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People say, after your home, the school is your second home, the teachers are your second parents and your classmates and schoolmates are your siblings.

Arvika had always believed in that saying, but unfortunately, the past school was not a good memory for her, it was anything but good. Students were too bossy and rowdy, along with their obnoxiousness with a dash of pride, as they all were mostly from affluent families, having a silver spoon in their mouths since childhood which had made them arrogant and obstinate.

She too had a rich father of whom she could be proud, but unfortunately, he was not her biological father and he too never left a chance unturned to prove that to her. But she had resolved to herself that she would be so successful that she could be proud of herself.

After one week, finally Arvika along with her half-brother, Akshit were ready to join their new school, St. Xavier's Convent, the city's topmost school which was famous for giving many famous alumni who were successful in their respective lives. Mr Srivastav had already deposited Akshit's fees, while Arvika, like every time, had been awarded a scholarship, because of taking part in various All-India-Level-Scholarship-Exams, which had given her a lot of help.

Children of her age used to spend their pocket money on buying smartphones, dresses, cosmetics, video games and the list is endless, but she was a gem. Having such an unsupportive family, she couldn't even ask for a bar of chocolate, forget about anything else. Whatever they gave to her was the same thing which they used to give to their servants, because in their eyes, Arvika was not their daughter, but just a burden on their shoulders. And she knew it better. Her mother had said these words many times.

"Dad, I wanted a Spiderman bag, and you brought this good-for-nothing Mickie's bag, I already hate it," Akshit complained, sitting on the passenger seat, with his father in the driver seat, while Arvika was busy gawking at the beautiful nature which she could see from the car's window, clutching her old, simple bag which she had got as first prize in a writing competition, to her chest which had been torn from the front.

Arvika sighed when she heard her brother's complaining; here she was still using that bag which was at least two years old, and there, her brother was complaining of the differences of his favourite cartoon characters printed on his bag.

"Okay son, today I will call my assistant and tell him to bring you a 'spiderman bag' and then will give this bag to our maid's son, what say?" Mr Srivastav loved his son over the moon, and his son's complaint was not liked by him, he wanted to give him the whole world, how could he reject his son's wish for just a school bag.

"You are the best Dad in this world," Akshit's voice was enough for Mr Srivastav to be cheered up again.

After a drive of around half an hour, finally, they were inside the premises of their new school.

"Bye Dad," Akshit was awestruck when he saw his new school's building yesterday, which had such a marvellous architecture. Arvika too had admired the buildings' architecture, it was a splendid monument.

"All the best, son, enjoy your day," Mr Srivastav kissed his son's forehead, and finally after bidding him adieu, he went away towards his office, completely ignoring the step-daughter which he had got free with his love, his wife.

"Bye Arvika," Akshit cheered loudly and went towards the class which his father had already shown to him yesterday when they had come for the admission.

"Bye Akshit," she greeted him back, while still noticing her surroundings. Students were scattered here & there, waiting for the morning assembly to start. Some were busy laughing, some were gossiping, she smiled looking at the teenagers and finally got inside her classroom room, which read 'VIII A' on the top of the wooden door.

She was greeted by only two students who were busy eating some other student's lunch box, she glared at their back, cursing them inside her mind. She had got that because of their conversation which proved that it was somebody else's lunch box. The hold on her bag's clutch grew stronger, not wanting her tasty tiffin to be eaten by those hogs, for god's sake, her mother had given her some scrumptious Chole Bature, how could she hand over those to these gluttons?

"Pigs," she cursed under her breath and without waiting for a moment, immediately left the class, towards the ground where their morning assembly was to start. Finding her class' line was challenging among the innumerable lines of students that she could see. Although the assembly had not yet started, yet the students were now busy in maintaining their class' queues, standing in a straight line, with one hand distance between them.

"Which queue belongs to my class?" she whispered to herself while clutching her bag's handles, a sign of her nervousness and anxiety due to her new surroundings.

"Hey child, are you new to this school? Don't you know that bags are to be kept inside your respective classes," her train of thought was disrupted by a female teacher, who had worn the usual clothing of a 'sister' at a convent school along with a big spectacle on her solemn orbs. Arvika was nervous earlier but now she was terrified, seeing the intimidating lady in front of her.

"Yes, mam, I am new to this school," Arvika replied, trying not to look into the daunting eyes of her teacher, who was staring at her sharply.

