9:15 PM
A few guests had started arriving, but Aditya wasn’t there yet to greet them.
He had gone to fetch an outfit for Aniket, who had shown up in his regular attire — just a shirt and pants. Now, while Aniket didn’t care about this at all, Aditya certainly did.
Aniket had refused to return home to change, as his mind was completely preoccupied with something else — which birthday wish Anamika received that was written by him on that chit. He was waiting… for Anamika to arrive, so he could ask her.
He sat at a small corner table, casually picking at some fruit. Around him, the girls had already started arriving, chatting excitedly in small circles. Everyone was hugging, clicking selfies, exchanging compliments…
No one noticed him.
And he didn’t notice them either.
His eyes were glued to the entrance.
And then, they sparkled — because Saaniya had just walked in.
Her long hair was left open — flowing like a midnight river. Her kohl-lined eyes looked like they could cut glass, and her lips sparkled slightly, the red tint catching the lights perfectly.
Around her neck sat a delicate pearl necklace, and her black dress — sleek, sharp, flawless — hugged her fair skin like a second shadow.
To describe her beauty in words would be difficult. All that can be said is this — Aniket, who had been drowning in his own worries and ignoring every other girl in the room, suddenly forgot all his troubles for a moment. He stood up instinctively, unable to take his eyes off her.
But that moment didn’t last long… because a familiar, bitter voice snapped him back to reality.
A woman walked up to Saaniya and said sharply, “So… you came too? I thought after what happened last time, you wouldn’t dare show your face again!”
But in response, Saaniya didn’t flinch.
Didn’t blink.
Didn’t even shift her weight.
Instead — she smiled.
A slow, dangerous, razor-edged smile.
“So…” she said, her voice like velvet dipped in poison, “When did elephants start worrying about barking street dogs?”
She took a step closer, her heels clicking like gunshots.
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“I don’t even bother remembering people like you. Let alone fearing them.”
The woman’s anger shot through the roof.
Meanwhile, Aniket slowly slipped away through a narrow corridor, mumbling to himself,
“These women… I swear! They have a death wish picking fights with Saaniya — again! After everything that happened last time… either they’re brave, or just plain stupid. Anyway, while Saaniya is busy tearing them apart, maybe I can find Anamika. She might be outside.”
Aniket exited the hall but saw no one around. He scanned the area and slowly made his way toward the parking lot.
Meanwhile
From a distance, they looked like they’d walked straight out of a fashion magazine — and not a single one of them knew how much trouble awaited inside.
Their laughter was soft, their chemistry smooth — the kind of energy that made heads turn even before they entered.
One wore a white suit, another wore deep red. The other two were casually dressed — one in a black shirt, the other in white — stylish in their own effortless way.
They were laughing and chatting as they approached the hall — but stopped when they heard the commotion coming from inside.
Some girls were talking loudly to Saaniya…
“So, did you enjoy humiliating us in front of the boys last time?”
“Of course, you must’ve! You never miss a chance to make yourself the center of attention!”
“You used to cling to us like a puppy during school! What happened now? Don’t we look good anymore? Or now you’ve got sympathy for that ‘cursed doll’?”
Saaniya’s voice rang out, sharp and clear, “She’s not cursed. But your minds certainly are. It’s been six years — and you still act like petty middle-schoolers."
The four boys froze.
Then they leaned casually against the wall, listening like this was the best free entertainment in town.
The boy in the red suit exhaled deeply, “These girls… seriously! Do they have no other topic to talk about?”
The boy beside him in the black shirt added, “Exactly. Looks like they’re still stuck in the past.”
The one in the white suit, standing calmly with lowered eyes, said softly, “We’re no better. At least they talk about their fights… We? It’s been what — six years? And we’ve never spoken a word about the fight that ended everything.”
The boy in the white shirt laughed, “Honestly, it’s ironic! Whether it was our fight or theirs, both were because of the same girl. And no — I don’t want to call her the cursed doll anymore… but using her name still feels… strange.”
They all fell silent for a moment, and then, as if in sync, said, “Wait… why are there only girls inside? Where’s Aniket?”
You see — every year, the reunion party was organized by Aniket. And this year, because Aditya didn’t mention his name on the invitation, everyone assumed Aniket had planned it again.
The commotion inside was only getting louder, and the boys’ excitement started to fade.
The red-suited boy groaned, “Ugh, someone shut them up already! We met after so long — can’t we have some peace?”
The white-suited boy said gently, “Looks like Aniket isn’t inside yet — no one’s there to calm them down. Guess we’ll have to do it. And since Saaniya is already in there, the sooner this settles, the better for everyone.”
The white-shirted boy added, “Saaniya can handle them with just her words — she’s smart, no doubt… but after what happened last time? I don’t trust her to hold back! The other girls are delicate, and Saaniya? She’s unpredictable. Come on, let’s go in before things get worse—”
Saying that, he opened the door, and they all walked in.
But before we see what happens inside —
let’s get to know these four boys.
The one in the red suitHis name is Ayaan
The one in the black shirtBut his real name is Dhruv
The white-suited boyHis name is Adhvik
And then,— the boy in the white shirt , His name is Ayush
