Fragile Hearts

C h a p t e r - 8

The next day, the usual buzz of students chatting filled the classroom, but it was soon interrupted by the teacher's voice.

Teacher: "Settle down, class. We have a new student joining us today. Sruthi, come on in."

All eyes turned to the door as Sruthi walked in, a shy smile on her face. She was of medium height, with shoulder-length hair and an air of quiet confidence. She glanced around the room, clearly a little nervous.

Teacher: "Sruthi, you can sit next to Riya. There's an empty seat there."

Riya, who was sitting near the window, gave Sruthi a warm smile as she approached. The empty seat beside Riya had been vacant ever since Anjali's transfer, and now it was Sruthi's new spot. Sruthi took her seat and nodded at Riya, who leaned in.

Riya: "Hi, I'm Riya. If you need anything, just ask."

Sruthi: "Thanks, Riya."

As the class resumed, Sruthi seemed to relax a little, occasionally glancing around to familiarize herself with the new environment. Riya, noticing her slight hesitation, continued to offer small gestures of support, making sure Sruthi felt welcomed.

Meanwhile, Siddharth couldn't help but glance back once or twice. Though he didn't interact with the new girl, he noticed how Riya, always kind and welcoming, was quick to extend her friendship.

Siddharth sat at the back of the classroom with Arun, feeling slightly restless. Just ahead of them sat two of their old friends who had recently rejoined the class after a long break-Vikram and Rahul. The two were notorious for their lighthearted teasing and, as usual, they didn't take long to stir up trouble.

As Siddharth's gaze naturally drifted toward Riya, who was sitting beside the new girl, Sruthi, Vikram nudged Rahul with a smirk.

Vikram: Hey rahul, Siddharth ah paren andha Riya ponnaiye pathutu irukan. Is our boy crushing on her?"

Rahul grinned, catching on to the teasing.

Rahul: "Looks like it! Hey macha! Enna da? Falling for Riya, huh?"

Siddharth frowned and shook his head, trying to ignore them. But before he could respond, Arun, who had been listening to the entire conversation, immediately spoke up, waving his hand dramatically.

Arun: "Hey guys, stop! Siddharth, riyaku oru nalla friend avlodhan. That's it. Thappu thappa pesadhinga."

The teasing momentarily stopped as Vikram and Rahul looked at each other, surprised by Arun's sudden defense.

Vikram: "Oh apdiya? Unaku en Avlo kovam?"

Arun sat up straight, puffing out his chest in mock seriousness.

Arun: "Because Riya is my crush! Not Siddharth's."

The group erupted into laughter, except for Siddharth, who rolled his eyes and gave Arun a deadpan look.

Siddharth: "Ama ivanuku crush but avaluku ivan brother."

But despite his sarcastic tone, Siddharth couldn't help but crack a smile looking at Arun's face.

Arun: "Heyyy macha, summa iru da.. unaku nyabagam illa nethu ava sonnale." He said blushing.

Rahul: "Oh oh, Namma Arun ahye vekka pada vechiruka apdina, apdi enna sonna da ava."

Arun: "Avaluku enna pudikum sonna."

Arun grinned, proud of himself for turning the tables, while Siddharth just shook his head, thankful that the teasing had moved away from him.

The laughter continued, but Siddharth sat back in his chair, trying to ignore the teasing from Vikram and Rahul.

He wasn’t in the mood to joke about anyone, especially with everything still fresh from his breakup with Anjali.