Practice Tests—hated by everyone, yet inevitable. The mere mention of a test was enough to send the entire class into panic mode. The time and date was announced, gossips spread like a wildfire, study groups were formed, and the hunt for perfect notes began.
For me, it was just another test. I was not a topper, but I was above average—smart enough to get by, foolish enough to never make it to the front row. According to my teachers my only problem was being best friends with Shazeb.
Teachers had a habit of roasting me by associating with him. "Devi, you actually study? Unbelievable!" they used to joke, while Shazeb proudly grinned beside me as if it were a compliment.
But this time, something unexpected happened.
It was the day before the test, as I was casually flipping through my notebook, She walked up to my desk.
"Hey… Devi, right?"
I froze.
She knows my name.
I looked up, blinking a few times like an idiot before managing a weak, "Uh… yeah?"
She gave a small nod, completely unaware of the internal chaos she had just unleashed in my brain. "Shivangi told me that you have good notes. Could I borrow them?"
Shazeb, who was sitting beside me, elbowed me hard. "Bro, say something before she thinks you have malfunctioned."
I cleared my throat. "Uh… yeah, sure. Notes. Right. Yes."
Smooth. Real smooth.
She smiled faintly, probably second-guessing her decision to talk to me. "Thanks. I will return them after the test."
And just like that, she walked away, leaving me staring at my notebook like it had suddenly become the most valuable object on Earth.
Shazeb smirked. "Damn bro. Look at you, already making history. 'Divya spoke to Devi'—we should put this in the school magazine."
--- Test Day ---
The moment I entered the exam hall, I realized something—
Our roll numbers were in continuation.
Which meant she was sitting directly behind me.
Great. As if I wasn't already nervous enough.
As I took my seat, I could feel my heartbeat beating louder than usual. A few minutes later, she walked in. She glanced around, found her roll number, and settled into the seat behind me.
The first real conversation we would ever have was about to happen.
"Did you study?" she asked casually as she placed her pens on the desk.
I turned slightly, still not used to this whole "Divya-talking-to-me" situation. "Yes… but I have a feeling that teacher is going to pull something unexpected."
She chuckled lightly. "They always do."
Before I could say anything else, the teacher entered. The papers were distributed, and now there was a silence in the room.
But just before everyone was about to begin, She did something unexpected.
She raised her hand. "Sir, can we get extra sheets if needed?"
The teacher, known for his sarcastic humor, smirked. "Why? Planning to write an epic novel?"
She replied without missing a beat, "No, sir. Just wanted that to make sure I will have enough space to fully express my suffering."
The class burst into laughter. Even the teacher chuckled. I did not stand a chance—my heart was done for.
And as I written down my answers, another realization hit me.
I wasn't the only one who had noticed her.
I overheard gossips from the boys after the test—how a junior had already proposed to her, how some of my own classmates were planning to try their luck. I was not alone in this.
And still, as she sat behind me, writing with the same calm confidence she always carried, I could not help but feel like I had just unraveled something much bigger.