference is to be held on Dt: 28 April 2024. At least 2 brilliant minds are invited from each institute." I read the invitation which Mr. Shukla handed it to me a while ago.

"Aagayi humari phool." Yukti stated as I entered the canteen, taking my designated chair. "Par aaj phool murjhayi hui kyun hai?" Akshit asked, passing me a can of juice. "I mean, why are you so gloomy?" He clarified. I then narrated everything to them.

(Our flower is here.

But why does our flower looks withered today?)

"You should be proud! It's a national platform after all, why are you upset?" Manav asked. "Bhai you don't know yaar! Itne dino se dhang se padhai toh ho nahi paa rahi, wahan jaake idea toh chordo naam bhi bol paungi ya nahi kya pata." I ranted, all frustrated. Silence engulfed our table as I had my head down.

(Bro you don't know! I'm unable to even study properly since last few days, forget about idea, if I'll go there I doubt if I'll be able to introduce myself, let alone my name.)

I felt a comforting hand caress my hair hesitantly, which was from my righ- nah wait- from my LEFT!? Isn't AKSHIT sitting there, right now!!? The hand quickly withdrew as I sat back straight. I even tried to get it by face-reading my friends' faces but I obviously failed.

'Was it really Akshit or am I hallucinating? Ahh my poor brain.' I cried mentally.

"Chinta matt kar, Akshit bhi toh jayega na saath mein?" Manav mentioned passing a look to Akshit. "Well, actually no, I'm not going." Akshit replied. "Kyun, Kyun, Kyun?" Yukti interrupted.

(Don't worry, Akshit is also going with you right?)

"Because Tanmay Acharya of 12th Commerce has already been selected." I replied on behalf of Akshit. "Agar aisa hai toh mai apni jaaneman ko kisi anjaan ke saath toh bilkul nahi jane dungi." Yuku said protectively while pulling me in for a side hug.

(If it's like that then I'll not leave my dear with a stranger alone.)

"I know, I'm not even interested in going, but the whole management wants me to be there. It's just too confusing. And upon that, what ideas will I even suggest?" I sighed. "But I think you should go Ms. Govind." Akshit stated and mentioned the importance of such a huge conference.

22 April 2024

The next morning -after having a detailed discussion with my parents last evening- I confirmed it to Shukla sir.

"To be honest, I had something in my mind about this topic but I doubted if it would ever concern the education system." I spoke to Miss Joshi.
"Just tell me what all it is." She said while I blurted my thoughts upon the asked topic.

'Thank you for the free period, Radha Rani.' I thought as Miss Joshi helped me through. Minutes later Tanmay too joined the discussion, putting forward his pair of thoughts and ideas.

'Too boring.' I thought as I scanned through the board for the nth time now. I've already solved these equations thrice; twice while giving a mock test and right now again. "Sir, may I go to the washroom?" I asked, raising my hand. "Have you completed these equations?" He asked. 'Thrice' I thought, "Yes sir." I replied.

After receiving a nod I went outside.
I forgot where I was going when my feet magically dropped me in front of Ms. Govind's classroom. I knocked on the closed door, a brief minute later someone opened the door. It was Ronika. Maybe it was their free period as she was monitoring the class.

"Oh hi Akshit, how are you doing? Do you need any help?" She asked, no wait! She asked extra-sweetly. "Umm, no- I- nevermind." I peeked inside a little in search of her but she wasn't there. Before closing the door a guy voiced, "Ooo Akshit, bhabhi ko dekhne aya hai~" The door was then closed.

(Ooo Akshit, you're here to see bhabhi~)

'Bhabhi? How did that guy know that I was looking for Ms. Govind?' I was consumed in my thoughts when I bumped into someone. It was her.

"Oh I'm so sorry, I was actually-" "No no it's fine, I was not paying attention either. I'm sorry too." she said. That's when I registered someone else's presence. It was Tanmay, the boy who was selected along with Ms. Govind for the conference. "Hi Akshit." "Hey", I replied shortly.

"Oh btw, pass me your contact info so we can help each other with the final suggestions and idea proposal." He said, forwarding his right hand open to Ms. Govind to write on his palm.

A sudden emotion of jealousy raised within my heart and a slight anger on Tanmay but, "There's no need of that. Also Miss Joshi has clearly mentioned to text her if there would be any doubt. So no need of exchanging numbers." She concluded.

I gave him a look which he understood and walked away, leaving us alone in the hallway.

"So what is Mr. Topper doing outside during the class hour?" She asked, stressing more on 'Mr. Topper'. "Nothing, I was just bored so.." my voice trailed off as I saw Ritu ma'am coming in our direction.

"What is going on here? This is a school not a garden or lovers park! Go back to your classes now!" She shouted, while I passed a glance to Ms. Govind bidding her bye with it as she went inside her classroom.

I roamed around a bit more as I had no strength left to do those equations. Soon the recess bell rang and I saw the students coming out of their classrooms. Also, receiving a didn't-expected-this-from-you glance from our Maths teacher, but who cares!

I headed towards the canteen as Manav joined me mid way, holding both of our lunchboxes.

"Where were you for so long? And don't tell me that you just bunked a class!" Manav said. "Maybe I did." I showed a quick grin and took my seat at our reserved table. Manav applauded me as if I had achieved the biggest goal of my life. Minutes later, Yukti bhabhi arrived, alone.

"Where's Ms. Govind?" I uttered quickly. "On her way devar ji or should I say jija ji." Yukti asserted with a teasing look, making me shocked as I choked on water. I shot a death stare at Manav for betraying me but he looked unfazed.

"Darta nahi hun main, samjha? Aur waise bhi teri bhabhi se koi baat nahi chupata main." He said. At this moment I wanted to dig a whole and let mother earth engulf me in it.

