"Hey, do you know that Sreemanti is joining the school today?" A pretty-looking girl asked, turning to Ankita who was sitting behind her.
She loved gossiping about everything happening around school. Although Ankita did not like to gossip about other people's business, she felt bad telling Aheli to stop when she never badmouthed or judged anyone and just spoke about hot topics.
"No? Who's she? Never heard of that name." Ankita said with a questioning look.
The past few days Koushik was coming later than usual. Stayed up till late to finalize the new song, he said. Rai and Rishav were also busy with some club activity. So she was bored enough. Thus the decision to partake in the gossip for the first time.
"Oh right, you studied in a different school. Actually, Kangshabanik Institutions include VN HIGH and SN MEMORIAL SCHOOL. Maximum students here are from SNMS. This Sreemanti Sanyal was the top student in her class, like for eleven years straight. But she's super rude and acts like the world is beneath her just because she is good at studies and has a rich family." Aheli rolled her eyes.
"Once she even said I should work as her maid as I'll never get a job with just a pretty face and no brain. Otherwise I'll be selling my body. Do you know why she said that?" She banged her fist on the Board.
"Simply because I beat her in a fashion show competition for those interested in modelling in class seven. I repeat for those interested in modelling. And guess what? She wasn't. Anyways, her designer clothes lost to my cheap yet pretty outfit. Teachers who scolded her were dismissed from their job. That day onwards nobody crossed her no matter what. Complaining proved to be useless with our horrible academics. They said she's only belittling us so we feel ashamed and study hard..." Aheli kept ranting about how unfair and ridiculous it was.
Ankita interrupted her and excused herself to go to the toilet. On the way someone suddenly bumped into her, hard.
"Ouch." She cried holding her shoulder.
"What the hell! Are you blind? Could't you see I was walking before you? Stupid girl." The person Ankita collided with spat angrily.
She was fell on the floor over her knees.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't notice you. Are you hurt?" Ankita said squatting before the girl, checking her knees for bruises.
"Here hold my hand. Let me help you on your feet." She extended her hand.
The girl shoved her away and stood up on wobbly feet.
Ankita stumbled backward in shock when her offer to help was rejected so rudely. Still she brushed it off thinking she deserved it for hurting her. However she could not ignore someone who got hurt by her carelessness. So she made another gentle approach from a distance not wanting to invade her personal space.
"Does it hurt anywhere? Do you want to sit?I'll check your knees. I didn't get a good loo..."
The girl slapped Ankita's hand away and said "Don't touch me."
"Um... Okay, sorry. Shall I take you to the sick room?" Ankita awkwardly retracted her and said, her voice laced with worry.
The student who bumped into her was wearing thick glasses. Her properly pressed pristine uniform hugged her curvy figure perfectly. One look was enough to tell that it was custom-made. Neat and tidiness reflected on her braided hair and spotless shoes and socks. The gold watch marked with platinum patterns on her left wrist screamed wealth. She was a little taller than Ankita and looked at her condescendingly. Dusting her knees and clothes and shooting Ankita a second disdainful look, she walked away.
The first period was yet to start. So a lot of students were outside their classrooms, strolling, chatting, playing in the field, and so on. Hearing loud voices everyone nearby looked over.
One of the students whispered "Really now? Is she so full of herself because she interacts with celebrities? She dares to push someone so brazenly!"
She was one of the many Tricks who felt extremely jealous whenever she saw Ankita chatting with Koushik and the others like they knew each other for so long. Once she went to ask them for an autograph but was, according to her imagination, coldly rejected by Bikram. When the poor boy only refused her after explaining that they did want to be viewed as celebrities at school.
"You're jealous, right? You're jealous that Antariksha's biggest fan is now here and you won't get to get close to the boys anymore. So you're trying to scare her by hurting her so that she doesn't take your place away?" she hissed coming closer to Ankita.
That comment sent the snowball rolling. Hearing this the others also started murmuring.
"Yes, I also saw her interacting with Koushik intimately."
"I thought her to be a sweet person but looks like I was deceived by her looks."
"What is she acting high and mighty for? She even pushed that girl deliberately."
"I bet she badmouthed us to Koushik, Rishi and Bikram. Else why would they be willing to speak to some low-class girl but not us?"
"Oh, my Goddess! Now that you say that out loud I think it's true. That day I even saw Koushik joking with Ankita. Say, they only got to know each other at school. How come he's so close to her in such a short span but not us? Unless she used underhanded methods to keep him for herself? Tsk Tsk such a cunning girl."
Ankita's face flushed with embarrassment. She denied those claims several times but nobody listened instead surrounding her and even pushed her to the wall. She gritted her teeth and clenched her palm into a fist trying to refrain from crying, feeling utterly humiliated by those accusations.
When everyone was looking at her with an unfriendly gaze, the girl who started all this suddenly said in a louder voice above all the whispering with obvious viciousness "Shouldn't we teach her a lesson for tarnishing our names in front of our idols?"
"I said I didn't do anything. Why won't you believe me? They don't talk to you because you disturb them too much. Why are you pinning the blame on me?" Ankita said with a cracked voice.