Hua Hai Aaj Pehli Baar

Chapter 8

ʜᴇʟʟᴏ ᴍᴀɴꜱʜᴀ'ꜱ,
ʜᴇʀᴇ ɪꜱ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛɪꜰᴜʟ ʜɪɢʜ ꜱᴄʜᴏᴏʟ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ.
ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ
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The morning in Yatharth’s home began in a quiet hum, the peaceful stillness broken only by the soft rustling of sheets and the occasional clink of dishes downstairs. Light streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, painting the room in shades of gold. Evara was already up, moving around the kitchen with ease, preparing breakfast for the group.

Yatharth stretched, his body slowly waking after the previous night's emotional whirlwind. The memory of going down on his knees for Vanya flashed briefly in his mind, a flicker of warmth rising in his chest. But there was no time to dwell on it now. Today had to start like any other day.

Down the hall, muffled voices could be heard as the others stirred. Rajveer’s laugh rang out, likely at some joke Riaan had made—his usual energetic self.

By the time Yatharth made his way downstairs, the breakfast table was already set. The rich aroma of coffee filled the air, accompanied by the enticing scent of freshly baked bread and scrambled eggs. Evara had outdone herself again.

One by one, the others started trickling in—Rajveer, Iyaana, Vraj, Roohi, and finally, Vanya. Their presence filled the room with a familiar buzz, a comfortable chaos that made the house feel alive. Yatharth glanced briefly at Vanya, who took her seat across the table, their eyes meeting for a second before she quickly looked away.

Whatever was brewing beneath the surface between them would have to wait. For now, it was just breakfast, laughter, and the start of another day together.

The breakfast table was buzzing with chatter as everyone dug into the meal, the clink of cutlery and occasional bursts of laughter filling the air. Vraj and Roohi, sitting side by side, both unknowingly reached for the same spoon. Their hands brushed, and Vraj quickly mumbled, “Sorry,” his eyes darting around awkwardly.

Iyaana caught the moment, and with a smirk, said, “Arre, aise kaun sorry bolta hai?”

Vraj, still embarrassed, muttered back, “Insaan aise hi sorry bolte hai, okay?”

Iyaana shook her head dramatically. “Nahi nahi, aise nahi bolte. Thoda innovation lao yaar. Be creative!"

Vraj raised an eyebrow, smirking now. "Care to explain, please?"

Before Iyaana could respond, Rajveer leaned back in his chair, grinning like he’d been waiting for this moment. With zero hesitation, he burst into song, "Hukoom aapka tha jo maine na maana, khatavar hoon mein, na aaya nibhaana. Saza jo bhi dogi, woh manzoor hogi, aji meri mushkil tabhi door hogi."

Roohi and Iyaana immediately joined in, all three of them finishing with exaggerated flair, “*Aise*!”

Yatharth, caught completely off-guard, choked on his food, coughing violently. Vanya’s eyes widened in shock, her cheeks turning pink as she lowered her gaze, too shy to meet anyone’s eyes.

Riaan, confused and clearly out of the loop, grabbed the glass of water and handed it to Yatharth, patting his back. “Bhai, bas ignore kar inko, ye log kuch bhi bakwaas karte hain.”

Yatharth took the water, still coughing but managing a nod of thanks. As he sipped, his eyes flicked over to Vanya. For a brief moment, their eyes met—hers wide and bashful, his still trying to catch his breath. An awkward but undeniable connection crackled between them before they both quickly looked away, leaving the air at the table charged with an unspoken tension.
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The group stood in the driveway, their laughter mixing with the breeze. Rajveer, ever the mischief-maker, grinned and twirled his bike keys. “Yaar, soch raha hoon, hum log jab tak Yatharth ke ghar pe hain, kyun na ladkiyon ko school hum le jaayein bikes pe. Full style mein!”