Love is forever...

Chapter 1

'Dear Diary,
I am back to this hell again. I had always hoped for this school to be my happy place, away from the hell I must call home, but my luck ran out again. I do not know why Rhea chooses to make my life hell. I do not ever cross her path. She still picks on me. I want to study hard and get a good job so that I can finally escape the hell hole along with mom and build a good life for us away from all the demons of my life. I hope this semester is different and I can study in peace for my boards. Please Bhagwan, give me strength to find my way. Please! Please! Please! Good night now. See you tomorrow.'

Amaya completed her daily ritual of writing in her diary. She had no friends at school so her diary was her only friend. Everyone avoided her to avoid the wrath of Rhea, the most popular girl in the school who had a bone to pick against Amaya. Why? Because when Amaya joined the school in 8th Grade, she stole the top spot from Rhea. Amaya was smarter and way more intelligent than Rhea in every way, but what she lacked was confidence. Amaya was a shy girl who always avoided attention. She did everything to stay away from the limelight, but the special attention she got from Rhea made it difficult. The more Amaya tried to stay in the shadows, Rhea's antiques pulled her into the spotlight, always ending in Amaya getting embarrassed in front of the whole school. Even the teachers knew about the bullying but who would want to go head-on with the daughter of one of the Trustees of the school. One way or another, Rhea always had her way.
Amaya went to sleep hoping for a better tomorrow. But a nightmare awaited her the next morning.

"Good morning, Sunshine !!" That familiar voice fell on Amaya's ears and she nearly jumped out of her skin. With wide eyes, she stared at the girl standing in front of her. In a fraction of a second, she was out of bed and standing on her shaky feet. "Rhea... What are you doing here?" Amaya stammered through to the end of her words.

"I am your new roommate silly! Isn't that fun?" The sarcastic smile on Rhea's face was unmissable. Her minions Raina and Priya mirrored her expressions like they always did. The trio was pure evil and poor Amaya was stunned by the revelation. Not sure how to react, she ran inside the washroom and closed the door behind her. Warm tears fell down her cheeks, her heart palpitating with fear. Her room was her safe place, where she hid from her bullies. And that was being snatched away from her. The fear of not being able to study gripped her. Her final escape plan was at risk. She quickly tried to pull herself together. She could let people destroy her present, she had nothing much anyways, but nothing could take her future away from her. The future she was studying so hard to build.

It was after the second class that Amaya finally went to school. She would now have to provide an excuse for her absence. Hoping she would not be questioned much, it being the first day back, she entered the class. Completely unaware of how things in her life were about to change. A change for good for the first time. "Ma'am, please may I come in?" Amaya's sweet voice echoed in the class, falling on a pair of ears that were desperately waiting for it.

Since that morning he saw Amaya on the road, Aditya had spent his entire holidays thinking about her. He even had dreamt of her a few times, waking up the next morning with the broadest smile. Not seeing her in the class had made him restless. He wondered if she had left school, but her name was there on the attendance sheet. His heart hoped for a miracle. When he heard her voice, he couldn't help staring at her, his lips curved into a smile. She looked exactly the way she did before that morning. Two neatly pleated braids, her glasses, the school dress everything was the same, yet something had changed. Aditya was feeling things he had not before with Rhea and that excited him. Wanting to explore more of his feelings, he took a deep breath and stared at his girl.

Amaya was a first bencher, who was only interested in the classes, making notes throughout for self-study. Normally she sat alone on a two-person bench but that day she saw Rhea sitting there. She looked at her wide-eyed and realized how Rhea was trying to make her life hell. She decided to go and sit on the only other empty seat at the back. Things would need to change. She told herself to just focus on her goals and not think of anything else while walking toward the empty seat.