7 YEARS AGO

The auditorium of Mount Hills High was packed with students. The air buzzed with excitement as everyone awaited the announcement of the new admissions. The grand stage, decorated with blue and gold banners, bore the school’s motto in bold letters:

"Rise, Shine, Conquer."

A large digital screen behind the stage displayed:

"Welcome, Freshers! Wishing You a Great Journey Ahead!"

Mount Hills High only admitted new students in Grade 5, Grade 9, and Grade 11 based on the seats available. With 4,000 students equally divided between boys and girls, admission was based on a highly competitive entrance exam.

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The grand auditorium of their school buzzed with excitement. The stage was brightly lit, and the ceremony for the new Head Boy and Head Girl was in full swing. Students sat in neat rows, murmuring among themselves, while the teachers observed everything from the front.

Just then, three figures slipped through the back doors—Aarya ( maroon thigh length frock that hugged her figure perfectly, accentuating her curves.....Her dark brown hair was styled half up, tied with a delicate bow, while the rest cascaded down her back in soft waves and sleek black heels )

Prerna ( a beige cropped tank top that showed off her toned midriff, paired with black hot shorts and black shoes....Her hair was left open, falling naturally around her face )

Yashika ( a white off-shoulder top that elegantly revealed her collarbones, tucked neatly into blue hot shorts and white sneakers...Her hair was tied up in a cute half-bun) . They moved quickly, trying to avoid catching any unnecessary attention.

But Prerna was fuming.

As they found a spot near the back, she crossed her arms and shot daggers at Aarya and Yashika. "You two are unbelievable," she hissed under her breath. "Because of your makeup obsession, we missed the admission announcements! We don’t even know who the new students in our class are!"

Aarya, trying to appear innocent, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Oh, come on, Prerna. It’s not like we missed the whole event. The Head Boy and Head Girl ceremony is still happening."

"Yeah, plus, look at Aarya," Yashika added, nudging Prerna. "Doesn’t she look extra pretty today?"

Prerna rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. You both were fixing your eyeliner for twenty minutes! TWENTY!"

Aarya leaned in with a smirk. "Fifteen, actually."

Prerna glared harder. "That’s NOT the point!"

Yashika pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh. "Alright, alright, we’re sorry. But honestly, who even cares about the admission announcements? They’ll be in our class anyway. We’ll find out soon enough."

Prerna exhaled sharply and looked away. "You two are impossible."

Aarya and Yashika exchanged amused glances, doing their best to suppress their giggles. Meanwhile, the ceremony continued, but Prerna was still sulking.

Just then, a familiar voice echoed across the auditorium. "And now, I’d like to welcome our new Head Boy and Head Girl to the stage!"

The crowd clapped enthusiastically.

Aarya nudged Prerna lightly. "Come on, at least enjoy this part."

Prerna sighed. "Fine. But I’m still mad at you both."

Yashika grinned. "Noted, Miss Always-Punctual."

And with that, the three of them turned their attention toward the stage, though Prerna still threw the occasional glare at her two best friends.

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The ceremony had finally ended, and the students spilled out of the auditorium, stretching and chatting as they made their way to the lunch area. The backyard had been transformed into a charming dining space, with rows of tables placed under elegant white tents to shield everyone from the harsh sunlight. A soft breeze rustled the tent fabric, and the scent of freshly cooked food filled the air.

Aarya, Prerna, and Yashika walked toward the lunch area, deep in conversation. Aarya, however, was slightly behind, busy adjusting the bracelet on her wrist while still talking to the other two.

“I still can’t believe we missed the admission announcements,” Prerna grumbled.

Yashika smirked. “Oh, let it go, Prerna. You’re acting like we missed the declaration of war or something.”

Aarya chuckled and was about to add something when—

Thud!

She collided into something—or rather, someone.

Aarya barely had time to react before she felt herself losing balance. Her heels slid slightly on the smooth grass, and she was about to hit the ground when a strong hand gripped her wrist, stopping her fall.

Her eyes widened as she found herself staring into deep brown eyes, belonging to a boy she hadn’t even noticed before.

She blinked, momentarily stunned. The boy had a phone in his other hand, and it was clear he had been on a call when they collided.

The boy simply gave a small nod, his expression unreadable, before turning around and walking away without another word.

Aarya stared at his retreating figure for a second, then scoffed under her breath. “Rude.”

Prerna and Yashika exchanged amused glances before Yashika grinned. “Well, that was interesting.”

Aarya shot them a glare. “Oh, shut up.”

But as they continued walking toward the lunch area, she found herself stealing one last glance at the boy, even if she wouldn’t admit it.

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The backyard buzzed with laughter and conversation as students enjoyed their meals under the white tents. Aarya, Prerna, and Yashika sat together, eating while chatting about the decorations.

“I have to say,” Prerna commented, poking at her food with her fork, “the decoration was nice, but those drapes at the entrance were a disaster.”

Aarya nodded. “Exactly! I was just telling them that earlier.”

Yashika rolled her eyes. “You two are impossible. Who even notices drapes when there’s free food?”

Just then, a boy pulled out a chair near them and sat down with his plate.

“Talking about decorations already?” he asked, a teasing smile playing on his lips.

