"हमारी आंखों ने उनको ऐसे देखा,

✿✿✿✿

The next morning, the sun was shining brightly, creating a warm atmosphere around the school building. Students were gathered at the assembly ground. After the assembly, Kiara checked the students' uniforms, identity cards, and overall appearance. However, she realized she had left her ID card in her room.

Once the students made their way to their classes, Kiara sought permission from her class in charge to retrieve her ID card. The teacher scolded her, though not as harshly as other teachers might have. If any other teacher had seen her without her ID card, she would have faced a stricter reprimand.

With hurried steps, she made her way to her dorm, picked up her ID card, and rushed back toward the school building. She climbed the staircase to reach the second floor, moving quickly. Her breathing was uneven, and her ponytail swayed with the wind. She clutched her ID card tightly as the final bell echoed through the corridors.

In her haste, she didn't notice a crack in the floor. Her foot got slightly caught, and she stumbled forward, eyes widening in panic. She tried to grasp something for support but found nothing.

Just before she could fall, a hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. Her head collided with someone's chest, and she barely reached his shoulder. She craned her neck to see the person she always wanted to see-the one she never tired of looking at. Their eyes met, and her heart skipped multiple beats.

His eyes looked tired, and his tousled hair rested casually on his forehead. He appeared different today.

"Careful, Head Girl," he said, his voice snapping her back to reality. She immediately stepped back.

"S-Sorry, I didn't see you," she stammered, fiddling with her ID card and lowering her gaze.

"But thank God I saw you-otherwise, you would have fallen," he said, running a hand through his hair.

'I have already fallen... but in love with you.' she thought.

"Thank you," she murmured.

Just as she was about to leave, something caught her attention-a butterfly with blue and light lavender wings. A wide smile spread across her lips, and Aarav noticed her dimples, which only appeared when she smiled like this. The butterfly fluttered around Aarav before gently landing on his shoulder.

Following her gaze, Aarav noticed the butterfly and smiled.

"Butterfly," he murmured.

"I think it mistook you for a flower," she said, her eyes flickering between him and the butterfly.

"A flower?" he asked, a soft laugh escaping his lips.

Kiara's heart skipped again. She realized his eyes shone even more when he laughed.

She nodded. "Look, the butterfly doesn't want to leave you. I think it likes you."

Aarav hummed in response, still watching the tiny creature.

"And look, its wings are the same colour as your eyes-calm, deep, and beautiful," she said happily.

Aarav, however, was now gazing at her instead of the butterfly.

"So, you find my eyes beautiful, huh?" he teased, hiding his smile.

Kiara suddenly realized what she had just said. She snapped her head toward him. "No! I-I mean... yes... no!" she stammered, flustered.

He chuckled, clearly enjoying her reaction.

(What's gotten into him today?) she wondered.

The butterfly fluttered around them twice before disappearing through the corridor window. Both of them smiled. "I'm already late-I have to go," she said, stepping forward.

"A Head Girl being late?" he teased.

She tilted her head and looked at him. Today, he was acting strangely-more talkative than usual.

"You're late too," she pointed out.

"Yeah, I was up studying last night, so I slept late," he replied.

"Oh, okay," she said.

With that, they walked together toward their respective classes. Aarav turned left, and Kiara turned right. The teacher wasn't in the classroom yet. She exhaled, stepped inside, and sat at the second-last desk, where her friends were already present.

As she sat beside Yuvan, the three of them turned toward her.

"Where were you?" Trisha asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I forgot my ID card, so I went to get it," Kiara replied, adjusting the lanyard around her neck.

"Kiara! You're the Head Girl, and you're this irresponsible? Very bad," Yuvan scolded her like a teacher.

"Tune konse jhande gaad diye Head boy ho kar?" Kiara shit back, fully turning towards him.

["As if you've done anything great as Head Boy."]

"Hahahaha! You're right, Kiara!" Trisha laughed.

"Zyada hasi nahi aa Rahi Aapko?" Yuvan said, placing his elbow on the desk and leaning forward, resting his chin on his palm.

"Toh, mera muh main hasu rou tumhe kya bhai." Trisha shot back, still laughing.

["Should I cry instead? What's it to you?"]

Vani simply shook her head, already used to their banter, and continued writing her notes. Kiara, meanwhile, enjoyed their fight while munching on cookies, occasionally offering one to Vani.

"Look, I respect women a lot," Yuvan said, his tone serious. "Don't force me to say something I'll regret later."

Vani closed her book and gave them full attention.

"Say it, then! Who's stopping you?" Trisha challenged, leaning forward. "Come on, say it!" She provoked him.

"Kutti," Yuvan muttered through gritted teeth.

A loud gasp escaped from the three girls.

"Kutti?" Trisha looked at Kiara and Vani. "Did he just call me that?" She turned back to Yuvan.

"Yes," Yuvan nodded.