"Welcome to our school, dear, I am the principal of this school, Sophie D'Souza, and from now on, you will keep your bag inside the classroom, okay?" the nun was none other than the principal of St. Xavier's. Yesterday, Miss Sophie was not there in the school so Arvika hadn't seen her earlier.

"Yes ma'am," Arvika nodded her head, her hands clutching her bag more tightly for now she knew that the lady in front of her was her new School's principal.

"Which standard?" she asked her, noticing Arvika's nervousness and a gentle smile donned her features.

"Mam, VIII A," Arvika replied, now relaxing as she saw the smiling face of her principal.

"Okay, let me call your class teacher, she will show you VIII A's class queue," Miss Sophie replied and called Mrs Patel who was the class teacher of Arvika, requesting her to guide Arvika further.

Finally, Arvika got in the line of her class, and the morning assembly too had started with the English prayer as well as the Sanskrit verses, which was compulsory for all the students as well as teachers to attend. The prayer was new to her, but she knew that she'd learn it quickly, she smiled, singing along with other students.

Subsequently, the day ended with many incidents that were new for Arvika. After dinner, she was currently lying on her bed, thinking about all the events which took place today.

~

"28th June 2015,

10:30 pm,

"Hello, Dear Diary!"

Today was my first day at my new school in Mumbai which I enjoyed a lot!

You won't believe it but I got a new friend, diary, yes, a new friend, unlike my previous school where children used to hate me. They never talked to me. But now, I got a friend which I had always longed for.

After the assembly, when I had reached inside our class, children were gawking at me, seeing a new admission, but I didn't lose my calm, diary. I tried to be confident in front of them, I tried to look like a perfect extrovert, an idea which I had implemented, thinking that may give me some new friends. But people say, you cannot fake your identity. And that's why I couldn't get along with other classmates except for Sakshi, the new friend which I had got today.

After entering the classroom, my class teacher, Mrs Patel had asked me to give my introduction in front of the whole class. Although I was a little nervous at the beginning, later I was better. Some students smiled at me. Some gave me odd looks while some ignored me, but I don't mind any of them.

Then Mrs Patel took our attendance, and she is our English/Literature teacher, diary and she is brilliant at it. I enjoyed her class.

And you know when Sakshi entered the scene?

When I was going back to my seat, after giving my identification certificate to Mrs Patel which she had asked for after taking our attendance. Then only our Sakshi had entered inside the classroom, after taking permission from Mrs Patel. She was late because her car had broken down in the middle. Mrs Patel had let her enter inside and that's how she landed on the seat beside me.

As there was no vacant seat left, Sakshi sat beside me and she gave me her beautiful smile. I also smiled back at her.

I liked her friendly nature already. She is a nice person. Do you know her full name? No, right? She is Sakshi Kapoor, such a filmy surname she had, I had even complimented her for that and she just had laughed off at that. She is jovial, pretty, intelligent, friendly, everything a human should be. I felt at home after years, being with her the whole day.

I cannot explain, diary, but I feel an unknown connection to her. We also had our lunch together, after years I had shared my lunch with someone, it feels so good.

She had even lent me her notebooks, as I have to complete the whole one-month work which had been done when I was not in this school, as per the orders of our subject teachers. I had to convince her for her notebooks, as she was adamant to send the photos of all the class works, but as I had no phone, I had persuaded her for her notebooks. My parents won't allow me to use their smartphones, that's why I brought her notebooks after convincing her.

Now, I have a lot of work to finish, Science, Maths, English, French, Computer, Hindi, Social science, so much work is left, diary.

Bye diary, I think I should start doing them ASAP!"

~

She recorded down and belatedly got engaged in arranging all her pending work, concentrating on all the highlighted notes which had been marked by her dearest friend Sakshi.

Arvika's diary entries revealed a glimpse into her inner world, filled with dreams, aspirations, and the occasional musings of a young teen mind. Her entries were sprinkled with childish phrases and littered with grammatical errors, a reflection of her struggles with her second language, that is, English.

****

"Sakshi, how many times have I warned you about not to touch my belongings, why did you take my laptop? Tell me?" Dev was busy searching for his laptop while shouting at his sister, Sakshi who was busy munching on the chocolates that her father had brought from Belgium, where he had gone for a business trip.

"Bhaiya, relax, I had taken that as our computer system was not working properly, I had to make a PPT," she replied nonchalantly, now licking the wrapper of the chocolate where few of the nuts were still intact. She couldn't let go of these nutty nuts, could she? Dev had still not noticed her chocolates or their fragrance.

