Now only two months were left for our board exams, and everything around me had started changing. The same school, the same classrooms, the same corridors—but the feeling was different. There was a kind of seriousness in the air that wasn't there before. Everyone was tense, focused, and somewhere scared too. Conversations had changed. Earlier, we used to talk about random things, laugh without any reason, waste time without thinking twice… but now every discussion somehow ended on studies, marks, preparation, and exams. And slowly, that fear started affecting me too.😣 At first, I thought I could manage everything like before, but as days passed, I realized that this time was different. This was not just another exam. This was boards. And now… I had to study seriously. Teachers also became strict.😟 Their tone, their expectations, everything changed. They reminded us again and again how important these exams were, how these marks would affect our future. And somewhere, I started feeling that pressure too. On top of that, classes started getting divided. Toppers were shifted to section A, and average or low-scoring students were placed in section B. And somehow, I ended up in section A. I should have felt happy about it—and maybe I did, a little—but there was one thing that made it difficult for me. My best friend was in section B. Suddenly, our daily routine changed. We couldn't sit together, couldn't talk during lectures, couldn't share those small moments in class. The only time we had now was recess. Just that one break in the whole day. And in that small amount of time, we tried to talk about everything. Studies, teachers, stress… and of course, him. Because no matter how much I tried to focus on studies, I still couldn't completely ignore those feelings.🤞🏻❤️💫 But now, everything was different. Because of busy schedules, extra classes, revisions, tests—I stopped going to the terrace regularly. Not because I didn't want to… but because I didn't have time anymore. And maybe… because I was trying to control myself again. He was also very focused on studies. He was good in academics, so obviously he stayed in his class most of the time too. Even during recess, he was rarely seen outside. So now, those daily glimpses had reduced. The only place where I sometimes saw him was the parking area. Just for a few seconds. Sometimes before leaving. Sometimes randomly. And even those small moments felt special. It's strange how when something becomes rare, its value increases even more. Days kept passing like this—quietly, quickly, and a little heavily. And before I even realized… only about one month was left. One month. Just one. And with that, something else was coming closer—our farewell. The last days of school life. The final goodbye to everything that had become a part of us. Preparations had already started. Students from 9th and 11th were practicing for performances—dance, music, all kinds of things—for our farewell. The school atmosphere started changing again, but in a different way this time. There was stress… but also a hidden excitement. One day, during recess, me and my best friend somehow got time and decided to go to the terrace again. It had been a while since I went there properly. As we reached, I saw some students practicing for the farewell. Music was playing, they were dancing, laughing, correcting each other, enjoying the moment. And suddenly… something clicked in my mind. A memory. The same terrace. The same kind of scene. And then I realized… one year ago, we were also standing there. Watching others. Or maybe… just being there. And that was the day… I saw him for the first time. In that black shirt. I still remember that moment so clearly. How I didn't even know his name. How I didn't expect anything. And still… something changed inside me. Love at first sight. I don't even know if it was really love or just a strong feeling—but whatever it was… it stayed. Even after all these months. Even after trying to ignore it. Even after everything. Thinking about all this, a small smile automatically appeared on my face.☺️ Not a big one. Just a soft, quiet smile. The kind that only you understand. My best friend noticed it and said, "Haan yaar… kitni jaldi time beet gaya na." I nodded slowly. "Haan…" That one word carried so many thoughts. So many memories. Because it really felt like everything happened too fast. From that first moment… to all those eye contacts… to terrace visits… to running in corridors… to trying to move on… and now… standing here again, at the same place. But with less time. And more feelings. I looked around once more. At the students practicing. At the terrace. At the sky. And somewhere inside, I felt something strange. Not exactly sadness. Not exactly happiness. Just… a mix of both. Because I knew… these days were not going to come back. These moments were limited. And maybe… so was this story. But still… I stood there. Smiling softly. Holding on to those memories. Not knowing what was going to happen next. But somehow feeling… that the coming days were going to be even more important. ✨
The next day, when I reached school, everything felt normal from outside, but inside I still had those same thoughts running in my mind, and as I was parking my vehicle, just casually looking around, I suddenly saw him there in the morning itself, standing with his friends, and the moment I saw him, a small smile came on my face automatically😌💜 and I thought, "Aaj subha subha usse dekh liya… iska matlab aaj ka din bahut accha jayega," it felt like a good sign, like something positive had already happened before the day even started, and I quietly went to my class with that same happy feeling inside me, trying to focus on studies like everyone else, but somewhere that one moment kept me smiling again and again, and then during recess, something happened that I never expected, the stairs were full of students, there was so much rush because everyone was either going up or coming down, and me and my best friend were going upstairs slowly, adjusting ourselves in that crowd, and at the same time, he was coming down with his friends from the opposite side, and everything happened so quickly that I didn't even get time to react, in that same rush, our shoulders touched😩🙈💓, just for a second, but it felt like time stopped for me, I froze for a moment, my heart suddenly beating faster🫀, and before I could even understand what just happened, he had already moved ahead with his friends, but for me… that one second stayed, I turned slightly back without making it obvious, just to confirm if it really happened or not, and yes, it did, we actually touched, something so small, so normal for others, but for me… it meant so much more, I felt this sudden wave of happiness inside me, like something unexpected but beautiful just happened, and my best friend, who was right beside me, immediately noticed my reaction and started teasing me, "Oooohh… dekha mene," she said with a smile, but at that moment, I was barely listening to her, I was too busy feeling that moment again and again, "Yaar… mene usse touch kiya," I kept saying again and again in excitement, almost whispering but still unable to control myself, I felt like jumping, dancing, doing something crazy just to express that happiness, but unfortunately… I was in school, surrounded by people, so I had to control everything, I tried to act normal, tried to calm myself down, but inside, it was completely opposite, I couldn't stop smiling, couldn't stop thinking about that one second, and the whole recess went like that, half listening to my best friend, half lost in my own thoughts, and even after that, during all the classes, I wasn't fully present, my mind kept going back to that moment again and again, like I was replaying it, trying to feel it once more, and when I finally reached home, I went straight to my room, lay down on my bed, staring at the ceiling, and all I could think about was him, everything about him, that morning glimpse, that accidental touch, that small moment which somehow made my entire day special, and I just stayed there, smiling to myself, thinking how something so simple can make me this happy… and maybe that's what made it real. ❤️
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