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Dedicated to: -magicalwriting

Thank your for your votes and support on the story.♥️

Warning: Chapter is written in third person's POV

************************************

Four years ago:

On the first day of sixth grade, Aaruj singh Rathore wasn't happy.

He entered the class in a foul mood.

He also ignored the new handshake his classmate Ram had come up with.

That's what Ram did. He invented handshakes because as a kid it was a cool thing to do. Atleast according to rest of his classmates who followed them like some herd of sheep.

Ram saw Aaruj making his way towards the bench. "Awe. You must be missing your best friend. I heard his parents are getting divorced. What would you do if he doesn't come back to school again you poor thing."

He was talking in a baby voice and that got on Aaruj's nerves.

The girls giggled while the boys overdid the laughing part as usual. He decided to ignore all of them and rummaged through his Sachin Tendulkar back pack for something.

He never understood the people at boarding school. They were always mean to him cause he was a shy kid and spent most of his time doing two things.

Playing cricket and hanging out with his best friend Jay.

But soon that was going to change.

As the bell rang, everyone got into their seats. Their class teacher Miss Sunaina hadn't shown up yet so Aaruj decided to listen to the radio he had snuck up into the class. It was India vs Australia match that day. It was going to be an excellent one. He kept glancing at the empty place beside him on the bench in between the running commentary.

What if the things his stupid classmate said earlier came true? What if Jay never returned to boarding school this year? All these thoughts created a havoc in his mind.

He was minding his own business when Ram appeared out of nowhere.

"Hey what's in your hand?"He took a closer look.

"You brought a radio to school?"He spoke loudly and got whole class' attention.

Aaruj tried hiding the said object but Ram snatched it from him."let me see. Eeewww!!! It's so old. How does this even work?" with this he kept pressing the keys constantly.

"Give it back."He demanded but Ram didn't heed to any of his warnings. He threw the radio at his friend. Soon all the boys in the class were playing the game of passing radio.

One of them missed a catch and it hit the ground with a loud thud.

Aaruj was so heartbroken. It was the last thing he had as a memory of his late grandfather.

He got up and picked up the broken radio.

He got back to his place. Soon the class teacher arrived. But she wasn't alone. A girl entered quietly after her into the class.

"Class please welcome Samiksha Agarwal. She will be joining us from this academic year. Go seat beside Aaruj."Their class teacher Sunaina instructed.

Aaruj was not happy with the current seat arrangement. This place belonged to Jay. So when the girl approched him and gave a full smile he didn't return the gesture.

He couldn't believe her guts though. She was already behaving as if they were some best friends. But he only had one best friend and that was how it's was going to be.

So he decided to give his new classmate a hard time.

"Hi! I am Samiksha Agarwal."She introduced herself. He didn't acknowledge her so that she would keep quite and get the hint. But the new girl didn't budge. She introduced herself again.

"Won't you tell me your name?"She now asked.

"I don't talk to strangers."He countered.

"I am not a stranger. We are sharing same bench."She pointed.

"You are a girl."He replied.

"Yes. I am a girl. You are a boy and this is a classroom....."

Aaruj took a few deep breaths while the girl kept pointing out some obvious things in the classroom like it was some stupid game.

This Samiksha was getting on his nerves. Girls. They never stopped talking or giggling or overreacting.

She poked him all of a sudden and he lost it.

"What now?"He hissed while the teacher taught geography to the class.

"Do you have an extra pen?"She asked him.

Aaruj removed one from his pencil box. But when the girl reached for it he threw it out of the window.

He gave her a triumphant smile. This would definitely shut her up but he was so wrong.

The new girl snatched the pen Aaruj was holding and threw it out from the window too.

"Why did you do that?"He asked in disbelief.

"The one you threw earlier needed a best friend. So i threw another. Now they can hang out together."She said in an overexcited voice.

This girl had definitely lost her marbles, he concluded.

"You want pen. I have an extra one."She started rummaging through her pink Barbie girl pouch and Aaruj saw not just one but around ten pens in different color. Some of them were glittery too.

"You had so many pens. Why did you ask for one?"He asked in disbelief.

"Oh! It's a good conversation starter or so i have heard."she shrugged her shoulders in a carefree way. Then she kept a sparkly pen in front of him to write and started taking the notes from blackboard.

Aaruj decided he had enough of this torture. This new girl needed to know how dangerous he was. He wasn't actually though. Whenever the seniors or his other classmates bullied him Jay taught them a lesson. But since he wasn't around now, Aaruj had to take the charge of the situation. And he wasn't going to let some girl boss him around like that.

He decided to teach her a lesson. She was engrossed in taking down the notes. He tied her long well plaited hair to the rod on the bench behind them. she didn't even realise what Aaruj had done.

