FALLING

Chapter 1: A New Beginning

My admission into a new school happened when I entered Class 9.
It was a morning I would never forget.

I was extremely excited. A new school meant new faces, new friends, and a completely fresh start. Of course, I missed my old friends, but the happiness of beginning something new was stronger. When the school bus arrived, I quickly got ready and stepped out with a strange mix of nervousness and excitement.

As I reached the school, my teacher introduced me to the class. Everyone looked at me with curious eyes. That was when I made my first friend—Vansh. He was kind, friendly, and easy to talk to. I instantly felt comfortable around him. Our class teacher, Ms. Ananya, spoke to me very politely, which made me feel even more welcome.

While settling into my seat, my eyes caught a glimpse of a girl sitting a few benches away. Her name was Divya. She was very pretty, but there was a certain attitude in the way she carried herself. Vansh later told me that she was known for being a little rude, so I decided to ignore her and focus on my studies.

That same day, I made another friend—Anirudh. He was cute and childish in a funny way. By the end of the day, Vansh, Anirudh, and I had already become good friends.

During lunch break, something unexpected happened. I accidentally bumped into Divya. She got angry and said,
“Can’t you see where you’re going?”

I immediately apologized and walked away without saying anything more. That was when I realized—she wasn’t just confident, she was actually rude. I decided to stay away from her and enjoy my time with my friends.

That day was a half-day, so I returned home early. I told my mother everything—about my new school, my teachers, and my new friends. The most interesting part was that Vansh lived just fifteen minutes away from my house. From the next day onwards, we started going to school together, and that made me feel even happier.

I was finally settling into my new school life. I had good friends—and where there are friends, enemies appear too. My enemy was clearly Divya. We never talked. We never even tried.

Soon, Divya became the sports captain of our school. For a moment, I thought she might use her power against me. She was always with her close friend Anuj, and they were inseparable. I often teased Anuj using Divya’s name, just for fun. Surprisingly, Anuj never took it seriously. He was genuinely a nice person and never complained to the teachers.

Slowly, everyone became my friend—Anuj too. But I still didn’t stop teasing him. Divya and I began talking occasionally, but only about studies. Nothing more.

One day, all of us—Vansh, Anirudh, Anuj, Divya, and her friend Payal—were sitting together. Anuj asked Divya to send the English work on the phone, and she agreed. Everyone asked her for the work. When she asked me, I also said yes. It felt normal… simple.

The next day, shocking news arrived—our exam datesheet was announced. Exams were starting from 4th May. Divya and Anuj were among the toppers, so they became very serious about their studies. Vansh, Anirudh, and I studied too—but with a little fun in between.

Days passed, and the exams arrived. Divya and I saw each other every day at school, but we barely spoke. We only wished each other “Best of luck” before entering the exam hall.

And just like that, the exams ended.
Results were announced.
And summer vacations began.

None of us knew that the girl I tried so hard to ignore would soon become the most important part of my story.