"Then you should keep the things at the same place from where you had taken them? Right?" Sakshi continued licking the chocolate, not batting an eye at her brother's outburst.

"It's in my room, go and take that and let me enjoy my chocolates," she mumbled carelessly and that's when he noticed what she was doing.

His eyes widened in disbelief at the sight before him. There, sprawled across his bed, was his sister indulging in a chocolate bar, crumbs scattered across the sheets. Anger surged through Dev as he stormed over to her, his patience wearing thin.

"Are you serious, Sakshi? Get off my bed right now!" he exclaimed, his voice laced with frustration as he angrily pulled her away from his prized sanctuary.

Sakshi looked up with a mischievous glint in her eyes, a smirk playing on her lips. "What's the big deal, Bhaiya? It's just a little chocolate," she retorted, her tone unapologetic.

Dev's nostrils flared with irritation as he shook his head in disbelief. "You know very well that I don't like food in my room, especially not on my bed! And you always find these not-so-clean methods to irritate me," he scolded her, his tone stern as he reprimanded her for her carelessness.

Sakshi rolled her eyes, unfazed by her brother's admonishment. "Oh, lighten up, oldie. It's not like I'm making a mess on purpose. You're just too uptight," she countered, her defiance evident in her demeanour.

Frustration bubbling within him, Dev took a deep breath, trying to calm himself before speaking again. "Sakshi, I've told you a hundred times to respect my space and my belongings. It's not too much to ask for a little consideration," he explained, his tone softer but firm.

With a reluctant sigh, Sakshi nodded, realizing that her brother was not going to back down. "Fine, I'll clean up the mess. But seriously, you need to learn to relax, oldie," she muttered under her breath as she begrudgingly gathered the chocolate wrappers and crumbs from the bed.

As Dev watched his sister clean up the mess, he couldn't help but shake his head in exasperation. He trudged towards her room to find his prized laptop and was welcomed by the site of Her Highness' untidy realm!

Dev got indulged in finding his laptop in his sister's room which was no less than an earthquake-prone area, being struck by an earthquake for more than a hundred times, her room's state was like that only. All messy and unclean, like hit by an earthquake.

"Even primitive men would be more civilized than my sister," Dev muttered to himself after finding his laptop, which was burdened down under the huge heap of clothes.

"Don't know how unlucky that girl would be to have a partner like you, Mr Neatness Freak, huh," Sakshi mumbled to herself, while purposely dropping the wrapper of her chocolate on his bed, his neat and clean bed, wanting to irritate him more, with a smirk playing on her lips.

****

Arvika's initial apprehension about her new school quickly melted away as she immersed herself in the vibrant atmosphere and welcoming community. The supportive teachers, friendly classmates, and exciting growth opportunities all contributed to her newfound sense of belonging. Amidst this whirlwind of change, one constant brought her immense joy and comfort: her blossoming friendship with Sakshi. As Arvika navigated the ups and downs of her new school life, she cherished her friendship with Sakshi, grateful for the companionship and support that had quickly become an integral part of her new journey.

Amidst all this, one day, as Sakshi and Arvika sat inside the library, Sakshi began to share some shocking revelations about her brother, Dev which unsettled Arvika, stirring up a sense of unease within her.

"Arvika, you have no idea what it's been like dealing with Bhaiya and his gang. They've turned into absolute bullies, terrorizing other students without a shred of remorse. And today, when he walked back into class after the board break like he owned the place, I couldn't help but feel sick to my stomach. It's like he thinks he's untouchable, and it doesn't help that Dad always swoops in to protect him, no matter what he does. It's infuriating, Arvika, absolutely infuriating!" Sakshi's expression darkened as she recounted about her brother. Arvika too couldn't bring herself together to grasp such a piece of information. She couldn't believe that Sakshi's brother could be a bully. Really?

Sakshi leaned in closer to Arvika, her voice tinged with disbelief as she revealed, "You won't believe what I heard from some of my classmates. They're saying that my brother, Dev, has not one, not two, but four girlfriends! They said that they all are in his coaching!" Arvika's eyes widened in shock at the revelation, unable to comprehend how Dev could manage such a feat. A sense of disgust and repugnance filled her heart when she grasped the information.

"But that's not even the worst part," Sakshi continued, her frustration evident. "No matter what he does, he always seems to get away with it. Teachers adore him for his intellect and his grades, so they turn a blind eye to his antics. It's like he's matchless, Arvika, and it's driving me crazy!" Sakshi's voice cracked with emotion as she recounted the unfair treatment her brother seemed to receive, no matter what he did.