He kept looking at the tied hair and tried hiding the laughter that was bubbling inside him. The girl was indeed stupid. It was a fourth period and she hadn't noticed the hair yet.

When the recess bell rang Aaruj smoothly climbed off the other bench and made his way to the door.

Soon he heard the laughter that erupted in the classroom. So the new girl had finally noticed her hair.

He spent his lunch time on the playground eating sandwiches he had bought from school canteen.

He returned before the recess ended. There was no one in the classroom.

He sat on his bench and noticed the radio. He had hidden it on the storage place under the wooden plank. However it was now lying on surface assembled together by some barbie printed tape.

In that moment he knew he had not one but two best friends now.

**********

Valentine's day

"Samikshhhhha have you seen my best friend?"Jay asked her purposely emphasising the syllables in her name at the end.

He did it to get on her nerves but her heart fluttered instead everytime he did so.

"Just met him at the playground. He is hiding away from the females in our division. It's Valentine's day."She provided earning a chuckle in return.

"Happy Valentine's day to you too."He ruffled her hair and left for the playground.

She stood there mesmerised.

Jaydeep Mitra was Aaruj's best friend. He was a charming boy. Girls in her division worshipped him. He had that bad boy vibe to him. The one you read about in those teen fictions.

But for Samiksha it wasn't only his appearance that she fell for. It was his concern for Aaruj who was also her best friend. He used to look after him like an elder brother.

She wanted him to care for her too. She wanted him to ruffle her hair till his heart's content. She wanted to be called his girlfriend.

Sure Jay had flaws but she overlooked them and loved his good qualities.

She had heard the stories of him bullying people but she never believed any of them. She had seen how the class was mean towards Aaruj and Jay so they needed to retaliate at some point.

During the history class, Aaruj sent her a note.

She used to seat on the bench succeding him and Jay.

She opened the note.

'Thank me.'

She shot him a questioning look and stole a glance at Jay who was dosing off as usual since history was his jam when it came to lullaby.

He passed another note to her instead.

'I delivered your love letter to Jay' he had written.

The colour from her face flew away. She rummaged through her backpack and realised the letter was missing indeed.

"Where did you keep it?"She hissed.

"I am not gonna tell you."His eyes were dancing in a mirth.

Aaruj had talked to her into writing this letter a month ago. She only did it for fun though. She carried it around in her backpack all the time. Only he knew it.

"C'mon. You are Samiksha Agarwal. The keeper of glittery pens. The owner of barbie tapes. You can do it. Be confident."He whispered giving her a pep talk in his own weird way.

"Look who is talking about confidence. You keep hiding from the girls like they are some plague."She taunted.

"Atleast i don't have crush on my best friend's friend. How cliche is that!"He chuckled.

The class ended and it was laboratory time.

Everyone left for the lab along with their journals. Jay also got up and told Aaruj to come soon.

It was only them who remained in class now.

"Here."He passed Jay's bag to her once.

"The letter."He signaled.

She hesitated for a while. But the remembrance of some cliche words used in the letter made her swallow all good manners. She started searching but didn't find letter.

"It's not there. I kept it in his journal."He shouted on his way to laboratory.

Samiksha facepalmed as she realised why he did all the drama of going through Jay's things. He wanted to buy Jay some time to read the letter. He would have seen it by now she thought.

She trudged on her way to laboratory.

She was thinking of running to the bathroom and hide there for rest of the day. But she noticed Jay standing outside the lab door.

"Hey Samikksshaaa! So you like me?"He smirked.

She fumbled to speak.

"That's good cause i like you too."He confessed.

********************

It was their two month anniversary. So Samiksha decided to do something special for Jay.

Lately he had been stressed a lot. His parents' divorce was finalised and he had also found out about his dad's affair with his secretary who was trying her best to marry his father at any cost.

He had started having anger issues too. He had beaten up some guys from the other class just a few weeks ago. When she tried talking to him about it, he had snapped at her. It had become a norm for him to get mad at her for no reason. He usually did it when they had no company. She sometimes thought of talking about it with Aaruj. But he was already worried about Jay. So she didn't want to add onto his worries. She was going to fix them. Atleast she thought she would.

She had planned a sneak out in the school park where they would share some cheetos and chocolates.

She sent him a note about her plan during class. He only bobbed his head in response. She realised his mood was off again.

She missed the old Jay who used to ruffle her hair all the time. She also missed the way he used to pronounce her name just to irritate her.

However she still believed that the old Jay was hidden somewhere deep down inside the guy she was now looking at. They would be those highschool sweethearts who end up marrying each other.

Samiksha was brought back from her reverie as her teacher Mrs.Batra called her name. She was in her late fifties and had issues with her feet.

