Chapter 1
The classroom buzzed with noise, but Naina sat at her desk, her eyes fixed on the open book before her. Her pen moved quickly, filling the margins with notes. For her, studies weren’t just important — they were everything.
“Topper madam again?” Swati teased, leaning over from the next desk. “Don’t you ever get bored of these books?”
Naina smiled softly but didn’t look up. “You know I can’t. Amma wants me to be the best. And honestly, I want that too.”
Swati rolled her eyes. “Sometimes I wonder if you’re even human. Everyone else dreams about parties, dresses, boyfriends… and you dream about exams.”
Naina laughed, shaking her head. “Not everyone is like you, Swati.”
Before Swati could reply, the classroom door banged open. A boy walked in — tall, broad-shouldered, with a confident swagger that made everyone turn to look. His hair was perfectly messy, his smile almost careless.
“Who’s that?” Swati whispered, her eyes widening.
“Sammer,” one of the boys answered from the back. “New admission. Rich family. Cricketer. Total flirt.”
The new boy slung his bag over one shoulder and dropped into a seat without a care in the world. Within minutes, he was cracking jokes with the boys around him, his laughter echoing through the room.
“Show-off,” Swati muttered, rolling her eyes.
But Naina’s gaze lingered for a moment too long. He looked so different from her — carefree, wild, as if the world was a game. She quickly bent her head over her book again, scolding herself.
Sammer leaned back in his chair, catching sight of Naina. She didn’t even look at him, her eyes glued to the page. He smirked. “Who’s that? Miss Serious?”
One of his new friends chuckled. “That’s Naina. Topper of the school. Don’t even think about it, bro. She’s not your type.”
Sammer raised a brow, grinning. “Not my type? We’ll see.”
Naina, pretending not to hear, felt her cheeks warm. She didn’t know why her heart suddenly beat faster. She only knew one thing—her life was about to change.
