🎵 Song: Nazar Na Lag Jaaye – Stree (Instrumental)

"Some stories begin with flowers.

Theirs began with a collision... and an argument."

Lunch break.

The corridors of St. Xavier's Senior Secondary School buzzed with laughter and chatter.

Students walked in groups, some rushing towards the canteen while others occupied every corner of the school with endless conversations.

Inside Class 11-A...

Mehak closed her lunchbox and stretched.

"I'm going to the library for a minute."

Aarohi nodded.

"Okay."

After finishing her lunch, Aarohi looked at her empty water bottle.

"I'll just fill this."

She quietly stepped out of the classroom.

The water cooler was located at the end of the senior wing corridor.

Luckily, there wasn't much of a crowd.

Aarohi smiled to herself.

"That's good."

She patiently filled her bottle while admiring the beautiful school garden visible through the corridor windows.

After closing the bottle, she turned around.

Without looking ahead...

She started walking back.

At the exact same moment...

Someone came around the corner from the opposite direction.

THUD!

Both of them collided.

"Oh!"

The bottle slipped from Aarohi's hand.

Before it could hit the floor...

A hand caught it mid-air.

Aarohi looked up.

And froze.

Standing before her...

wearing a carelessly loosened tie and an expression that screamed confidence...

was Reyansh Malhotra.

For a second...

Neither of them spoke.

Reyansh looked down at the tiny girl standing in front of him.

"Blue eyes..."

For some reason...

They caught his attention immediately.

He had never seen eyes that looked that... different.

Almost like the sea.

Aarohi quickly looked away.

"I-I'm sorry."

"You weren't looking where you were going."

Reyansh raised an eyebrow.

A small smirk appeared.

"I wasn't?"

Aarohi blinked.

"You came around the corner too fast."

"So now it's my fault?"

"You bumped into me."

"You bumped into me."

"You were walking carelessly."

"You were daydreaming."

"I wasn't!"

"Were too."

"I was not!"

Reyansh folded his arms.

"So we're arguing now?"

Aarohi realized she actually was.

She immediately became embarrassed.

"I... I didn't mean to."

Reyansh couldn't help chuckling.

"Cute."

But instead of saying it aloud, he casually twirled her water bottle in his hand.

"You know..."

"You should thank me."

Aarohi frowned.

"For what?"

"I saved your bottle."

He proudly held it up.

She looked at him in disbelief.

"You were the reason it almost fell."

"I also prevented it from falling."

"So technically..."

He shrugged dramatically.

"...you're welcome."

Aarohi stared at him for two seconds.

Then...

To Reyansh's complete surprise...

She smiled.

A tiny...

genuine...

beautiful smile.

"You argue a lot."

She said softly.

"And you're surprisingly stubborn."

Reyansh laughed.

"So are you."

For a brief moment...

The corridor felt strangely quiet.

"Reyansh!"

Arjun's voice echoed from the other end.

"There you are!"

He walked over.

"What are you doing?"

Reyansh casually handed Aarohi her bottle.

"Saving lives."

Arjun looked at the girl.

Then at Reyansh.

Then back at the girl.

"...By attacking juniors with water bottles?"

"I didn't attack anyone."

Aarohi couldn't stop herself.

"He bumped into me."

"I already proved you're guilty."

"You proved nothing."

"I proved everything."

"You just like arguing."

"So you've noticed already?"

She looked away to hide her smile.

"He's impossible."

Before anyone could continue...

A teacher walked into the corridor.

"What is happening here?"

Instant silence.

Reyansh immediately straightened.

"Nothing, ma'am."

The teacher looked at Aarohi.

"Which class?"

"11-A, ma'am."

She nodded.

"And you?"

She looked at Reyansh.

"10-B."

Aarohi blinked.

Class 10?

So...

He was actually her junior.

The teacher looked between them.

"Go back to your classes."

"Yes, ma'am."

As Aarohi started walking away...

She quietly repeated in her mind.

"He's in Class 10..."

"So he's younger than me."

She had expected many things.

But not this.

She had unknowingly developed a small crush...

on a junior.

Her cheeks warmed.

"Why does that feel so embarrassing?"

On the other side of the corridor...

Arjun looked at Reyansh with a grin.

"So..."

"What?"

"You were arguing with an eleventh grader."

"So?"

Arjun crossed his arms.

"You know what that means?"

Reyansh frowned.

"What?"

"She's your senior."

Silence.

A full five seconds of silence.

Reyansh processed the information.

Then...

"What?"

Arjun burst into laughter.

"Congratulations."

"The great Reyansh Malhotra just argued with his senior."

Reyansh looked genuinely offended.

"No way."

"Yes way."

"You're lying."

"The teacher literally said she's from 11-A."

Reyansh rubbed his forehead.

"This can't be happening."

Arjun laughed even harder.

"The mighty king of the juniors."

"Defeated by one class."

"I wasn't defeated."

"You called your senior stubborn."

"She is stubborn."

"You argued with your senior."

"She argued first."

"You enjoyed it."

"..."

"You enjoyed it."

Reyansh stayed silent.

Arjun's smile widened.

"I knew it."

Reyansh sighed dramatically.

"My ego has officially been insulted."

Arjun patted his shoulder.

"Stay strong."

"It's only one year."

"One year is still one year."

"And she's shorter than me!"

Arjun laughed so loudly that nearby students turned to look at them.

Reyansh shook his head.

"This is unfair."

"She's tiny."

"How is she my senior?"

Meanwhile...

Back inside Class 11-A...

Aarohi sat quietly at her desk.

Mehak noticed her thoughtful expression.

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

"You don't look like 'nothing.'"

Aarohi hesitated before speaking.

"I accidentally bumped into someone."

"Oh?"

"Who?"

Aarohi looked down at her notebook.

"...Reyansh Malhotra."

Mehak's eyes widened.

"Already?"

Aarohi nodded slowly.

"He... wasn't what I expected."

"What do you mean?"

"He argued with me."

Mehak blinked.

"And?"

"...He made me smile."

Mehak stared at her for a moment before sighing dramatically.

"Oh no."

"What?"

"I have a feeling your peaceful school life is officially over."

Aarohi laughed softly.

Little did either of them know...

This playful argument in the corridor...

would become one of their favorite memories years later.

Because sometimes...

Love doesn't begin with a confession.

It begins with a collision...

and two stubborn people refusing to admit who was actually at fault.

End of Chapter 6 💙✨