"Tune mujhe kutti bola?" She pointed at him. "Look at yourself-Chamgadar kahin ka. Tujhe toh main batati hu." She picked up her water bottle, opened the cap, and splashed water all over his face.

Vani gasped, covering her mouth. Kiara, mid-bite, froze with a cookie near her lips, her eyes wide.

Water dripped from Yuvan's face, his uniform slightly wet. The whole class watched in shock. Trisha smirked in satisfaction.

"You!-Trisha, just wait!" Yuvan yelled. Before he could grab her, she bolted out of the classroom. Yuvan ran after her, with Kiara and Vani following close behind-Kiara still holding her cookie and the entire packet.

They ran past the 12th-grade class, where Neil noticed them through the window.

"Why are they chasing each other?" he asked.

The other three followed his gaze, furrowing their brows.

"Kya pata. Chal dekhte hai, thoda entertainment ho jayega." Vedant said, rubbing his hands together mischievously.

They all followed the commotion and found Yuvan and Trisha near the water tank on the second floor. Yuvan was gripping Trisha's wrist while Vani stood a few steps away. Kiara sat on the last stair leading to the third floor.

"Pani kese phenka mere upar?" Yuvan glared at her.

"Kutti kese bola mujhe?" Trisha shit back with equal intensity.

["How dare you call me a brat?"]

"I warned you not to laugh."

"And I told you-it's my mouth! I can laugh or cry as I please!"

Neil, enjoying the scene, sat beside Kiara. She noticed him and rolled her eyes before glancing at Aarav, who was standing nearby.

"Yuvan, let go of my hand," Trisha said angrily.

Neil, meanwhile, sneakily took two cookies from Kiara's packet and started eating.

"I won't! What will you do?" Yuvan challenged.

Trisha exhaled sharply. "Laat maar dungi main."

Everyone's eyes flickered between them.

"I'm not scared of you," Yuvan taunted.

Trisha took a deep breath and raised her leg to kick him lightly in the stomach. But Yuvan pulled her wrist, causing her to stumble-and she accidentally kicked him in the worst possible place.

"Ouch!"

Everyone gasped, covering their mouths in shock.

Yuvan immediately let go of her hand and crossed his legs, groaning in pain.

"Aaaahhhhhhhhhh." He dropped to his knees, clutching himself. "Meri future generation..."

[My future generation...]

"Gayi." Everyone said in unison, except Trisha, who stood frozen in place, her eyes widening in shock.

"Yuvan, s...sorry. I'm sorry. Zyada lagi?" Trisha asked with concern.

"Nahi." Yuvan shook his head, letting out a sarcastic laugh. "Zor se kaha, mujhe toh maza aaya." He then shot her a deadly glare.

"Why are you laughing? Have you gone crazy? But I didn't hit your head." Trisha asked, confused by his reaction.

"Aye, pagal aurat!" Yuvan pointed at her. "Jaa tu yaha se, pagal kahin ki!"

Meanwhile, Kiara's attention remained on Trisha and Yuvan, but her hand blindly searched for more cookies in the packet she was holding. When she felt nothing, she frowned and looked down at the empty packet. Tilting her head, she turned toward Neil, who was already looking at her-with a cookie in his mouth and another one in his hand.

She glared at him. He immediately stuffed the second cookie into his mouth and flashed her the sweetest grin.

"Tasty hai." He said, still munching.

"Tumhari problem kya hai?" She narrowed her eyes and stood up.

Before Neil could respond, a teacher's voice rang through the corridor.

"Kya ho raha hai yaha?"

["What is happening here?"]

Yuvan instantly stood up, composing himself. Neil, too, jumped to his feet. Everyone stood straight.

"Nothing, sir... wo... bas paani peene aaye the." Kiara quickly made up an excuse.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Pani peene? Sab ek saath?" The teacher asked, clearly not convinced.

"Yes sir." Everyone responded in unison, nodding.

"If you're done drinking water, then go to your classes." The teacher commanded before walking away.

"Okay, sir."

Following his orders, everyone headed back to their respective classrooms.

Soon after, their class teacher, Shreya Mishra, arrived and made an announcement.

"Students, we are planning a trip for the 12th-grade class since this is their final year of school. If you are interested in going, let me know your names."

As soon as she finished speaking, excitement filled the room. The students eagerly discussed the trip, especially the new students, for whom this would be their first excursion. Almost every student raised their hand to participate.

The teacher assigned Yuvan to write down the names of those interested.

"Ma'am, where are we going for the trip?" one of the new students asked eagerly.

"Rishikesh."

The moment she said this, everyone squealed with excitement. Kiara could barely contain herself; she was the happiest of all.

"Guys, main toh Jaa Rahi hu!" she exclaimed joyfully.

"Main bhi!" Trisha and Vani said in unison. Yuvan wrote down their names, along with his own.