The girls turned to look at him. His dark grey eyes had a sharp, knowing glint, his black hair was neatly set, and just below his right eye was a tiny, barely noticeable mark. That, combined with his small but effortlessly charming smile, made him stand out.

Sahil Malhotra.

Age: 17

Height: 5'11

Hometown: Ludhiana

Family:

Mother: Housewife

Father: Businessman (Textile)

Elder brother: working with father

A small, familiar smile was on his face as he greeted them.

Their friend since ninth grade.

“Sahil!” Yashika grinned. “Look who finally decided to sit with us.”

Sahil smirked. “Oh, come on, I was just caught up answering dumb questions from juniors about the ceremony.”

Prerna raised an eyebrow. “You? Answering juniors? Sounds fake.”

Sahil shrugged. “Fine, I ignored them. Happy?”

Aarya chuckled. “Very.”

Sahil grinned. “Anyway, how were your vacations?”

Yashika lit up. “I went to Ahmedabad! The food was amazing, and the markets? Absolute heaven.”

Prerna shook her head. “She hasn’t shut up about it since she came back.”

Yashika pouted. “Hey! I had a great time, okay?”

Sahil turned to Aarya. “And you?”

Aarya shrugged. “I was just at home, spending time with family, watching some shows.”

Sahil smirked. “Basically, you lived in pajamas?”

Aarya rolled her eyes. “Maybe.”

He turned to Prerna. “And you?”

Prerna sighed. “Same. Just home, dealing with my siblings, and avoiding unnecessary socializing.”

Sahil chuckled. “So, in short, Yashika had the only exciting break?”

Yashika flipped her hair dramatically. “Obviously.”

The conversation flowed effortlessly as they ate, catching up on everything they had missed over the break. Sahil took a sip of his juice before casually mentioning, “By the way, my old roommates left school after 10th.”

Aarya raised an eyebrow. “Wait, both of them?”

Sahil nodded. “Yeah. One shifted to Kota for JEE prep, and the other’s family relocated.”

Prerna smirked. “Finally! You got rid of those noisy guys.”

Sahil chuckled. “Honestly, yeah. They were fun, but our room was always a mess.”

Yashika leaned forward. “So, do you have new roommates now?”

“Yeah, but that’s not the interesting part.” Sahil smirked, looking directly at them.

Aarya narrowed her eyes. “What is the interesting part?”

Sahil leaned back in his chair. “My new room’s balcony…” he paused for effect, “faces yours.”

The three girls froze for a second before Yashika gasped. “Wait—WHAT?!”

Sahil grinned. “Yep. My balcony is right across from yours. So, I have a direct view of all the nonsense you three do.”

Prerna groaned. “Oh god, we’re doomed.”

Aarya crossed her arms. “Great. Now we can’t even have our peaceful late-night gossip sessions without being spied on.”

Sahil laughed. “Hey, I never said I’d spy! But if you keep the curtains open, I might just accidentally witness your secret dance rehearsals.”

Yashika threw a napkin at him. “Ugh, now we’ll have to be extra careful!”

Sahil smirked. “Or you could just accept your fate.”

Prerna shook her head. “This is unfair. You’ll get to see all the embarrassing stuff we do, but what do we get?”

Sahil winked. “A charming view of me, of course.”

Aarya scoffed. “Oh, please.”

Yashika , still processing the balcony situation, crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at Sahil. “Alright, enough about our balcony. What about your new roommates? Who are they?”

Sahil leaned back in his chair. “They’re new students. Just joined this session.”

Yashika raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Are they fun or as boring as you?”

Sahil smirked. “Why don’t you judge for yourself? I’ll call them here.” He pulled out his phone and quickly sent a message.

Prerna tapped her fingers on the table. “New students, huh? We wouldn’t have missed their introductions if Aarya and Yashika weren’t fixing their eyeliner.”

Aarya groaned. “Are you still on that?”

Yashika waved her off. “More importantly, Sahil, do they know about your annoying habits yet?”

Sahil gasped dramatically. “Excuse me? What annoying habits?”

Aarya smirked. “Oh, you know… talking back, unnecessary sarcasm, always finding a way to tease us—”

Yashika added, “—stealing snacks, acting like a know-it-all—”

Prerna nodded. “—and let’s not forget his dramatic entrances.”

Sahil shook his head in fake disappointment. “Wow. This is slander. My new roommates are lucky to have me.”

Prerna rolled her eyes. “Let’s see if we are lucky to have them.”

Just then, Sahil’s phone buzzed, and he glanced at the screen. “They’re on their way.”

Aarya raised an eyebrow. “Alright then. Let’s meet these ‘lucky’ guys.”

Yashika grinned. “And let’s hope they can tolerate you.”

Sahil smirked. “Oh, trust me. They should be hoping to survive you three.”

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The four of them continued eating, their conversation flowing naturally between teasing and catching up.Sahil took a bite of his food when his eyes suddenly caught sight of two figures approaching from behind the girls.“There they are,” he said casually, nodding in their direction.

Aarya, Prerna, and Yashika paused mid-bite.

Prerna frowned. “Behind us?”

Sahil nodded again. “Yep. Heading this way.”

As they turned their heads, their eyes finally landed on the two boys approaching them.