Fragile Hearts

C h a p t e r - 11

One week had passed, and the friendship between Siddharth, Riya, Arun, Sruthi, Vikram, and Rahul had solidified. They had become inseparable, sharing everything from inside jokes to study sessions. The group's dynamic was a mix of humor, warmth, and understanding, and they could always count on each other, no matter what.

This morning, however, the classroom atmosphere was entirely different. The silence was almost oppressive as the entire class wrote their test.

The only sound was the faint rustling of papers and the scratch of pens on notebooks. Mrs. Meenakshi paced the room, her sharp eyes scanning every student to ensure there were no signs of distraction or misconduct.

Riya sat in the middle row, working through the exam paper, her brows furrowed in concentration. The math problems were tough, but she was focused, solving one question after another with quiet determination.

A bench beside her, Siddharth sat staring at his blank answer sheet, his pen untouched. His mind wasn't on the exam, and despite the pressure of the test, he couldn't bring himself to write a single word.

His thoughts wandered, and every few minutes, he glanced up at the clock, unbothered by the fact that time was slipping away.

Behind Siddharth, Arun was a picture of confusion.

Arun: "Enna da kelvi idhu, onnume puriyala, Maths kum nammakum set eh agadhu polaye." He scratched his head, staring at his test paper as if it were written in a foreign language.

"Sari, Nammaku therinja tables ah eludhuvom." He let out an exaggerated sigh of frustration, clearly struggling to make sense of the questions in front of him.

Riya glanced at Siddharth out of the corner of her eye. She had noticed he wasn't writing and could sense something was off. But with the teacher constantly circling the room, she knew she couldn't ask him what was wrong. Still, she couldn't help but feel concerned.

Arun let out another dramatic sigh, louder this time, and Mrs. Meenakshi's gaze immediately snapped in his direction. She arched an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed.

Mrs. Meenakshi: "Arun, is there a problem?"

Arun froze, caught off guard.

Arun: "Uhh... no, Mam. Just... thinking."

Ms. Meenakshi narrowed her eyes but didn't press further. She continued walking, leaving Arun to scratch his head in even greater confusion.

Siddharth, hearing the exchange, smirked slightly but still didn't pick up his pen. He leaned back in his chair, seemingly unfazed by the ticking clock or the serious atmosphere in the room.

Riya finished another question and glanced at him again, biting her lip. She wanted to reach out, but with Ms. Meenakshi patrolling the classroom, there was little she could do.

The classroom remained silent as the tension built. Suddenly, someone called Mrs. Meenakshi from outside. She stepped out, leaving the class unattended for a moment. The air seemed to lighten for just a second, but then Arun saw his opportunity.

Arun: "Riya, pass your paper! Sikram!" he whispered urgently, leaning forward in his seat.

Riya's heart raced. She hesitated, eyes wide with fear. She glancing nervously at the door where Ms. Meenakshi was still talking. She turned back and nodded her head as no.

But before she could react further, Arun leaped from his seat and grabbed her paper right off her desk. Riya's breath hitched as her body froze in fear. She could feel the sweat trickling down her neck.

Riya: "No, Arun maattika porom." She whispered silently as her mind spiraled with panic.

Arun, however, acted like nothing had happened. He sat back in his seat and began casually scribbling down answers from her paper, looking perfectly calm and composed, as if he were writing the test all along.