📘 Chapter 11 — “Closer Than Yesterday”
Next day school unusually bright lag raha tha.
Ishika ko pata nahi kyu, par aaj subah uthte hi uska mood halka tha…
shayad kal Sohail ka woh calm, protective behaviour uske mind me still warm glow de raha tha.
Bas ek problem—
jaise hi usne corridor enter kiya,
ek group of girls slow whispering kar rahi thi.
“Woh dekho… Sohail uske saath.”
“Kal terrace pe bhi dono saath the na?”
“Aaj kal quite close lagte hain…”
Ishika instantly blush ho gayi.
Great. Rumors already started.
Par jaise hi woh aage badhi,
Sohail ka voice peeche se aaya:
“Ishika.”
Woh murti, toh dekhti reh gayi.
Sohail aaj unusual lag raha tha—
white hoodie, black backpack, hair slightly messy,
but that calm aura still making him look…
different.
More mature.
More attractive.
“Wait,” woh bola,
aur bina hesitation uske bag ka chain close kiya
jo she forgot to zip.
Ishika shock + embarrassed.
“Main… woh… dekh nahi paayi.”
Sohail ne ek soft teasing smile di.
“Tumhe bohot cheezein nahi dikh rahi aaj-kal.”
Ishika ka face red.
“Matlab?”
Sohail ne seedhe aankhon me dekh kar bola,
“Matlab… you look distracted.”
Woh aisa casually bol raha tha
jaise yeh koi normal baat ho.
Par Ishika ka dil?
Full panic mode.
📌 Cute Moment #1 — Cafeteria Scene
Break me Sohail normally basketball court me hota hai,
par aaj woh cafeteria me Ishika ke table par hi aa gaya.
Dipti surprised.
Ishika frozen.
Sohail ne calmly bola,
“I’m sitting here. Tum dono busy ho kya?”
Dipti ne awkwardly smile kiya.
“Uh… no, sit.”
Sohail ne tray rakh kar Ishika ki taraf packet slide kiya.
“Tum morning se kuch nahi khaya.”
Ishika stunned.
“T-tumhe kaise—”
“Tum jab nervous hoti ho to breakfast skip karti ho,” Sohail ne casual tone me bola,
jaise yeh koi common fact ho.
Dipti aur Ishika dono ne usko shock me dekha.
Sohail ne shoulders raise kiye.
“Observe karta hoon. That’s it.”
Ishika ke andar ek soft warmth spread ho gayi.
Koi pehli baar itna dhyaan de raha tha.
Woh biscuit khol hi rahi thi,
tab Sohail ne quietly lean karke kaha:
“Good. Ab tum normal lag rahi ho.”
Bas itna sa sentence,
par Ishika ke face pe involuntary smile aa gayi.
Dipti slowly un dono ko dekh kar silent ho gayi.
Kuch uske expressions me disturb kar raha tha…
but Ishika notice nahi kar paayi.
📌 Cute Moment #2 — Class Me Equation
Maths class me teacher random students se equations solve karwa rahe the.
Teacher ne Ishika ko board pe bulaya.
Woh generally confident hoti thi,
but aaj uska mind Sohail ke dialogues me lost tha.
Equation half complete thi…
par uska answer me galti ho gayi.
Class se halka laugh suna.
Ishu nervous.
Hands shake.
But Sohail ne bina kuch bole,
pencil turn karke table pe tap kiya—
ek light signal.
Usne pointer ki taraf dekha,
jahan answer ka correct direction subtly indicated tha.
Ishika ne woh clue pick kiya
aur answer correct kar diya.
Teacher impressed.
Class quiet.
Aur Ishika ne slowly corner me Sohail ki taraf dekha.
He didn’t smile openly.
Bas ek tiny, proud nod diya.
Itna subtle tha ki koi aur notice nahi kar sakta.
Par Ishika ne notice kiya.
Aur dil me ek soft flutter hua.
📌 Cute Moment #3 — Walk in the Hallway
School over hone ke baad,
Ishika books gather kar rahi thi.
Sohail do second ke liye door frame pe lean ho gaya—
jaise woh yahi kaam karta ho.
“Chalo,” usne simply bola.
Ishika confused.
“Kahaan?”
“Main tumhe gate tak leave kar raha hoon.”
Ishika blink.
“Aaj kyun?”
Sohail ne left eyebrow raise kiya.
“Tum kabhi seedha jawab nahi deti ho kya?
Tumhare locker incident ke baad… I just want to be around. Simple.”
Ishika ne slow nod kiya.
Woh walk shuru hua,
aur dono ke beech pehli baar awkward silence nahi tha.
Bass ek calm comfort.
Ek moment par Ishika ke shoelace open ho gaya.
Woh bend hone ja rahi thi,
lekin Sohail ne bina kuch bole ruk kar gesture kiya:
“Ruko.”
Aur woh squatted down
and tied her shoelace properly.
Shoelace-tying = softest love move ever.
Ishika bilkul statue.
“Tum yeh… kyun kar rahe ho?”
Sohail khada hua aur casually bola,
“Tum gir jaati. Tumhara dhyaan hota kaha hai?”
Ishika speechless.
Uska heart literally “plz chill” bol raha tha.
📌 Last Scene — The Almost Confession
School gate par pohonch kar Sohail ruk gaya.
Ishika ne softly bola,
“Thank you… aaj sab ke liye.”
Sohail ne uske face pe do second extra nazar rakhi.
“Tum aaj… different lag rahi thi.”
Ishika ne confused blink ki.
“Different?”
Sohail ne deep breath li.
Jaise woh kuch important bolna chahta ho…
but stop kar raha ho.
Finally he said:
“Ishika… tum pehle jaisi nahi rahi.”
Ishika ka throat dry.
“Kya matlab?”
Sohail ne uski aankhon me directly dekha,
“Bas… tumhari presence different feel hoti hai.
Aur… I notice it.”
Ishika freeze.
Yeh first time tha jab Sohail ne indirectly accept kiya
ki he notices her.
Par jaise hi woh kuch aur bolne wala tha,
Dipti quickly aa gayi.
“Ishu! Chal! Late ho raha!”
Sohail ne apni line swallow kar li.
Bas ek short nod diya…
“See you tomorrow.”
Aur chala gaya.
Ishika gate ke beech me khadi,
uska heart soft tornado me.
Love-crush officially leveled up.
Aur danger… quietly waiting.
Chapter 11 Completed