𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐏𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒
What happens when
𝐒𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐘𝐀𝐑𝐀 𝐃𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐏𝐔𝐓𝐑𝐀 - the girl who mastered the art of being unseen,
stitched together with silence and scar tissue,
haunted by the ruins of love and friendsh...
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Everything went perfectly at the medical check-up, and I got lucky—today the school was holding food and spice tolerance competitions.
It was exactly what I'd been craving. The pani puri and those spicy wafers were absolutely top-tier.
My craving grew stronger as I savored each bite, not even realizing I was continuously winning.
As much as I love sweets, being Maharashtrian, I could never not love spice.
Each competition brought a new level of heat with different foods—bhel, various spicy wafers, chili tomato rolls, and pani puri—culminating in the spiciest chips and pani puri drenched in real chili water.
The host announced the last competitors: me, Evyaan, and another guy, Rohan. The idea of competing again with Evyaan sent a warning to my stomach.
No matter how much I try to avoid him, it always comes back to him in the end. Meanwhile, my team was fully expecting me to win.
The thought of being disturbed again just because of Evyaan and those rumors left a bad taste in my mouth.
Our eyes met as I walked toward the main table. If I read anything in his gaze, it was disappointment.
The host paused, consulting with his team, then announced that it would be just Rohan and me.
Relief washed over me—free from the weight of being paired with Evyaan—though there was a sting I didn't want to admit.
The more distance I put between us, the quieter the rumors became. That's what I needed: silence. No more whispers about him "pity helping" me, no more accusations that I was faking cluelessness just to catch his attention.
But avoidance came at a cost—this gnawing feeling of something unfinished, like a spark left unlit, its potential lingering in the air.
I took a deep breath, willing my thoughts to settle. The truth I didn't want to face was clear: keeping my distance didn't erase what I felt. If anything, it made me even more aware of how those feelings could grow—if I let them.
But I couldn't.
I wouldn't.
Not now, not ever.
"Sir, Evyaan is joining too. He's ready," a student interrupted just as we were about to start.
I blinked, caught off guard. Hadn't he just backed out? A mix of surprise and annoyance surged through me, but I sighed and resigned myself to his sudden reappearance.
The host looked confused and went off to consult with the school faculty.
Meanwhile, Evyaan casually took his place beside me, leaving me squarely in the center of an unexpected and tense moment. I bit down on the inside of my cheek, trying to push down the rising anxiety.
