Indhu's POV
It was a Friday evening, and the school had organized a lively food festival for the ninth grade. The corridors buzzed with chatter as students wandered around, deciding what to try next.
Inside the classroom, Charlotte, Indhu, Swetha, Aditya, and Rohan were enjoying their purchases. Swetha had just unwrapped a chocolate when I playfully snatched it from her hand.
"Let's see if you can find whose hands this chocolate ends up in!" I teased.
I tossed it to Aditya, who quickly passed it to Rohan. Rohan handed it to Charlotte, and the cycle kept going. Swetha spun around in confusion, trying to keep track of her chocolate, while my friends laughed at her frantic guesses.
Eventually, she calmed down, and Charlotte reassured her.
"Don't worry. Let's find out," Charlotte said with a smile.
Swetha guessed correctly and the moment became a lighthearted memory in our day.
Later, during lunchtime, I went back to the classroom to collect the lunchboxes for our group so we could eat on the ground floor. The room was empty. I quickly gathered all five lunchboxes and headed for the door.
Just outside, Leonore walked in.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Just picking up something," I replied before walking away.
When the class returned from lunch, Leonore was in the staff room, crying to the teacher. She reported that ₹2000 had gone missing.
The teacher asked her to explain.
Leonore revealed that she had brought the money to pay for her workbooks from the social teacher and had kept it in her purse inside her desk. When she returned after lunch, it was gone.
"Was there anyone else in the classroom during lunch?" the teacher asked.
"Only Indhu," Leonore answered quickly. "I saw her coming out just before I entered. I think she took it."
My heart sank.
I was called to the staff room.
I explained that I had only been there to collect my and my friends' lunchboxes and denied taking the money. But Leonore insisted I was guilty.
The teacher pressed further.
"Why did you go to pick them up during lunch? You could've done it earlier."
Before I could answer, Aditya and Swetha stepped in.
"I told her to," Aditya admitted. "We had PT in the last period before lunch, so we couldn't get our lunchboxes. I asked Indhu to collect them and bring them to the ground."
Swetha added, "Mam, please believe her. She wouldn't steal. Of course Indhu wouldn't steal!"
The teacher nodded but remained cautious.
"Alright. We can't confirm anything yet. Go back to class, all of you. Leonore, make sure you check your bag once again."
Back in the classroom, I saw Charlotte and Rohan asking everyone to check their bags and desks.
The weight of whispers and rumors spread through the room like a dark cloud.
By the end of the day, Swetha, Charlotte, Rohan, and Aditya told me, "We'll meet you at the gate," before rushing off somewhere.
I felt abandoned.
Ijust couldnt help but feel Why does the universe always choose me to break? I didn't do anything to deserve this—yet everything is falling apart. My family, my life, my friends… all shattered because of one lie. And I'm left standing in the ruins, wondering what I did wrong.
Slowly, I walked toward the gate, wondering if I should go back to the class and check again. Maybe the money purse would be there.
Then I heard faint noises behind the school block, in the ground area.
Curious, I went to check—and froze.
There, huddled together, were my four friends and our class teacher, checking the PT locker, thinking Leonore had kept the money there and was blaming me.
My chest tightened.
When Charlotte saw me, she said, "Indhu, what are you doing here?"
I was about to cry when Swetha and Charlotte ran and hugged me. Rohan and Aditya stood beside us, smiling.
"Despite the rumors, we always believe you," they said.
The teacher watched us with a smile on her face. She tapped on my shoulder like , she was saying evetything will be ok.
I felt something in my heart shift. For the first time, I didn't feel alone.
The Next Morning
Rohan turned to Leonore. "Leonore… are you sure you didn't take anything?" he asked.
Leonore frowned. "Are you blaming me? I just helped the class. Here—check my bag if you want."
She was nervous and refused to let anyone near her bag. She started sweating.
Finally, Swetha had enough.
She grabbed Leonore's bag forcefully. Charlotte stopped Leonore from pulling it back.
Swetha began emptying the books onto the desk.
Then, when she tapped the bag upside down, Leonore's purse slipped out from between the books.
Everyone stared.
It was the missing ₹2000.
Shock filled the room.
Leonore realized she had been caught. She tried to make excuses, but nothing worked. Even her friends couldn't believe her.
Rohan and Aditya glared at her.
When our class teacher found out, she urged Leonore to apologize to me.
At first, Leonore refused.
But later, as the entire class watched, she finally turned to me and said, "I'm sorry."
Even the classmates couldn't stop scolding her.
It became clear that Leonore had intentionally tried to trap me. She succeeded in trapping me once… but she didn't expect to get caught.
She was punished by the teacher.
It was a heartfelt moment.
The tension melted away.
I finally felt relief.
I smiled, thinking:
When someone asks why I'm friends with them, I can boldly say the things they did today.
I could feel their love—real love—the kind I never felt before.
My cheeks were wet.
But this time, they weren't tears of sadness.
They were tears of gratitude.