(I'm not scared of you, understood? And anyways, I don't hide anything from your bhabhi.)

"You don't have to be so embarrassed, and don't worry I won't tell her anything before you confess it yourself." Yukti reassured me.

"Who's confessing whom?" Ms. Govind asked as Tanmay trailed behind her like a bee. Yukti shrugged it off while Manav managed to cover it with, "Btw Hi Tanmay, what are you doing here?"

"Nothing! I just thought of joining you guys." He stated. "Sorry to say but we don't have extra seats. So.." Manav said while Tanmay nodded and left. "Tu iske saath kyun ghoom rahi hai behen, pata hai na kitna bada flirt hai yeh." Yukti said, receiving a helpless nod from Ms. Govind.

(Why are you roaming around with her sis, don't you know how big of a flirt he is?)

"I know but that Lady Hitler has made me do this." She added, "Before coming here, Mr. Shukla mentioned, unknowingly, how Ritu ma'am put forward my name as soon as she got to know about the conference." We were all puzzled as to why Ritu ma'am would do so.

"Anyways I'm sooo hungry." She said cutely, while rubbing her stomach. "Wait, I'll come back in a while. I've forgotten to wash my hands." She went near the washing area and that's when, "Hi guys, Hey Akshit, look what I've bought in my tiffin today." Ronika took Ms. Govind's seat even though we resisted it. "It's your favorite rajma chawal. And guess who has made it, me obviously!" She exclaimed.

"There's no need of it Ronika, Akshit has bought his own lunch." Manav spoke rather frustrated this time, with a tight smile. "Exactly! And please get another seat for yourself this is Aarohi's-" "Mind telling me what's going on here?" Ms. Govind cut Yukti off while looking a lot pissed at Ronika's presence.

"Oh Aarohi! Hi, look I've bought Akshit's favorite rajma chawal, that too prepared by my own hands. Do you want to taste it?" Ronika asked with a sugar-coated smile.

Ms. Govind looked at me with disappointment while I was confused about all these happenings. "Ronika, thank you for your efforts but can you please leave?" I asked her simply, which was also an attempt to calm a certain someone. Ronika just shrugged it off and passed a look at my lunchbox.

"Oh my God Akshit! How sweet of you, how did you know chole kulche are my favorite?" She said a little loudly, grasping attention of many. "You guys have your food, I don't feel hungry anymore." Ms. Govind left, followed by Tanmay.

'Iski toh main-' I stood up from my seat, when Ronika held my hand to make me sit down. I jerked my hand out of her hold. "C'mon Akshit, you should eat first." She said taking a bite from my lunchbox. "Why are you doing this Ronika? All of us know that there's nothing between you two. Stop pretending!" Yukti spat.

"And who told you that?" Ronika looked at Yukti with unwavering confidence. My God, how can someone lie so comfortably? "I did! Stop all these, and please leave." I semi-shouted.

"Poor you, because it's just a trailer. Just wait and watch, what all I can do." She whispered, giving a sly smirk and left us 3 dumbfounded.

"What is wrong with her? Konsi baat ki dushmani nikal rahi hai Aarohi se!? And more to that, why is she targeting Akahit? Does she know you like Aarohi?" Manav questioned while I reminded myself, that my main concern is Ms. Govind at the moment.

(...Why is she up for a revenge from Aarohi!?...)

I ran looking for her, in the classroom, ground, staff room but she was nowhere to be found.

'I'm sorry Ms. Govind, kahan hain aap?' I returned back to the canteen with no clue of her. Manav and Yukti were standing near the canteen's door. "She went back home." Yukti uttered. "What!? But why?" I was upset.

"They have to report the venue by April 27 so she is leaving for Delhi by today evening." I was still puzzled as to why she is leaving so soon, "But today is April 22, why today?" Both of them had no answers which frustrated me even more.

After coming back from school, I texted Ms. Govind but it only got a single grey tick. 'Have I commited such a big mistake?' I asked myself, no response.

[Shi: What do you think readers? Do help him find the answer.]

Few more days passed by, but none of us had any idea about Ms. Govind. She even asked Ayushi, her sister to not tell anything to us. But she told us that Ms. Govind was looking very sad after coming from school and stayed in her room the whole time before leaving for Delhi with Miss Joshi, Shukla sir and Tanmay as informed by aunty.

'Yeh Tanmay kuch zyada nahi chipak raha Ms. Govind se.' I thought as Ayushi had also mentioned that Tanmay tried to be more caring and helped her sister while taking her luggage downstairs.

(Isn't that Tanmay guy is being too clingy with Ms. Govind.)

I then received a post from Manav in Instagram. With a text that said, "What is she upto?" I opened the post.

yours_ronika_27

❤ 💬 ➤
Liked by xyz.00._. and others

yours_ronika_27 Contemplating what's better, the food, the pic or the one who clicked it. ♡♡

Comments
pri_teee.singhal Ooo, is it a date?
- yours_ronika_27 Aree- nahi nahi 🙈

xyz.00._. Lo hogaya confirm! It's the same café as @akshit_choudhary posted few days before.
- yours_ronika_27 no comments

random_girl_1 Wow Ronika! Great choice of café as well as guy.
- yours_ronika_27 stop teasing me 🙈🙈

'What the hell is happening???' I held my head which was spinning with a rate of 15km/hr.

♡

Sushi's note: Hey readers, hope you liked and enjoyed this chapter!

What is going to happen next?

Also, suggest a good song that will suit this ch.

Vote target: 25 (atleast)
Comments target: 5?

Keep on voting and commenting. And don't forget to take care of yourself and drink loads of water. Stay protected from this hot hot garmi.

With love
《Radhe Radhe》