Arvika listened in silence, her heart heavy with sympathy for her friend's plight. She reached out to gently squeeze Sakshi's hand in a gesture of cohesion. "I can't imagine how difficult this must be for you, Sakshi. It's not fair that you have to deal with all of this on your own. I mean....I don't even know what to say.....," she left the sentence incomplete and looked puzzled.

Sakshi's smirk widened in her mind as she leaned in closer, her tone low and ominous, her mind racing with satisfaction at how well her plan was unfolding, "Trust me, Arvika. You don't want to get involved with him. He's dangerous, and he won't hesitate to hurt you if you cross his path. Promise me you'll stay away from him," she warned, her eyes flashing with intensity.

Arvika swallowed hard, her heart pounding with unease at Sakshi's ominous words. "I... I promise," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper, as she vowed to heed Sakshi's warning and steer clear of her brother's path at all costs.

"So, always stay away from him, I can only warn you as your best friend," Sakshi had warned and Arvika nodded at her, wishing to never see his face. Being a thirteen-year-old herself, she believed in all the facts that Sakshi had served to her, not even for once trying to check its credibility, believing her best friend blindly.

But the facts shared by Sakshi were not all true. She had purposely lied to her innocent best friend, to keep her away from her brother's eyes or vice versa.

Sakshi's decision to fabricate stories about her brother to Arvika stemmed from a deep desire for genuine companionship. Despite Dev's impressive accolades as an all-rounder-handsome, smart, a geek, and the esteemed sports captain-Sakshi found herself perpetually overshadowed by his superiority. Girls would often feign friendship with her just to get closer to Dev, leaving Sakshi feeling isolated and used. The weight of her brother's reputation loomed over her, casting a shadow on her own identity.

In Arvika, Sakshi saw an opportunity for a true friendship untainted by her brother's influence. She longed for a connection built on trust and authenticity, free from the superficiality that plagued her relationships with others. To protect Arvika from falling into the same trap, Sakshi exaggerated tales of Dev's supposed flaws-painting him as a bully with multiple girlfriends-when in reality, he was merely a dedicated student for whom only studies mattered and sometimes, he used to pull in some mischief here and there, that's all. Despite the guilt gnawing at her conscience, Sakshi was willing to sacrifice her integrity if it meant forging a genuine bond with Arvika, one where she could finally be seen and appreciated for who she truly was.

On the other hand, Arvika absorbed Sakshi's words with a heavy heart, accepting them as truth without question. Deep down, she harboured a belief that if her own mother couldn't love her, what hope did she have for others to see her worth? There was no doubt in the fact that Sakshi's brother would ever approach her for she was too plain and young, even if he did with his malice intentions, she'd never say yes to him.

To Arvika, love seemed like an elusive illusion, a fleeting fantasy that only led to heartache and betrayal, further solidifying her resolve to guard her heart against its allure.

****

A week passed in the whirlwind of academic pressure, competitions, and extracurricular activities that defined the lives of students.

Arvika was sitting beside Sakshi on their wooden desk and was discussing some "cubic roots" problems as it was their free period, when their Science teacher, Mr Abhinav Pandey entered their classroom. He had some announcements to make.

"Attention Students! Kunal, where are your manners? Is this the way to greet your teacher?" Mr Abhinav was greeted with a flying plane on his forehead when he entered the class. All the students started laughing at their notorious classmate's actions. Kunal, the notorious guy was busy throwing paper planes on his friends that he didn't notice the presence of his teacher.

"Sorry sir," Kunal apologized, putting his head down. Not because he was remorseful, but because of the laughter that he was trying to hide from his teacher because of the funny faces his friends were making at him.

"Be careful next time, sit down all of you," their teacher commanded and finally all the students settled down on their respective seats.

"As you all know, every year, the science exhibition is organized by our school at an interschool level, so this year too, following the legacy, our school is organizing a Science Exhibition where you all have to take part in it and yes, it is compulsory. Make a model related to Science, I'll give you the topics. And you all have to make it in a pair as we want to test your team spirit as well. Please choose your respective partners quickly as I've to give the chits, which will disclose on which topic you have to make your model! So, I'm giving you five minutes, choose your partners quickly," he announced deliberately and waited for five whole minutes for the students to select their project partners.

After five minutes, all the students chose their project partners and sat with them, meanwhile, Arvika's partner was already seated beside her. Of course, Sakshi was her partner.

