Falling Softly

DECEPTION

Narrator's POV

One day during an inter-school competition, Kavya came in second, and Aaryan came in first. For Aaryan, the day was unforgettable. He had hoped to earn respect and pride from his father, but despite his victory, he did not manage to pass his exams. His father, disappointed by the failed report card, slapped him hard after the competition, even though Aaryan had won. Meanwhile, Kavya's father consoled him, and after everyone had left, Kavya and Aaryan met for the first time. (Reference chapter: "Memories Bring Back Memories")

Many years earlier...

We are talking about the high school days of Aaryan and Kavya. Kavya's school hosted a science fair, which led to each school in the district sending their projects with teams of students to represent them.

Before this event, Kavya and Aaryan had crossed paths several times but had never interacted. They often competed for top positions, with one coming first and the other second, creating a minor rivalry between them. After the slap incident, Aaryan decided he would never participate in such competitions again. However, his friends and teachers almost forced him to take part.

Kavya, having witnessed what happened to Aaryan, felt a degree of sympathy for him. Additionally, since she attended an elite school and Aaryan came from a local school, she respected his achievements even though they had never interacted.

It was a quiet morning when Aaryan and his team arrived at the hall to set up their project. They were given a designated space with a table and one chair. As they began arranging their materials, the atmosphere was filled with the hustle and bustle of preparation.

In the meantime, other teams also entered the hall and began preparing for the visitors. Students from various schools would come to view the projects, ask questions, and finally, judges would arrive to evaluate and score the projects. The winner would be decided based on these scores.

Aaryan's eyes were glued to the door when Kavya and her team entered the hall. She appeared energetic and excited about the day's events. After a while, every table was set with projects, and the preparations were nearly complete. Students started milling around, examining different projects and discussing them. Some had already begun forming opinions about who might win.

Aaryan was part of his team primarily because of his speaking skills. He was responsible for presenting their project to visitors and judges, while he had contributed only minimally to the project's development.

He was in his uniform, his eyes closed as he stood beside his team's table, rehearsing the speech he had prepared about their project. When he opened his eyes, he saw Kavya and her friend standing in front of him.

"This looks impressive," Kavya commented. Aaryan, momentarily at a loss for words, remained silent. One of his teammates quickly responded with a smile, "Thank you, we tried our best." Kavya's friend was none other than her best friend at the time, Viraj.

"Congratulations on your win in the last competition," Kavya said, directing her attention to Aaryan. Taken aback by the unexpected greeting, Aaryan stood there in silence for a moment before managing to reply, "Thank you."

Kavya then initiated another conversation, expressing her curiosity about him due to their rivalry and his remarkable ability to win competitions without the guidance of top teachers. Viraj, standing beside Kavya, could sense the admiration she had for Aaryan.

After a while, Aaryan visited their table, and they exchanged a few words. The time to welcome visitors was approaching quickly, with only a few minutes left.

Aaryan stepped outside the hall to prepare himself for his presentation speech and engage in some self-talk to boost his confidence. As he was pacing, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning to his right, he saw Viraj standing there with a smile.