Chaotic Relations

Chapter 45

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Two months later

Ruhanika's POV

The morning sun streamed through my bedroom windows as I bent over my physics textbook, trying to make sense of electromagnetic induction for the hundredth time. The familiar comfort of studying wrapped around me like a warm blanket—some things never changed, even when your entire world got turned upside down and rearranged.

Two months. It had been exactly two months since I returned to school, since I walked back into those familiar corridors as Ruhanika Agnihotri instead of just another girl trying to blend into the background. The stares had been inevitable at first—my story had somehow made its way through the gossip mill, though thankfully in a heavily edited version that focused more on "long-lost princess returns" than on the darker truths of kidnapping and betrayal.

My school friends had been... adjusting. My best friends, Shivam, Aadrika, Mridul, and Sameeksha were still the same people I'd grown up with, but there was a new awareness in their eyes now. They looked at me sometimes like I might disappear again, like I was made of glass instead of flesh and blood. It was sweet in its own way, but also exhausting.

"Beta, nashta tayyar hai!" Child, breakfast is ready! Meera Maa's voice called from downstairs.

I closed my textbook with a sigh, my brain already fuzzy from three hours of non-stop studying. Board exams were just around the corner, and despite everything that had happened, I was determined to excel. Academic achievement had always been my anchor, and I wasn't about to let that slip now.

As I made my way downstairs, the familiar sounds of my family's morning routine greeted me. Manyu was chattering excitedly about something his teacher had said, while Ansh grumbled about having to wake up early for school. Normal, beautiful chaos.

"Good morning, Anika," Papa said softly as I entered the dining room. His recovery had been remarkable—the doctors said his determination to be present for his family had accelerated his healing beyond their expectations. He still moved a bit carefully, but the color had returned to his cheeks, and his eyes held their old sparkle.

"Good morning, Papa," I replied, kissing his forehead before taking my seat. It was a small ritual we'd developed over the past two months—these little gestures of affection that made up for thirteen years of lost moments.

"Sunshine, you look tired," Darsh bhai observed, setting down his coffee cup. His protective nature had only intensified since my return. "Have you been pushing yourself too hard with studies again?"

"I'm fine, bhaiya," I assured him, though the concern in his eyes made my heart warm. "Just want to make sure I'm prepared for boards."

"Pequeño bebé, you could probably teach those exams instead of taking them," Nishant bhai said with a grin, ruffling my hair as he passed behind my chair. "Your teachers keep calling Papa to brag about your performance."

I felt heat rise to my cheeks. It was true—returning to school had been like putting on a comfortable old coat. I'd thrown myself into my studies with renewed vigor, and my grades had soared even higher than before. My teachers seemed torn between pride and amazement at having a literal princess in their classrooms who also happened to be their star student.