"This is going to be so much fun!" Trisha said, her face glowing with excitement. Vani and Kiara laughed, while Yuvan simply rolled his eyes.

"Okay, quiet now. Let's focus on the lesson." Their teacher instructed, and Yuvan continued jotting down the names as everyone settled down and turned their attention to their books.

✿✿✿✿

The grand library of The Imperial Heritage Boarding School stood gleaming in the warm glow of the sun. The wooden shelves were adorned with both old and new books. The soft fragrance of paper mixed with the golden light created a warm, serene hue over the students immersed in their reading. The quiet rustling of pages, the scratching of pens on paper, and the occasional murmurs among students filled the air.

Aarav sat on a large wooden bench near the window. Across from him were Vedant and Rihan, while Neil and Vani sat beside him. Yuvan was next to Vedant, and Kiara sat between Yuvan and Trisha. Everyone was deeply engrossed in their books-everyone except three.

Neil, instead of reading, was busy admiring Vani. She, fully aware of his gaze, continued reading her novel, refusing to acknowledge him.

Kiara, on the other hand, was lost in Aarav. Her book lay open on the table, but her eyes were fixed on him. The breeze played with his tousled hair, and every time he ran a hand through it, she found herself watching intently. His fingers traced the edges of the pages, his eyes scanning each word with quiet focus.

After a while, he closed his book, stood up, and walked toward the bookshelves. Without hesitation, Kiara followed the book in hand. As he scanned the shelves, reading titles and replacing books with a slight frown, she mirrored his every move from the other side of the aisle.

When he reached the end he turned into another aisle-and Kiara followed. He took a step forward; she did too. He stopped abruptly, and so did she, clutching her book tightly. Letting out a soft sigh, she watched as he continued ahead at a slow pace.

"Are you following me?" Aarav asked without turning, taking a book from the shelf and flipping through its pages.

Kiara's eyes widened in shock. She stood frozen, staring at his back.

He had noticed her from the beginning-how she had been watching him while he read, how she had followed him across the library. He wasn't annoyed, though. Unlike the other girls who constantly sought his attention, her presence didn't irritate him. In fact, he found that he didn't mind it at all. Maybe, deep down, he already knew why. But he didn't want to act in haste.

"N-No... I'm not," she stammered, holding up the book she had been clutching. "I just came to return this."

Aarav finally turned to face her, his full attention now on her. His eyes flickered to the book in her hands before shifting to the shelves behind her.

"I think that book belongs over there," he said, pointing to the next aisle. "Third one, I believe."

Kiara blinked, caught off guard. "Yes... I-I'm going there anyway," she mumbled.

Just then, Aarav spotted the book he had been searching for-right behind where Kiara was standing. Taking a step forward, he reached up to grab it from the shelf above her head.

Kiara's breath hitched. Her heart pounded wildly as she clutched her book tighter to her chest, gaze locked on the neatly knotted tie he was wearing.

Aarav retrieved the book and took a step back, once again maintaining a comfortable distance. "I was looking for this," he said, flipping through its pages.

Kiara, still flustered, could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. The momentary closeness had sent her heart racing, but he-completely unbothered-continued as if nothing had happened.

"Are you okay?" he asked, noticing the deep blush on her face.

"Hmm? Y-Yeah, I'm fine," she murmured, lowering her gaze. Her eyes drifted to the book in his hands. It wasn't a textbook but a novel.

"Do you like reading novels?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, I read them often. And as a friend, I'd suggest you do the same. Whenever exams and studies feel overwhelming, reading poetry or novels can help lighten the mood."

"As a friend?" she repeated, her heart sinking slightly at his choice of words.

Aarav took a deep breath. "I know how you feel," he admitted hesitantly. "But... can we start as friends first?" His fingers fidgeted with the book's edges, his voice careful.

Kiara smiled softly. She understood his hesitation, his unspoken thoughts.

"Of course, we can," she replied.

Aarav extended his hand. After a moment of hesitation, she placed hers in his. As their hands met for the first time, an unspoken electricity passed between them. Her hand fit so perfectly in his-as if it was meant to be held by him. Their eyes locked, searching for something neither of them could fully understand yet.

Just then, the school bell rang, signalling the end of the day.

Aarav smiled at her before waving goodbye. She returned his smile, watching as he walked toward the exit, completely unaware of the effect he had on her.

He didn't realize that she had already fallen for him. Deeply.

And the worst-and most beautiful-part?

She didn't even want to be saved.

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Okay....Thank you so much, my dear readers! Muuuhhhaaa💋🌷 When I opened Wattpad, I was shocked to see so many notifications.

First, please tell me who can see it in the Top 10. Because I can't see it. I feel like I'm dreaming! Whether it's due to a glitch or whatever the reason may be, Aaaahhhhh! I'm so happy.🍀✨

And seraphicwrits_ Thank you dear for the SS.

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Bye.🎀 Take care of yourself.