Their topic was 'Save Environment' which made them both excited and joyful, as this topic had so much to inculcate. They could make so many models out of it. Their teacher had already distributed the chits, some were happy with their topics, and some were too idle to even react to that.

"And you have to submit it after exactly four days, so start working on it as soon as possible, all the best," with that being said, Mr Abhinav went away, not before throwing back the paper plane at Kunal, winking at him in victory. At this, the whole class erupted into fits of laughter.

Sakshi cheered loudly, "Woohoo!! Man, it is the coolest topic ever," eyeing the compelling topic which they had got.

"Yes, it's easy and we can add a lot to it," Arvika agreed with her.

But a sudden frown marred Sakshi's features and she exclaimed, "But only four days, how will we make it in such a short period!" Arvika hummed at the sudden recall of their deadline. It was a very close deadline!

As quickly as the frown had marred Sakshi's visage, an idea made her grin like a pup, citing, "Hey, I can come to your house or you at mine, after our classes at school? What do you say?"

This time, it was Arvika's turn to frown because she knew how her family was. Sighing a breath, she said, "I'll ask my mother about this and then will come to your house. We will make it the best".

"Sure, but please ask your mom today only as time is less, so we must start our work today itself."

Arvika replied in affirmative, "Yes, sure, my honour," acting like a lawyer at which Sakshi snickered softly.

Later that day, Arvika summoned the courage to call her mother from the school's office telephone, her heart pounding with apprehension. Tentatively, she broached the topic of going to Sakshi's house for a group project, expecting resistance or probing questions. To her surprise, her mother agreed without hesitation, without delving into the details or expressing any reservations, a stark contrast to what Arvika had anticipated.

'So unlike her' with a puzzled look, Arvika disconnected the call and anticipated the visit to Sakshi's home later that day.

Little did she know that beyond the threshold of that familiar door, an unexpected twist of fate awaited, poised to alter the course of her life forever.

****

The midday sun cast a warm glow as Arvika followed Sakshi through the front gate of her house, stepping onto the pristine path that led to the grand entrance. They had directly come from school to Sakshi's place for their team project. As Arvika took in the grandeur of Sakshi's house, her eyes widened in awe at the majestic villa, adorned with intricate carvings and embellishments. "Wow, Sakshi, your house is amazing!" she exclaimed, nudging her friend playfully. Sakshi smiled fondly at the compliment and nodded her head.

As Arvika stepped into Sakshi's home, she was greeted by the warm embrace of Mrs. Devika Kapoor, Sakshi's mother, whose smile was as inviting as the cozy atmosphere of their living room. "Arvika, it's so wonderful to finally meet you. Sakshi couldn't stop talking about you since the day she's befriended you!" Sakshi's mother exclaimed, her voice brimming with genuine warmth and hospitality.

Arvika returned the smile, feeling immediately at ease in the presence of Sakshi's mother. As they exchanged pleasantries, Sakshi prompted Arvika towards her room, ready to flaunt her Frozen-themed room to her best friend.

"Wash your hands kids, I will get the lunch ready," Sakshi's mother ordered and moved towards the kitchen with a smile playing on her lips. She was content for her daughter as it was the first time Sakshi had got a best friend, otherwise, she knew how her daughter was always left heartbroken when it came to friendships.

"Yes Queen Mother," Sakshi acknowledged, getting a chuckle from Arvika.

****

After enjoying a delicious lunch prepared by Sakshi's mother, Arvika and Sakshi settled down in Sakshi's room, eager to brainstorm ideas for their "SAVE ENVIRONMENT" project. They huddled around Sakshi's computer, rampaging the internet for inspiration and jotting down a list of materials they would need for their project. With their list in hand, they called for their helper, requesting him to fetch the necessary items from the stationery and hardware shops.

Once the preparations were underway, Sakshi leaned back on her bed, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she began unfolding the tale to Arvika with her hands mirroring the moves of a professional Sorceress in front of their magical crystal balls.

"Okay, Arvika, brace yourself for the epic saga of my room's transformation from Barbie to Frozen."

Arvika settled in beside her, intrigued by Sakshi's animated expression. Chuckling, she said, "I'm all ears Meri Hogwarts Ki Rani".

(My queen of Hogwarts)

Sakshi nodded enthusiastically, suddenly standing up on her bed with a dramatic expression. "Oh, it was a hell of a journey, alright. You see, my room used to be a shrine of Barbie. Pink walls, Barbie posters, you name it. But then, one day, I had an epiphany."

