The Girl After Her

The morning sun had barely risen when Vihaan stepped through the school gates, his bag hanging lazily on one shoulder and his untidy black hair falling over his forehead. The campus was unusually quiet, with only the faint chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves filling the air.

Class 11 had just begun a few weeks ago, and for most students, school was just another routine. But for Vihaan, it was never just school.

Because Sania was there.

As he entered the nearly empty classroom, his eyes immediately found her sitting near the window, the golden sunlight spilling over her face like she was made to belong to mornings. She was flipping through her notebook, strands of her hair falling over her cheek.

And just like every day, Vihaan forgot how to breathe for a second.

A small smile curved on Sania’s lips as she noticed him standing at the door, staring like an idiot.

“You’re late,” she teased, though they both knew he was still early.

Vihaan walked to her desk, dropping his bag on the chair beside her. “I came only five minutes after you.”

“Still late,” she said, looking away dramatically.

He leaned closer, resting one hand on her desk. “You started missing me in just five minutes?”

Sania tried to hide the smile tugging at her lips, but it was useless. “You wish.”

Vihaan chuckled softly, taking the seat beside her. The classroom was empty except for them, and in that silence, even the smallest things felt intimate. He reached out, gently tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

For a moment, Sania’s playful expression faded. She looked at him, and Vihaan swore there was no one else in the world except the two of them.

“You know,” he murmured, his voice lower now, “you look prettier when you’re not pretending to be annoyed with me.”

Sania’s cheeks turned pink instantly. She hit his arm lightly. “Stop saying cheesy things so early in the morning.”

Vihaan grinned. “Can’t help it when my girlfriend looks this good.”

She looked away, smiling shyly, while he just sat there watching her like she was his favorite story and he never wanted the pages to end.

The peace lasted exactly three minutes.

Because the next second, the classroom door burst open with a loud bang.

“Oi, lovebirds!”

Vihaan groaned without even turning around. “Go away, Kartik.”

Kartik walked in like he owned the place, his tie hanging loose and that usual irritating smirk plastered on his face. “Go away? Bro, first period starts in ten minutes and you’re already acting like a married couple.”

Sania laughed quietly while Vihaan glared at his best friend.

Kartik didn’t care. He wrapped an arm around Vihaan’s neck and pulled him back roughly. “Come with me. I need help with physics notes. Unlike some people, I actually care about passing.”

Vihaan tried to resist. “Leave me, idiot—”

But Kartik was already dragging him out of the classroom while Sania laughed at his miserable expression.

As soon as the boys left, Sania shook her head and stood up, walking to the back bench where Shanvi sat with earphones in, scribbling something in her notebook.

Shanvi looked up once and raised an eyebrow. “Wow. You remember I exist?”

Sania rolled her eyes and sat beside her. “Don’t start.”

Shanvi crossed her arms dramatically. “No, seriously. Madam finally got time for her best friend? I thought you were too busy with Romeo.”

Sania laughed, nudging her shoulder. “You’re impossible.”

“And you’re obsessed,” Shanvi replied, though there was a faint smile on her face.

Unlike Sania, Shanvi didn’t care much about appearances. Her short messy hair, untucked shirt, and casual way of sitting made her look more like someone who’d rather fight than gossip. She never cared what people thought of her, and honestly, that’s what made her different from everyone else.

The bell rang, and soon the classroom filled with students, noise, and chaos.

But for Vihaan, even in the crowd, his eyes always searched for only one person.

Sania.

---

By lunch break, the class had become noisy enough for teachers to give up on maintaining silence.

Vihaan and Sania sat in their usual corner near the window. Their lunch boxes were forgotten on the desk while their fingers remained intertwined beneath it.

Sania was talking about some random assignment, but Vihaan wasn’t listening.

Not really.

He was too busy watching the way sunlight touched her face, the way she absentmindedly smiled while talking, the way her hair kept falling over her shoulder.

Without realizing, he reached out and started twirling a strand of her hair around his fingers.

Sania paused mid-sentence, looking at him.

“What?”

Vihaan smiled softly. “Nothing.”

“You’re staring again.”

“Can you blame me?”

Her cheeks flushed, and she tried to look away, but he tightened his hold on her hand.

At that moment, Vihaan truly believed he had everything.

And maybe that was the cruelest part of love.

It makes you feel safe just before it breaks you.

Before he could say anything else, a hand suddenly grabbed his collar from behind.

“Enough romance for one day,” Kartik announced dramatically, pulling Vihaan backward.

“Kartik!” Vihaan shouted, nearly falling off his chair.

But Kartik was already dragging him out. “Come, bro. Football team selection. Stop acting like you’ll die if you leave her for five minutes.”

Vihaan threw one last helpless look at Sania, who was laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes.

She eventually stood and walked to Shanvi, who was sitting outside the classroom on the corridor ledge.

Shanvi glanced up from her phone. “So? Your majesty got free from her boyfriend?”

Sania sat beside her and sighed. “You’re seriously jealous of Vihaan.”

Shanvi scoffed. “Please. I’d rather jump from the school terrace than date someone like him.”

Sania laughed. “You say that, but you and Kartik fight like an old married couple.”

At that, Shanvi nearly choked. “Excuse me? That idiot? He’s the most annoying human alive.”

Sania smirked but stayed quiet.

Because teasing Shanvi about Kartik was always entertaining.

---

During games period, most students were scattered around the field. Some played basketball, some ran around, and some simply used the free period to gossip.

Sania and Shanvi sat on the grass under a tree, avoiding all sports like usual.

Shanvi was talking animatedly about a series she had recently started watching, while Sania listened with interest.

“And then the main lead just disappears in the last episode,” Shanvi said dramatically. “Can you imagine?”

Sania gasped. “What? No way.”

“I’m telling you, he’s actually the best character.”

Sania smiled dreamily. “He’s so handsome too. Like… total crush material.”

Shanvi turned to her slowly, an amused smirk appearing on her face. “Crush material? Shouldn’t your boyfriend be offended hearing that?”

Sania laughed, plucking a blade of grass. “It’s just a celebrity crush. Doesn’t count.”

From a distance, Vihaan was standing near the football post with Kartik, but his gaze wandered toward Sania.

He saw her laughing.

He saw how peaceful she looked.

And he smiled to himself, unaware that some smiles are only temporary.

That the people we call forever are sometimes just passing seasons.

And neither Vihaan nor Sania knew that this ordinary day — this simple, beautiful day — would become one of the memories he would spend years trying to forget.

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Guys sorry for not giving the characters intro .

Vihaan is the main lead here .

Kartik is his bsf and shanvi is sania's bsf...kartk and shanvi fight like dogs.

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