The next morning at St. Aurora High School felt normal.
Too normal.
Students laughed, groups gathered, gossip filled the air… as if nothing unusual had ever happened.
But for Kabir Sharma, everything had changed.
He walked into class quietly, his eyes automatically searching for her.
Aarya Singhania.
She was already there.
Sitting by the window.
Same posture.
Same cold expression.
Like yesterday never happened.
Like those tears… never existed.
Kabir slowly took his seat at the back.
His heart felt heavy.
"Was I imagining it?" he thought.
But no.
He clearly remembered.
That broken version of her…
That pain…
It was real.
As if sensing his gaze, Aarya suddenly looked toward him.
Their eyes met.
For a second…
Kabir felt frozen.
But Aarya's expression didn't change.
Cold.
Sharp.
Distant.
She simply looked away.
Like he didn't matter.
But Kabir noticed something others couldn't.
Her fingers were tightly clenched.
She was tense.
And that was enough for him to realize—
"She remembers."
The class began, but Kabir couldn't focus.
His mind kept replaying her words.
"You shouldn't have seen this."
Why?
What was she hiding?
Why did someone like her cry like that?
And most importantly…
Why did it feel like he was now part of something he didn't understand?
During lunch break, the usual crowd gathered around Aarya.
Not as friends.
But as people who wanted attention.
Or approval.
Or just… to be seen by her.
A boy from senior class stepped forward confidently.
"Aarya, can we talk?"
She didn't even look at him.
"No."
"Just five minutes—"
"I said no."
Her tone was enough to shut him down instantly.
He left awkwardly.
Others whispered.
Kabir watched everything silently.
But this time…
He didn't feel fear.
He felt… frustration.
"Why does she push everyone away like this?" he thought.
Without thinking much…
He stood up.
And started walking toward her.
The entire class noticed.
"Wait… isn't that Kabir?"
"That loser?"
"What is he doing…?"
Whispers spread quickly.
Kabir's steps slowed for a second.
His confidence almost broke.
But then…
He remembered her crying.
And something inside him pushed him forward.
He stopped in front of her desk.
Aarya looked up.
Slightly annoyed.
"What?"
Kabir hesitated.
Then spoke softly.
"Can we… talk?"
The class went silent.
Some students even started recording secretly.
Because this…
Was about to be interesting.
Aarya stared at him for a moment.
Then leaned back slightly.
"You didn't understand yesterday?"
Kabir swallowed.
"I just want to—"
"You're wasting your time."
Her voice was calm.
But cutting.
"Go back to your seat."
Kabir didn't move.
"I know what I saw."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Aarya's eyes sharpened instantly.
The atmosphere changed.
Dangerously.
"Say that again."
Kabir felt a chill run down his spine.
But he didn't step back.
"I know you're not like this… all the time."
For the first time…
Aarya stood up.
Slowly.
Her presence alone made the air heavy.
She walked closer to him.
Now just inches away.
"You think you know me?"
Kabir couldn't speak.
Her eyes…
They weren't just angry.
They were warning him.
"Listen carefully." she said in a low voice.
"Whatever you saw… forget it."
Kabir shook his head slightly.
"I can't."
That was it.
Aarya's patience snapped.
"Then suffer."
Those two words…
They didn't sound like a threat.
They sounded like a truth.
Something unavoidable.
Something real.
Kabir felt confused.
"Suffer…? What does that even mean?"
But before he could ask anything—
Aarya stepped back and sat down.
"Get lost."
This time…
Kabir slowly turned and walked back to his seat.
The whispers started again.
"Bro got destroyed…"
"As expected…"
But Kabir didn't hear any of it.
Because his mind was stuck on one thing—
"Then suffer."
Why did it feel like…
She wasn't trying to hurt him…
But trying to warn him?