Arvika raised an eyebrow. "An epiphany?"

Sakshi nodded solemnly. "Yes, an epiphany about my newfound distaste for the colour pink."

Arvika's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? But hadn't you mentioned Pink as your favourite colour when you shared your slam book with me?"

Sakshi chuckled. "I know, I know. But then I realized something. I realized that pink is the colour of... pigs."

Arvika blinked, taken aback by Sakshi's revelation. "Pigs?"

Sakshi nodded gravely. "Yes, pigs. And I've never been a fan of pigs. So, naturally, I couldn't bear to have my room associated with the same colour as those... pink creatures."

Arvika couldn't help but laugh at Sakshi's reasoning. "I see your point. So, that's when you decided to transform your room into a Frozen wonderland?"

Sakshi grinned. "Exactly! Ice blue is much more my style. Plus, it has the bonus of not being associated with any farm animals."

Arvika laughed, shaking her head in amusement. "Well, I have to hand it to you, Sakshi. That's certainly one way to choose a room colour. You must be the only girl in the world who hates Pink because it's the colour of Pigs!"

Sakshi grinned. "Hey, you have to admit, it makes for a pretty good story and a unique me!"

Arvika nodded, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Oh, definitely. I can't wait to hear what other adventures await in the land of Sakshi's room transformations."

Sakshi chortled and added. "Do you want to have a tour of my house? Come along. We have got a lot of time!"

Sakshi took Arvika on a tour of her house, showcasing its various rooms and amenities. Arvika's eyes widened in awe as Sakshi revealed that her father was a successful businessman in the electronics domain. The thought of Sakshi's family's influence and resources left Arvika feeling impressed. In between, Sakshi didn't leave a chance to make Arvika laugh at her funny stories and other antics.

As Sakshi and Arvika made their way through every corner of the house, Sakshi paused outside her brother Dev's room, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Well, Arvika, it looks like we've saved the best for last," she remarked with a playful smirk. Checking her watch, she added, "That buffalo must be in his coaching right now, let's intruse his barn".

Arvika panicked at first but at the mention of her brother being at the coaching, she relaxed and chuckled, knowing full well that Sakshi had something amusing up her sleeve. "I can only imagine what secrets lie behind that door."

Sakshi leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Prepare yourself, Arvika. His room is like a whole other universe. Brace yourself for the sight of a human potato in its natural habitat."

Arvika's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "A human potato?"

Sakshi nodded solemnly. "Yes, a human potato. You see, he has developed some... interesting eating habits lately. He's taken to slugging on his chair, munching away on snacks while buried in his books. It's like he's turned into a potato, rooted to his spot all day long. I don't know how girls fall for this human potato"

Arvika couldn't help but burst into laughter at Sakshi's description. "Well, I guess everyone needs their fuel for studying. But a human potato? That's a new one."

Sakshi grinned, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Oh, just wait until you see it for yourself, Arvika. You won't believe your eyes." With that, she pushed open the door to Dev's room, ready to unveil the mysteries within.

"Can you believe this mess?" Sakshi exclaimed, gesturing towards the piles of clothes strewn across the floor and the mountain of textbooks precariously balanced on Dev's desk.

Arvika chuckled, shaking her head in disbelief. "It's like a tornado hit this place."

Sakshi nodded, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "And to think, he has the nerve to call my room a disaster zone."

Before they could continue their banter, Sakshi's mother's voice echoed from downstairs. "Sakshi, can you come down here for a moment? I need your help with something."

Sakshi sighed, tearing her eyes away from the disaster before her. "Duty calls, I guess. You stay here, I will be right back!"

Arvika nodded, suppressing a grin. "Aye Aye Captain".

As Sakshi hurried downstairs to attend to her mother's call, Arvika found herself alone in Dev's room, surrounded by the quiet hum of the afternoon. With a sense of curiosity, she wandered over to the window, drawn to the world outside. As she gazed out at the lush greenery beyond, her eyes fell upon a small nest nestled among the branches of a nearby tree. Peering closer, she spotted a sparrow fluttering back and forth, tenderly caring for her tiny brood of chicks nestled snugly within the safety of their home. Mesmerized by the simple beauty of the affectionate Mother Sparrow, Arvika felt a sense of peace wash over her, momentarily forgetting the hustle and bustle of the world beyond the windowpane.

But little did she know that this peace was ephemeral as a storm was coming to shake her for a lifetime.

****