🎵 Song: Mast Magan – 2 States (Instrumental)

"Age can make someone a senior...

But height?

Height follows its own rules."

The next morning...

The memory of the previous night's balcony conversation refused to leave either of them.

Inside the Sharma house...

Aarohi stood in front of the mirror, buttoning the cuffs of her school shirt.

Her neatly ironed Class 11 uniform looked perfect.

She tied her hair into a high ponytail.

But every now and then...

Her mind drifted back.

"This version of my senior is better."

"Someone much cuter appears."

She quickly shook her head.

"Why do I keep remembering that?"

Just then—

"Didi!"

Anaya barged into the room.

"You're smiling!"

Aarohi immediately became flustered.

"I-I'm not."

"You are."

"I'm just thinking about school."

"Mmm-hmm."

Anaya gave her a suspicious look before grinning.

"I believe you."

The teasing in her voice made Aarohi narrow her eyes.

"You don't."

"I don't."

Both sisters laughed.

Across the street...

Kabir entered Reyansh's room without knocking.

"Bhai!"

"Hmm?"

"You've been standing in front of the mirror for five minutes."

"I'm combing my hair."

"You never comb your hair."

"I do."

"You don't."

Reyansh threw a small towel at him.

"Get out."

Kabir caught it effortlessly.

"You smiled again."

"I didn't."

"You did."

"I think you need glasses."

Kabir laughed and ran out of the room.

A little later...

The school campus buzzed with its usual energy.

Students filled the corridors before the first bell.

Aarohi and Mehak were walking toward their classroom while discussing homework.

"So..."

Mehak smiled mischievously.

"Any new neighbour stories?"

Aarohi immediately knew what she meant.

"No."

"Nothing happened."

"Really?"

"Really."

She conveniently decided not to mention the balcony conversation.

After two classes...

The recess bell rang.

Students poured into the corridors once again.

Mehak remembered she had to submit a notebook to another teacher.

"I'll be back in two minutes."

"Wait here."

"Okay."

Aarohi nodded.

She stood near the notice board, quietly reading the upcoming inter-house competition schedule.

"Senior."

The now familiar voice made her sigh.

Without even turning around, she smiled faintly.

"What now?"

Reyansh walked over with Arjun beside him.

He stopped in front of her.

"What?"

"No 'Good morning'?"

She looked at him.

"Good morning."

"There."

"Much better."

Arjun chuckled.

"I'll go get my notebook."

"I'll meet you downstairs."

He deliberately walked away, leaving the two alone.

Reyansh folded his arms.

"You know..."

Aarohi immediately became alert.

Whenever he started a sentence with those words...

Trouble followed.

"What?"

"I realized something yesterday."

She frowned.

"What?"

He looked at her from head to toe.

Very dramatically.

Then back at her face.

"What are you doing?"

She asked, confused.

"I'm checking."

"Checking what?"

"If you've grown overnight."

Aarohi blinked.

"...What?"

He nodded seriously.

"I don't think you have."

She stared at him.

"I wasn't planning to."

He couldn't stop smiling.

"You know..."

"You may be older than me..."

He paused intentionally.

"...but you're still tiny."

Aarohi looked down at herself.

Then at him.

Then frowned.

"I'm not tiny."

"You are."

"I'm average."

"For Class 8 maybe."

She gasped dramatically.

"Excuse me?"

He laughed.

"I'm joking."

"You don't sound like you're joking."

"I am."

"You definitely aren't."

Just then...

A group of students walked past them.

One of the boys accidentally brushed against Aarohi while hurrying through the corridor.

Before she could lose her balance...

Reyansh instinctively held her elbow for a second.

"You okay?"

She nodded.

"Yes."

He let go immediately.

Then looked at her again.

"See?"

"What?"

"If you were taller..."

"People would notice you."

Aarohi folded her arms.

"So now my height is the problem?"

"It is."

"It isn't."

"It definitely is."

She narrowed her eyes.

"You're impossible."

"I've heard that before."

She looked around.

Then suddenly stood on the slightly raised edge of the corridor step.

Now...

They were almost the same height.

She smiled triumphantly.

"There."

"I'm taller now."

Reyansh looked at the step beneath her feet.

Then back at her.

"Oh."

"So we're using cheating now?"

"I'm using available resources."

He laughed.

"I'll remember that."

"You should."

He took one step closer.

Now that she was standing on the raised platform...

Their faces were almost at eye level.

For a brief second...

Neither of them spoke.

Then...

Reyansh casually stepped onto the same platform.

He was taller again.

Aarohi looked at him in disbelief.

"That's unfair."

He shrugged innocently.

"I also used available resources."

She couldn't help laughing.

"You're unbelievable."

"I know."

At the end of the corridor...

Mehak had returned.

She stopped walking after witnessing the entire exchange.

A smile slowly appeared on her face.

"So..."

she muttered to herself.

"They're comparing heights now."

She quietly decided not to interrupt.

Instead...

She simply watched her shy best friend laughing more freely than she had ever seen before.

On the floor below...

Kabir had come to submit a notebook to one of his teachers.

By complete coincidence...

He looked up toward the first-floor corridor.

His eyes widened.

"Bhai is teasing Aarohi Didi again."

He smiled proudly.

"Operation Cupid..."

"No work today."

"They're handling everything themselves."

The school bell rang once more.

Students began returning to their classrooms.

Aarohi stepped down from the platform and adjusted her bag.

"I have class."

Reyansh nodded.

"So do I."

She started walking away.

Then stopped.

Without turning around, she smiled softly.

"...Bye."

He smiled too.

"Bye..."

He paused just long enough to tease her one last time.

"...Tiny Senior."

Aarohi froze.

She turned around with an adorable glare.

"I'm not tiny!"

Reyansh laughed.

"You'll always be Tiny Senior."

Before she could argue again...

He had already started walking away with a grin.

Leaving Aarohi standing in the corridor...

Muttering to herself,

"...I'm not tiny."

But the smile on her face betrayed her completely.

End of Chapter 18 💙📏