Samiksha like some good student used to run errands for her. Her classmates thought she was a teacher's pet but she didn't mind.

Mrs.Batra was a kind hearted lady. She never yelled at her students like some few other teachers did. She reminded Samiksha of her own grandmother. She even had given her a copy of locker's keys as she had a habit of forgetting them. But Samiksha never used it in her absence. And she took pride in a trust bestowed upon her by the teacher.

She took keys from Mrs. Batra and went to the locker that was near Teacher's launge on second floor in the building. She took the sheets she required for the class excercise, her teacher had planned on conducting in the class. Then her eyes fell on the stack of papers beside them. It read final exams. She closed the locker with a bang as feeling of guilt crept all over her even though she hadn't read a single question on the paper.

She returned to class and gave the required sheets to the teacher.

She sat on her place but couldn't shake off the guilt that was creeping all over again.

At lunchtime she was about to join Aaruj and Jay in the school canteen when she ran into someone she knew. He was one of her classmates and basketball star of school.

"Hi Samiksha!"He greeted.

"Hi Darsh!"She returned his greetings.

"I wanted to talk to you."He asked. She bobbed her head in response as a to go ahead signal.

"Since you are so good in maths can you tutor me?"He asked.

"Okay. But the finals are coming up next week so i can only spare one hour everyday is that okay?"She informed him.

She snuck a glance at a table the boys were sitting at. Jay was growing impatient as he waited for her. He also looked a bit mad.

Aaruj too gestured to come eat with them soon. He looked hungry.

Samiksha wrapped up the conversation and approched the table.

"What does that loser want?"Jay asked.

"He wants help in maths."She explained.

"You never help me."He commented.

"You never ask."She retorted.

"Woah!! Lovebirds If your are done with your cute little banter can we start eating?"Aaruj intervened.

***************

It was a day before their final math paper.

Jay was upset due the call he got in the afternoon.

It was his dad. He had informed him about his engagement with the secretary. Jay hated the woman's gut. She was definitely after his dad's money. She had a son from her previous marriage. He was older than Jay by three years. The boy always gave him hard time when Jay was back at family home during holidays. He had made his hatred evident when he once locked him the basement of his own house.

He thought the world only favoured the bullies. They always got their way with life. Being a bully was ten times better than being a victim of it, he concluded.

Jay was struggling with his grades too. If it didn't stop his father would call him back and he would put him in the same school as his would be step-brother. He didn't assume all those things. His father had said all those words himself when he called him earlier in the day. His mother was less bothered when he told her about the basement incident over a phone call. She faked an urgency and went back to her kitty party. She had forgotten to put the landline receiver properly so the call continued. He heard her talking to some friends about how exhausting the kids are.

He stole a glance at Aaruj who was busy in sticking some cricket stickers inside his pencil box. His heart sank deeper as the words of his father came rushing back to him. He couldn't afford to lose the only person who was a close thing to a family he ever had. He needed his best friend. Aaruj needed him too. The losers in the school would bully him endlessly if he wasn't around to protect his best buddy.

He kept pretending to study maths but his mind was desperate for a solution. Then he remembered a conversation he had with Samiksha few days ago on their little date, in the school park. She had told him how guilty she felt about seeing the papers by accident.

She would definitely help him. She had to because he was her boyfriend.

He sprung out of the bed in his hostel room. Aaruj shot him a look and stopped parroting the formula of the perimeter of a rectangle.

"What happened?"He asked Jay.

"Need girlfriend's help in understanding some formulas."He lied.

Aaruj teased him by making kissing faces.

Jay wasn't in a mood for jokes so he ignored them.

He went straight to the girls hostel building. He walked to the back of it and stood under the window of Samiksha's room.

He pelted a stone towards it along with a note.

Soon his girlfriend appeared in the window.

"What happened?What help do you need Jay?"she enquired.

"Meet me at the library. I want to talk to you alone."He told her.

"Come up through the window. My roommate is not in."She said giving him a sweet smile.

He obliged and soon he was inside.

"Were you missing me?"She sounded hopeful but Jay had no time for cute conversations. He had big problems to take care of so he jumped straight to the point.

"I need the key Samiksha."

"What?"She was baffled by his demand.

"The spare key Mrs. Batra has given you. I need it."He repeated in desperation.

"I am not going to give you my keys Jay."She replied in firm manner.

"You are my girlfriend. You are supposed to help me."He said as the anger from her refusal started brewing inside him.

"I will help you with maths. I am not going support you in cheating."She cleared it off.

"I will fail Samiksha. My father would call me back to stay with him. You want that to happen?"He asked using the classic emotional blackmail trick on her. She would surely fall for that he thought.

