DISTANCES

one | spring

c h a p t e r : 1

"Ishaan! help me with this", his mother, Asha asked her son who was busy with the headphones on his ears and eyes taking in the new atmosphere but her voice brought back his attention, he pushed one headphone a little away from his ear and raised his eyebrow in questioning.

His mother repeated, "Help me with this", indicating towards the boxes piled on doorsteps of their new home while his father was already carrying some. He nodded, pushing the headphones down on his neck and bent down to retrieve a box.

••••••••••••••••••••

"Ahana! come here and have your breakfast. I am telling you if don't finish this Paratha, I am not letting you leave this house. Ahana!" Anya, her mother yelled from the dining table where she was braiding her 12-year old daughter, Mehak's hair.

(A/N: Parathas are flatbread made of wheat)

"Coming! Coming!" answered Ahana while trying put her foot in her gray school socks and after she accomplished, she ran out of the door, across the hall, and took her seat beside Mehak and taking big bites from the Paratha roll wrapped in foil which her mother had made.

"There finished", she announced cheerfully while tossing the foil on the plate and smiled at her mother with her mouth full and then took out her black shoes school shoes from the shoe rack.

♡

Ahana hopped down the steps of the school bus followed by Mehak. She turned and patted Mehak's head, "Bye Chotu (kiddo)!", just to annoy her little sister though her scowl wasn't visible inside the face mask Ahana knew and strolled inside the school gate.

There was a bounce in her steps. She loved bright mornings, big fluffy clouds floating in the sky reminding her of the cotton candies, and when the bright golden sun rays fell on the newly sprouted leaves of the trees planted beside the path they looked as if they were glowing. Phenomenal, if described in one word.

"Yo!", greeted Nisha passing by Ahana and she saluted her with her two (pointer and middle) fingers in return and continued her steps towards the building.

"Oi Chotu!", called a distant voice from somewhere, she knew the speaker was calling her only since it was her current kick, calling people chotu. She looked behind, then sideways but there was no one, "look up", she did and saw her gang, squad, friends whatever you want to call them waving their hands from the second floor. Her friend circle was small with Saloni, Dev, and Abhay.

(A/N: description of their appearances at the end)

Her face lit up watching them, a grin took place on her face, "Stealing my lines, are we?"

Saloni or lonely, that's what they call her since she was always single but had a crush on every cute boy she saw, scoffed, "As if", while Dev or Devdas (a lover who can't pursue his love) shook her head perceiving the scene and Abhay or Bhay(fear) since he had a crush who he couldn't confess due to fear, was looking for his crush in the midst the crowd.

"Now come fast, we have a new student, and let me tell you a cute one!", announced Saloni from the second floor and loudly if pointed out, listening to which the busy students ascending the stairs looked at her, some snickered while other just stared at her then left.

'New student! This day couldn't get any better', Ahana thought to herself and sprinted up the stairs to her class.

With her calf muscles burning and her heavy breaths, she stepped on the last step and landed on the second floor where all three of her friends were waiting for her.

"Where!?!" asked an excited Ahana a little too loudly.

"In the class", answered Saloni, she was just as excited as Ahana, and then they both sauntered towards the class hastily.

˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