Chapter 1
Early in the morning, my father was already shouting in the living room. His voice echoed through the whole house. Like every day, Grandmother was in the kitchen, praying to God to quiet things down.
"Kabir! One day, your rudeness will get you into big trouble! You have no respect for elders. You just say whatever comes to your mind without thinking!"
My father’s face was red with anger. The morning newspaper was shaking in his hand. He was busy praising Sharma ji's son, but I interrupted him.
I told him plainly that Sharma ji’s son talks badly about his own friends behind their backs.
To my father, my honesty felt like disrespect.
I put my hands in my jeans pockets, took a deep breath, and walked toward the door without looking at him.
"Dad, the truth is the truth. I cannot lie just to make someone happy," I replied without turning around, and I slammed the main gate shut.
To me, life was simple—if you are soft, people will treat you like trash and walk all over you.
That is why I loved walking alone in the school hallways with my earphones on and my hoodie over my head. It was my signature style.
The backbenchers looked up to me as their boss, and I never tolerated girls' tantrums.
I loved it when people looked at me and thought, "Wow, this guy has a serious attitude!"
I was very happy in my own cool world. But the biggest speed breaker in my perfect life was her.
Aanya.
I could never understand her personality. I don't know what her problem was, but she always watched me like a hawk.
She knew everything about me like which friend I was talking to, what I was eating in the canteen, and where I was sitting in class.
Sometimes, I felt like she had hired a secret agent to follow me.
And the most annoying part?
She was crazy about making videos. She always had her phone in her hand with the camera on, ready to record my awkward moments. If I fell asleep in class and woke up with a jerk, her camera was there.
If I dropped sauce on my shirt while eating a samosa, she would start recording from behind.
"Oho, so our school Don is late again today?" The moment I stepped into the hallway, I heard her annoying voice from behind.
I turned and stared at her angrily. There she stood, with her usual mischievous smile, recording me on her phone. Her two friends stood behind her, hiding their laughs.
"Are you crazy? Why do you always record me? Delete it!" I said angrily, fixing my bag strap.
"Why should I delete it? I love recording your angry face. By the way, Kabir, your hair looks messy today. Are you trying to look cool, or did you just turn into a joker?"
She laughed out loud. Her laugh was so loud that two or three seniors stopped and looked at us.
"I am not a joker, you and your stupid habit are. If you bring that camera near my face again, I will throw it down," I said angrily and started walking away.
"Oh wow, the Don is angry! By the way, your name is on the blackboard because you missed the morning assembly. Go check it!" she shouted from behind.
I was about to show her my middle finger without turning around, but then I saw the discipline teacher coming. I quickly put my hand back in my pocket.
The whole school called her 'Angel.' She was the teachers' favorite, the seniors' crush, and the juniors' role model.
I hated her fake innocent face. In front of others, she acted as sweet as sugar. But the moment she saw me, her inner devil came out.
One day, she was laughing wildly with her friends on the lawn outside the library. It was a nice, sunny day, and they were looking at a magazine. As soon as she saw me, she left her friends and blocked my way.
She said softly, "Wow, why is the school's biggest Don so quiet today? Did someone steal your lunch box?"
I stopped for a second and looked at her from head to toe. Her hair was open today, and she had that same annoying confidence that I hated. I walked past her without saying a word.
After just two steps, I heard her playful voice again—
"Where are you going with so much attitude? Share some with us, we want to look cool too!"
I swear, at that moment, I wanted to hit my head against the wall. Ignoring this girl was the hardest thing in the world.