"That won't change anything between us. I will be with you. Always."She promised.

He was about to snap at her when the door opened. Her roommate was a bit confused upon noticing Jay at first.

"Oh sorry. I didn't know you had a company. I should head back to the library."She commented with a mischievous smile.

"Don't bother. he was about to leave."Samiksha replied sneaking a glance at her boyfriend who looked so angry.

"Good. Because I really need your help in understanding this formula."She told her.

The girls were busy when Jay fished out the key from Samiksha's backpack.

**********************

Jay got the key but he couldn't do the task alone.

He needed an accomplice.

So he approched a guy who was also struggling to keep up his grades and was desperate just like him.

Darsh was a scholarship student and an easy target.

He would go to any measure to keep the scholarship.

Don't they say desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures.

So the two boys joined hands and decided to steal the paper. Darsh's job was to keep the guard of boarding school occupied while Jay snuck inside from the window on the other side of building.

The plan was successful.

*************

Math examination was about to start when the principal entered classroom along with Mrs. Batra who looked worried.

"Samiksha Agarwal meet us in the office."He told her.

"Rest of the class will stay inside till the next instructions."He added.

Samiksha was surprised but followed the principal and teacher to his Office.

Aaruj looked at Jay to check if knew what was happening.

Jay was scared and sweated profusely. He signaled his friend to come outside with him.

"She is going to blame me for it."He said as soon as they were alone.

"What blame?Why is Samiksha being summoned to principal's office?"He asked cluelessly.

"When i went to study with her yesterday. I heard her conversation with Darsh whom she tutored remember."He explained.

Aaruj could only nod his head in response. He was confused as to what Darsh had to do with all of this. So he put forth the question.

"What about him?"

"Samiksha was double dating us. I saw them together at her hostel building yesterday. They were holding hands. I also happened to overhear their conversation. They were talking about leaking the paper. So the exams would postpone. You know how important the grades are for that Darsh being a scholarship student and all. When i confronted her she threatened to put the blame on me.

I didn't tell you because i was scared. What if Mrs. Batra thinks i leaked the paper. She holds Samiksha in the highest regards. She is her favorite student."He said trying to gain sympathy.

"Samiksha will not do that. I know her. She likes you."Aaruj tried assuring him.

"Our relationship was on the rocks lately. She spent more time with Darsh. At first i thought she was just trying to help but then i saw them together couple of times. She was secretly dating him behind my back."He feigned the sadness in his voice.

"Samiksha will not frame you."he repeated more than to himself than his best friend.

A peon arrived and told Jay to go to the Principal's office.

"See I told you. They will now throw me out of boarding school."Jay sounded scared.

He was now panicking from the inside as his plan was about to fall into pieces.

He entered the office. Samiksha was sitting across the desk from principal and Mrs.Batra. She had been crying non-stop while she tried to convince them she was innocent.

"Why did you do it?"She turned to Jay with tears in her eyes.

"What did I do?"Jay asked feigning innocence.

"You stole one of the copies of question paper."She accused.

"I didn't. You did. Remember you came to my hostel room with copy and i refused to cheat. I didn't even know there was any copy in the locker untill you told me you saw it the other day."Jay said weaving a fake story.

"You are lying."Samiksha yelled at him wiping at the tears.

"Sir you can call Aaruj and confirm with him. She came to my hostel room. He was there too."Jay suggested. He was totally on the mercy of his best friend now as it was his last resort.

"Yes. Let's call him."Samiksha said confidently.

Soon Aaruj was summoned.

When he entered the room and Samiksha ran upto him.

He looked at her when Mrs.Batra asked."Did Samiksha come to your hostel room yesterday with question paper?"

"Yes. She did."He accepted breaking the last shred of hope Samiksha had. She took a step back and looked at the boy who was standing in front of her. Where was her best friend when she needed him.

"They both are lying. I have a room mate who..."She was cut in before she could complete her sentence.

"Enough with the blame game Samiksha. I trusted you. But you put my job in jeopardy. Thank goodness i noticed the opened locker this morning. When I counted the copies i realised one print was missing. I expected better from you girl."Mrs. Batra looked so disappointed and hurt.

"All facts point out to you Samiksha. You had a spare key which shouldn't have been with you in the first place...."

Mrs. Batra hung her head low upon hearing it.

He continued."You were also aware about the question paper copies kept in that locker. We don't encourage cheating in our school. I need to set example for other students.

Samiksha Agarwal you are expelled."

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A/N: Vote and comment if you liked the chapter.

Aaruj got no chill even when he was a little boy. XD

Poor Sasha.:(

The part of sticking those stickers inside pencil box made me so nostalgic.♥️

What's your favorite school memory?or a thing that makes you nostalgic?

-daydreamero9