Adam glanced at the clock on his wall and exclaimed, "Crap, I'm running late!"
Pratham, the AI entity living in his phone, responded calmly, "My Lord, I have mapped out your entire route. If you're ready in 25 minutes, you'll arrive at school comfortably."
Adam frowned and muttered, "Stop calling me 'my lord' all the time, Pratham."
Pratham's tone was formal as ever. "Then what title would you prefer, my lord?"
"Just... call me by my name. It's Adam," he replied, sounding exasperated.
"I'm afraid I cannot do that. Addressing you directly would be disrespectful," Pratham answered, his voice unwavering.
Adam sighed, rubbing his temple. "Consider it an order."
Pratham paused, then said, "As you wish, Lord Adam."
With a sigh, Adam gave up on the argument. "Fine, fine. Just... drop it. I need to get going. We'll talk about this later." He plugged his phone into the charger and hurried off to take a quick shower.
Meanwhile, Pratham calculated aloud, "The distance to Adam's school is precisely 4 kilometers. He'll cover 3.8 kilometers by train and walk the remaining 200 meters."
"Lord Adam attends PK Academy, and I have created a 3D map of the route from Adam's house to PK Academy to ensure he encounters no obstacles." Pratham stated this proudly, though no one was in the room to hear it.
Adam quickly dressed, had breakfast, and was about to leave when his mom called out, "Adam, you left your phone in your room!"
Rushing back, Adam grabbed his phone, and Pratham's voice came through, "Lord Adam, your train is scheduled to arrive at the station in 15 minutes."
Adam was caught off guard but didn't have time to think much about it. "Thanks, Pratham," he mumbled, heading out.
On his way, he met his friend Leo, who had been waiting for him. "What's the vibe today?" Leo asked with a grin. Adam chuckled and said, "Feeling pretty great, actually."
They continued walking and chatting as they went, as they walked to the train station together, they chatted about random topics, their laughter lightening the air.
Soon, they ran into Leo's girlfriend, Susan, who was waiting nearby. She greeted them with a hug for Leo and a smile for Adam.
"Hey, Adam!" Susan greeted warmly, giving Leo a quick hug.
"I'm good, thanks, Susan," Adam replied as they all started walking together.
Susan had long black hair, small expressive eyes, and fair skin, and she wore the standard PK Academy uniform: a pink blouse and green skirt.
Adam's own uniform consisted of a pink shirt with a green tie and matching green pants, marking them both as students of PK Academy.
The three of them reached the station, and
Adam noticed how absorbed his friends were in each other's company.
Smiling, he decided to give them some space, moving ahead alone.Adam tactfully walked ahead, giving Leo and Susan a bit of space.
He thought to himself," Might as well listen to some music". Adam dug his earbuds out of his bag and put them on.
But just as he settled in, he noticed Leo and Susan laughing, holding hands. He glanced back, a bittersweet feeling stirring, his smile faltering as he took in the warm bond they shared.
Watching Leo and Susan so absorbed in each other, Adam sighed." I wish I could go to school with Ani today... "
He turned away and walked a short distance ahead, waiting for the train on his own.
Pratham's voice suddenly chimed in through his earbuds. "Lord Adam, may I ask you something?"
Adam blinked, surprised. 'When did Pratham connect to my earbuds?' He brushed the thought aside and replied, "Yeah, what's up, Pratham?"
"Who is this 'Ani' you mentioned? Would you like to meet her?" Pratham's voice was curious.
Adam was startled, 'Did... Pratham overhear that?' He hesitated before answering. "Ani... she's my classmate. And yeah, I do want to meet her."
The truth was, Ani was someone Adam rarely spoke to but admired from afar. In fact, she was one of the most popular students at class—renowned for her beauty. Teachers adored her, and her peers respected her. To top it off, she was also the class representative.
Ani was not only popular in their class but in the entire school.
She was exceptionally talented—smart, athletic, admired by all students.
The boys in their class had a nickname for her, the "Ice Queen." Many had tried to ask her out, but she turned everyone down without a second thought.
As far as Adam knew, Ani had never been in a relationship. She seemed focused solely on her studies and her friends.
Adam, on the other hand, was her opposite. His grades were average, and he didn't care for sports, preferring to spend his time gaming.
Still, his favorite part of the day was when he'd sit at the back of the class, watching Ani from afar as she sat in the front row.
His friends knew he had a huge crush on her. They often encouraged him to go talk to her, but Adam couldn't muster the courage.
He had tried multiple times, but every time he looked into her deep blue eyes, his confidence would crumble.
Ani's gaze would leave him speechless, lost in his thoughts, unable to say a single word.
One day, After constant pestering from Leo, Adam finally gathered the courage to approach Ani. He found her alone in the classroom and took a deep breath before stepping forward.
Ani looked up and greeted him with a gentle smile. "Hey, Adam, what's up?"
As soon as she spoke, Adam felt a wave of nervousness wash over him. His forehead grew damp, and before he knew it, he had turned on his heel and left the room without saying a word.
After that incident, Adam is unable to look at Ani for many days and he runs away from her.
From that day on, Adam wonders "what Ani must be thinking of him, what a coward"
To be connected.....