𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐐 𝐇𝐀𝐈 ✓

3. HEARTBREAK

I looked over, and to my immense relief, it was Neil.

He wasted no time and swiftly snatched my phone back from the creep's hand.

"Or what? We could break your bones and then call the police," Neil retorted, his voice firm and unwavering.

Panicked, the creep made a hasty retreat, disappearing into the crowd.

Neil turned towards me and handed me my phone with a reassuring smile.

"Hey? You're from section A, right?" Kabir, one of Neil's friends, asked me.

I nodded in confirmation, still processing the sudden turn of events.

"Guys, do you know her?" Kabir inquired, directing the question to Neil and his friends.

"Of course, Sunaina Mathur, the topper," Neil replied smoothly, his words causing my heart to skip a beat. He knew my name!

"Then am I the only stupid one? I never saw her" Dev chimed in, eliciting chuckles from all of us.

"It's late. Let me drop you girls?" Neil offered, his gesture of kindness catching me off guard.

"No, ac..." Chitra began, but I quickly cut her off.

"Thank you," I interjected, my voice filled with gratitude as Neil nodded in acknowledgment.

With that, he started walking,and we followed closely behind him.

"Why were you spoiling such a good opportunity?" I asked Chitra, unable to hide my disappointment.

"Sorry," she replied sheepishly, and I nodded, accepting her apology.

"So, you guys live together?" Neil inquired, breaking the awkward silence.

"Kind of, our parents were childhood best friends, so our houses are just two minutes apart," Chitra explained, and Neil nodded in understanding.

I had been waiting for this moment forever, and now that I finally had the chance to talk to him, I found myself unable to form a coherent sentence.

We settled into the car, and as we started to drive, Neil suddenly spoke up.

"By the way, what were you doing there?" he asked, his curiosity evident.

"We went for the movie," Chitra replied casually.

"Oh, nice! Which one?" Neil inquired, his interest piqued.

"Same as yours," I blurted out, instantly cursing myself. What did I just say?

"Woah, you saw us?" Dev chimed in, surprise evident in his voice, and I nodded in confirmation.

"Yeah," I replied, feeling a mix of embarrassment and excitement as Neil nodded in acknowledgment.

"How unfortunate that we're meeting just one month before school ends" Dev remarked, voicing the bittersweet reality of our impending farewell.

As the conversation lingered in the air, I couldn't help but reflect on the fleeting nature of time.

Just one more month, and then pre-boards, practical exams, farewell, and finally, the board exams.

Neil dropped us off and drove away, leaving me with a whirlwind of emotions and memories of our brief encounter.
__________

(2 months later)

Skipping ahead to the Hindi practical exam, we girls found ourselves engrossed in a discussion about the upcoming farewell.

"I have to look good for my boyfriend," Parineeti declared confidently.

"Boyfriend? Who is he?" Chitra inquired curiously.