In this heartfelt tale, we follow the lives of Aravind and Chaaru, two teenage school sweethearts, as they navigate the complexities of love, responsibility, and growing up together. Unlike most teenage couples, they strive to build a relationship b...
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I was jolted awake by a tap on my shoulder. Groggily, I lifted my head and glanced around. The desk had left faint prints on my face from where I'd been resting. Stretching slowly, I turned to see Hena standing there with a smile. The classroom was empty, but my classmates were beginning to trickle in. I moved to the second-to-last bench and scanned the room to see if he was there. He wasn't. I sighed in disappointment.
Pearly ma'am entered and started the first period. I had arrived early to avoid staying at home. Hena, my best friend, has always been there for me. I turned to see her watching me with concern and gave her a sleepy smile.
"What's the problem between you two? It's been two months, but you both still seem distant," Hena asked.
I stared straight ahead, unwilling to reveal how bad I felt. Hena hugged me by the shoulders and rested her head on my shoulder.
"I understand you might miss your parents," she began, but I shot her a glare.
"My toxic parents. I don't want to talk about them. For the first time in my life, I feel peaceful," I thought. "It's been two months since he and I have talked things out, but I feel warmth and comfort now, unlike how I felt with my parents."
Hena quickly corrected herself, "Okay, sorry. I meant you might feel lonely since you both just started living together... It's okay, don't feel bad."
Suddenly, I heard Pearly ma'am say, "Yes, come in." I looked in the direction of the door. There he was—Aravind—6', tall, and muscular enough to drool over, looking dashing even in the 12th-grade uniform. He was my man, his smile and eyes always bringing me peace. He settled at his desk, which was beside mine, though separated by a four-foot gap for people to walk through. He refused to look my way.
Hena nudged me, and I turned to her. She whispered for me to stop drooling and pay attention to the class.
For the past two months, every morning I had woken up early, made lunch and breakfast, and packed everything neatly. I kept the house clean and did things he liked. Yet, he hadn't dared to look at me once. Despite living in the same apartment, just 20 minutes from our school, we hadn't spoken since finishing our 11th grade three months ago.
Myfamily was too toxic. They sent me out in the middle of the night. I wasadopted because my parents couldn't conceive, but after my brother's birth, they didn't care about me. My six-year-younger brother was my only support and the one who stopped me from taking my life. I have always been studious and energetic. I have known Aravind since we started studying in the 5th grade. He is calm, studious, introverted, and the best-looking guy I know. We've been friends since then. He was bubbly and cute, and I developed a crush on him in 8th grade. He only talked to me among the girls.
I liked him because of his calm nature and his expressive eyes. After the 10th grade holidays, he came back transformed—no longer a boy, but a guy. I was shocked. Not to mention, I started hitting the badminton court near my home to avoid being at home. I looked better than before. Girls who never dared to look at him began to drool over him. My possessiveness peaked, and I decided to switch classes to be with him. He was studying Computer Science and Math, while I was in Bio-Math. Our sections differed, but when they combined CS-Math and Bio-Math due to class size, I was over the moon.
