Indhu's POV
The next day felt like my life was being slowly crushed by a textbook.
Every class turned into a lecture about the future.
10th. Boards. Career. Life.
It was all… too much.
I was physically present in the classroom, but my mind was elsewhere.
Food. Cakes. Chocolate.
Anything that wasn't exams.
Finally, the long-awaited bell rang — my favorite sound in the entire school.
"YEAH! LUNCH BREAK!" Charlotte screamed as she stormed out.
I sighed in relief and started walking when I heard whispers in the corridor — from the lower classes.
"Did you hear?" one junior said.
"They crowned someone queen yesterday."
"Of… digestion?" another added in disbelief.
My cheeks heated up.
By the time I walked into the classroom, half the class was already humming a royal tune.
"All hail Her Majesty!" Rohan declared, bowing exaggeratedly.
I groaned. "I regret everything."
Swetha smirked. "Too late, Your Highness. Your empire has begun."
Charlotte pulled out a piece of chalk and scribbled on the blackboard:
ROYAL DIGESTIVE COURT
She pointed at Aditya. "You. Silent knight of the pancreas. Guard the queen."
Aditya shook his head with a small laugh, but he played along anyway, crossing his arms and standing beside my bench like a loyal guard.
The whole class erupted again, turning the joke into a mini-drama.
One boy shouted loudly, "When's the royal feast?"
Rohan immediately raised a packet of chips. "Here! Brought from the stomach chamber."
Even the teacher, entering late, saw the chaos and muttered, "This class needs an actual digestion tablet."
And just like that, the legend of the Digestive Kingdom refused to die.
When school finally ended, I felt like I was released from a prison.
(Though it was technically just school.)
As I reached home, my phone rang.
V5 group call.
Of course.
We always had nothing to do.
And we always found a way to turn boredom into chaos.
This time, the plan was different.
We wanted to go to a nearby carnival.
But convincing our parents took almost a day.
They finally agreed — after a long list of rules, warnings, and conditions.
I smiled to myself.
It felt like our lives were finally getting a little lighter again.
And maybe… just maybe… the carnival would be another memory that would stay with us forever.