Against All Odds

he is so proud

They both broke into soft laughter through their tears, holding each other tighter, finding peace in the middle of all the chaos.

The next day, Kabir stood by the gate, his heart racing as he waited for Liza. The tension between his past and present weighed heavily on him. That's when Dhriti walked by, her gaze cold and sharp.

"Kabir," Dhriti called out, her voice dripping with the hate she tried to mask. "Do you want to talk about what happened? If you regret it, I understand."

Kabir's jaw clenched. "No, Dhriti. I don't regret anything. Let it go."

Her face twisted in confusion. "What?"

As she began to turn away, Kabir's voice broke through the tension, sharper than before. "Because of you, I realized just how much I love someone else... even when I tried to love you."

The words hit Dhriti like a slap. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her anger flared, and without a word, she stormed off, the weight of Kabir's rejection fueling her fury.

Liza arrived just as Dhriti disappeared. "I'm so sorry, Kabir, I had some work—"

"Don't worry about it," Kabir said softly, his whole demeanor softening as soon as he saw her. Without thinking, he reached for her hand.

Liza's breath caught in her throat. Her eyes widened as the warmth of his hand surprised her. *Is this the same guy?* she wondered. The one she fought with endlessly, the one who was once so distant? She glanced at him, and for the first time, she saw pride in his eyes, a sense of victory as if being with her was the greatest achievement he'd ever known.

They walked into the classroom, hand in hand. A silence swept over the room. *Everyone* was watching. Whispers erupted as they passed, but before Liza could fully process it, Akshara's voice rang out.

"Oh my god, it finally happened!" she shrieked, practically bouncing in her seat.

Liza couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, Akshara, it did," she said, glancing at Kabir, who was now standing taller, his chest puffed out with pride.

"I KNEW IT! I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN!" Akshara yelled. "You two look... wow... like, *perfect*!"

"Stop with the buttering, Akshara," Kabir teased, but the smile on his face was uncontainable.

Suddenly, the mood shifted. Dhriti slammed her hands on her desk, her face a mask of rage. Her voice cut through the laughter like a knife.

"Kabir, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

Kabir's face darkened. "What do you mean?"

"You *left* me for Liza? You'll regret this. Trust me, you'll come crawling back. You have no idea what you've done," she spat, her voice shaking with fury.

Liza, unable to bear the disrespect any longer, stood up, her eyes burning with fury. Her voice cut through the tension like a knife.

"Excuse me? Who do you think you are?" Liza's tone was icy, unflinching. "You have no right to judge *anyone* here. If Kabir regrets anything, it's ever wasting his time with *you*."

Dhriti's face twisted in shock, but Liza wasn't done. She took a step forward, her voice rising with unshakable confidence.

"You only care about yourself, Dhriti. You're too wrapped up in your own ego to notice anyone else's feelings. You're nothing but a narcissist, and frankly, I *pity* you. You're so desperate for validation from others that you can't even find it in yourself. That's pathetic."

The entire room was dead silent, every set of eyes locked on Liza, who stood tall, her words landing like blows. Kabir looked at her, completely taken aback by her fierce defense, pride swelling in his chest.

Dhriti, speechless, could only stand there as Liza's words echoed in her ears. The tables had turned, and it was clear who had the upper hand now.

The classroom erupted into loud gasps and 'woooos,' but Liza didn't flinch. Kabir, on the other hand, looked at her in pure awe. He'd never seen her this fierce, this strong.

Dhriti's face twisted with disbelief as she grabbed her things and stormed out of the room, the door slamming behind her.

Kabir was practically glowing. Liza looked at him and thought, *I've never seen him this... happy.* The look in his eyes was like nothing she'd ever seen before. It was as if, in that moment, everything was finally right.

A while later, they were sitting together outside the classroom, the energy between them calm yet electric. Kabir hesitated for a moment, then reached into his bag.

"I got you something," he said, his voice softer now.

Liza turned to him, surprised. "What is it?"

Kabir pulled out a small tube and handed it to her. "Kajal."

"Kajal?" Liza asked, puzzled. "Why kajal?"

Kabir's eyes met hers, warm and sincere. "You stopped wearing it after we stopped talking, and I noticed. I really miss how you used to look with your kohl—those big brown eyes were always so... beautiful." He smiled a little, almost shyly. "Please, wear it again? I loved seeing you like that."

Liza was speechless for a moment, her heart pounding. "Kabir... really?"

"Yeah. Really."

Liza smiled, her chest tight with emotion, and applied the kajal. "How do I look?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kabir's gaze locked on hers, his voice filled with quiet passion. "You look... mine."

Liza's heart flipped. "Oh god, Kabir, that's *so* cheesy!" she said, but her laughter couldn't hide the blush rising to her cheeks.

They laughed together, the sound ringing out like the promise of something deeper, something more than either of them had expected.