In the Parking Area…
Aniket had searched everywhere for Anamika and finally stood in the middle of the parking lot, completely exhausted.
He was just about to take out his phone from his pocket when a hand landed on his shoulder.
“Ahh! Who is it?!” Aniket screamed.
Aditya, who had placed the hand, burst into laughter.
“What happened?! Why are you so scared?”
Taking a deep breath, Aniket replied, “Saaniya is here!”
Hearing this, Aditya gave a confused smile and said, “Yeah… so? Didn’t we invite her? Obviously she was going to show up. Wait… did you do something wrong and now she’s here to hunt you down?”
Aniket made a face. “Oh, please! Since when did I start getting scared of that witch? I just meant Saaniya’s here, but your Anamika isn’t!”
Aditya gave a weak smile. “Yeah… she’s not coming. You already know the kind of rumors that used to float around about her back in school… The cursed doll! A girl who looked like a porcelain doll—alive, but…”
His voice trailed off.
His eyes said it all—just thinking about those rumors still broke his heart.
Placing a hand on Aditya’s shoulder, Aniket said softly, “But no one thinks like that anymore. We’re not 14- or 15-year-olds anymore. You should’ve invited Anamika too. Things could’ve cleared up between her and all her classmates.”
Aditya looked into Aniket’s eyes. “You really think so? You forgot, didn’t you? Last year, at the reunion party, it was you who told me that Saaniya and the other girls had a full-blown argument over this topic! Saaniya got so mad, she flipped an entire table! The girls were so freaked out you and the rest of the guys had to step in to calm things down!”
Aniket awkwardly pulled his hand back, thinking, “Right… I totally forgot! He remembers everything about his Gulabo!
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
But now… how do I find out what was in Anamika’s chit ? Guess I’ll have to get that witch to spill it!”
Seeing Aniket lost in thought, Aditya asked, “You still think no one will argue about it now?”
Aniket replied, “They shouldn’t… We’ve all grown up, and it’s been years. But still… I don’t think we should take the risk. What if we call Anamika here, and inside, the girls are already fighting about her again?”
They weren’t entirely wrong.
Inside the hall
The girls were throwing sarcastic comments at Saaniya, but she shut them all down with one-liners sharp enough to slice silence.
That’s when our boys opened the hall door and walked in.
Adhvik entered calmly, yet with an air of authority, “Why does this hall look like it’s turned into a parliament? Tell us what’s going on—we might be able to solve it!”
Ayush leaned towards Dhruv and whispered, “Hey…Mister Calendar! Do you remember if our topper Adhvik sir ever successfully handled a girl-fight before?”
Dhruv replied in a serious tone, “Actually… once he did! Back in 11th grade, remember when our class girls had a fight with the seniors? Adhvik and Ayan sorted that mess together.”
Ayush rolled his eyes and made a face. “That’s not the answer I wanted!”
Ayan smacked Ayush lightly on the forehead.
“Make fun of Adhvik later! First focus on saving this party’s dying vibe!”
Adhvik turned his attention back to the ongoing chaos.
One girl stepped forward on behalf of the others and said, a bit shyly but calmly, “We… we’re not really here to fight. We were just finishing up what was left unsaid last time. And don’t worry—we’re not going to cry this time!”
Ayush, barely holding back his laughter, said, “Good! ‘Cause I didn’t bring any extra tissues!”
The three boys shot him glares at the same time.
Ayush slapped his own cheek and said, “Serious… I’m serious, okay?! Now I am serious..!”
Adhvik stepped forward, “Let’s just leave last year in the past, okay?
Besides, the girl you’re arguing about hasn’t even shown up once in the last six years! So what’s the point in dragging it now?”
The girl responded, “It’s not about the point! The way Saaniya behaved last time—that wasn’t okay. She acts like we’re the criminals. As if we’re the ones who called Anamika ‘The Cursed Doll’... but maybe she forgot—she was the first one to start that rumor!
She was the one who added fuel to it back in school. And now she wants to play the role of protector?”
Saaniya’s fists clenched tightly.
A dark aura started radiating from her… and everyone could feel it, but no one dared say a word—except Ayush.
“Leave Adhvik and these girls behind and run for our lives! The volcano’s about to erupt!”
Everyone turned to glare at him again.
This time, instead of glaring, Adhvik walked over, placed a hand on Ayush’s shoulder and said teasingly, “Two minutes. Just give us two minutes of silence, please.”
Dhruv and Ayan also glared. Ayush put a finger to his lips and gestured, “I’m zipped… probably.”
Adhvik turned back to the girls—but only to surprise.
Saaniya had quietly gone to a corner and sat down, saying nothing.
She looked like she was trying to calm her rage.
The other girls started to approach her, but Adhvik held the representative’s hand gently.
“Please, just let it go. She was young then—just like us. We didn’t know the difference between right and wrong back then.”
Dhruv added, “Yeah… and honestly, you girls weren’t saints either. You’ve done plenty of wrong things too.
If we start counting everyone’s mistakes, your list won’t end either. So better just let it go.”
The girls went silent.
Seeing this, the boys smiled and softly said, “Thank you!”
The girls’ cheeks turned pink.
After all, our boys have those killer and sweet smiles—the kind that could melt hearts in seconds!
But wait… things seem to have calmed down for now.
Is that really the truth?Why did Saaniya suddenly go quiet?And most importantly…Why was it Saaniya who started that rumor about Anamika in the first place?
