🎵 Song: Nazm Nazm – Bareilly Ki Barfi (Instrumental)

"Some conversations last only a few seconds...

Yet they stay in your mind for days."

Three school days passed.

Three football practice sessions.

Three victories for Reyansh's team.

And...

Three successful days of Aarohi's punishment.

Day Three...

The final whistle echoed across the football field.

Reyansh's team had won yet again.

The crowd clapped enthusiastically as the players shook hands.

Aarohi, sitting faithfully in the front row, let out a small sigh.

"Again..."

Mehak nudged her shoulder.

"You know what you have to do."

Aarohi gave her a helpless look.

"I know."

"You've memorized it by now."

"I wish I hadn't."

Mehak laughed.

"Go on."

"The winner is waiting."

Just as expected...

Reyansh was standing near the exit of the ground with his hands in his pockets.

The moment he saw Aarohi approaching...

A victorious smile appeared on his face.

"Right on time."

Aarohi folded her arms.

"I only came because of the bet."

"I know."

"So don't smile like that."

"I can't help it."

She rolled her eyes.

"So?"

He looked at her expectantly.

"My compliment?"

She sighed dramatically.

Looked him in the eyes for barely a second and muttered,

"...You were amazing."

He leaned closer.

"Hmm?"

She frowned.

"I said it."

"You whispered it."

"I don't have to shout."

"I'd appreciate a little enthusiasm."

She looked at him in disbelief.

"This punishment keeps getting upgraded."

He laughed.

"I never changed the rules."

"You keep inventing new ones."

"It's a talent."

She shook her head.

"You're impossible."

"And yet..."

He smiled.

"...you still came."

Aarohi had no answer.

She simply turned around.

"I'm leaving."

"See you tomorrow, Tiny Senior."

She didn't turn back.

But...

A tiny smile still found its way onto her face.

Saturday Evening

The school was closed for the weekend.

The Sharma house was unusually quiet.

Rajeev had gone out with Vikram for an old friends' dinner.

Nandini and Meera were chatting over a video call about an upcoming family function.

Anaya had gone downstairs to play badminton with Kabir.

For the first time in days...

Aarohi was completely alone.

She stepped out onto her balcony with a cup of hot chocolate.

The evening breeze gently played with her open hair.

The sky had turned shades of orange and pink.

It should have been peaceful.

Instead...

Her thoughts wandered.

"You're only allowed to cheer for one football captain..."

She remembered his whisper.

"Me."

Her fingers tightened slightly around the mug.

Then another memory surfaced.

"Don't cheer too loudly for Class 11..."

"I'll only play harder to impress you."

She immediately shook her head.

"What am I doing?"

She sighed softly.

"Why do I keep remembering everything he says?"

She looked across the street.

The balcony opposite hers was empty.

No Reyansh.

No teasing.

No smirk.

No annoying comments.

It was strangely...

Quiet.

Too quiet.

Inside her room...

Her phone buzzed.

It was a message from Mehak.

Mehak:
Tell me honestly.

Aarohi smiled.

Aarohi:
About what?

A reply came almost instantly.

Mehak:
Have you started liking talking to Reyansh?

Aarohi stared at the screen.

Her fingers hovered above the keyboard.

Then she typed—

No.

She looked at the message.

Deleted it.

Typed again—

He's just annoying.

Deleted that too.

Finally...

She locked her phone without replying.

"See?"

she muttered to herself.

"I can't even answer."

Just then...

The balcony door opposite hers slid open.

Reyansh walked outside wearing a simple black T-shirt and grey track pants.

His hair was slightly wet, as if he had just showered after football practice.

Without realizing it...

Aarohi looked up at exactly the same moment.

Their eyes met.

For a few seconds...

Neither of them spoke.

The distance between the balconies wasn't very large.

They could clearly see each other.

Reyansh smiled first.

He lifted the bottle of juice in his hand slightly.

A silent greeting.

Aarohi smiled shyly.

She lifted her mug in return.

A silent reply.

No teasing.

No jokes.

No punishment.

Just...

A quiet moment.

After a few seconds...

Reyansh called out softly,

"No football today."

Aarohi smiled.

"So..."

"No punishment today either."

He pretended to think.

"Hmm..."

"That's unfortunate."

She laughed.

"I think it's peaceful."

He placed a hand dramatically over his heart.

"My Senior just rejected spending time with me."

"I said no such thing."

"You implied it."

"I didn't."

"You did."

She smiled helplessly.

"There you go again."

For a while...

They simply stood there.

Talking about random things.

School assignments.

Upcoming unit tests.

Favorite chocolates.

Kabir and Anaya's endless mischief.

Nothing important.

Yet somehow...

The conversation felt easy.

Comfortable.

As the sky slowly darkened...

Nandini called from inside,

"Aarohi!"

"Dinner!"

"I'm coming!"

She looked back at Reyansh.

"I have to go."

He nodded.

"Okay."

She smiled.

"Bye."

"Bye..."

He grinned.

"...Tiny Senior."

She laughed.

"I've given up correcting you."

"Good."

"I wasn't planning to stop."

She shook her head with a smile before going inside.

Standing alone on his balcony...

Reyansh watched the balcony door close.

A small smile stayed on his face.

He looked toward the now-empty balcony and quietly murmured,

"...See you on Monday, Senior."

Across the street...

Inside her room...

Aarohi unconsciously smiled as she unpacked her school bag.

She didn't even realize...

That for the last three days...

The most memorable part of each school day...

Hadn't been the football matches.

It had been the conversations that followed them.

End of Chapter 27 💙🌊