💘A Schoolgirl Love Story💘

Aarohi always believed that the best thing about school was its familiarity—the same blue-and-white uniform, the same bell ringing at exactly 8:30, and the same walk to her classroom with the same group of friends. Everything in her world was familiar, comfortable, and safe. At least, that was the case until the first week of tenth grade, when Ryan suddenly burst into her life like a monsoon rain.He was a new student, quiet at first, but impossible to ignore. With his neatly combed hair, shy smile, and habit of tapping his pen whenever he thought hard, he seemed more at home at the science fair than on the basketball court. Aarohi wasn't sure why she noticed him—perhaps it was because he always sat near the window, or the way he held his notebook as if it held a secret.On the third day of school, their class teacher changed the seating arrangement. Aarohi sat down next to Ryan."Hi," she said softly, straightening her bag. "I'm Ryan.""Aarohi," he replied, giving her a sweet smile before focusing on his textbook. But throughout the math lesson, she could hear the sound of his pen. Instead of getting annoyed, she found it strangely comforting.Over the next few days, they started talking—first about homework, then about books, and finally about everything else. Aarohi learned that Ryan liked astronomy, didn't like guava juice, and collected old coins left by his grandfather. Ryan learned that Aarohi loved sketching, rainy days, and secretly listened to old Hindi songs, even though her friends teased her about it.

One afternoon, during a free period, Ryan leaned over and asked softly, "Would you like to watch something?"

Aarohi nodded.She opened her notebook, and on one page were small, beautiful doodles—stars, comets, planets, and somewhere in the middle, a tiny sketch of a girl holding an umbrella.

"This...this is really nice," Aarohi said, genuinely impressed.

Rian's ears turned pink. "It's just something I draw when I'm bored."

But Aarohi knew it wasn't just "something." It was a part of her, a part she hadn't shown anyone else.

As the weeks passed, their small conversations grew longer, and their comfortable silences spoke louder than words. Aarohi found she looked forward to school every day—not for the familiar routine, but for the chance to spend a few hours with him.One day, their class was assigned a pair project. Aarohi and Rian were partners. They decided to work in the library after school.For two hours, they researched, wrote notes, and debated trivial matters—like whether titles should be bolded or underlined. But when the librarian announced closing time, none of them wanted to leave.Leaving the school, Aarohi watched the sun set behind the sports field. The sky was painted orange, peach, and pink. Ryan stopped, staring at her as if she were a precious thing.

"Beautiful," he said softly.

"Yes," Aarohi agreed.

"I wasn't talking about the sky."

Aarohi was surprised. Her heart was pounding. She turned to look at him, and found him looking at her with the same shy smile.

She didn't know what to say. She didn't know how she felt. But her cheeks warmed, and she found herself smiling involuntarily.The next day, she thought things would feel strange, but nothing had changed. Ryan was still tapping his pen, still asking her for extra pencils when she had five, still drawing little stars in the margins of his notes. The only difference between them was silence. A month later, their school held its annual exhibition. Aarohi and Ryan had spent days preparing their model together. When the judges arrived, Aarohi noticed Ryan was nervous.

"You'll do great," she said softly.

He nodded, took a deep breath, and spoke with confidence. Their project won second prize, but the moment of pride between them meant even more.After the event, as they walked toward the school gate, Ryan hesitated."Aarohi," he said, stopping under the old banyan tree near the exit. "Can I tell you something?"She turned to him. "What is it?"He took a small, folded piece of paper from his pocket. "I... I drew this for you."Confused, she opened it. Inside was a sketch—two people sitting under a starry night sky. One of them held an umbrella. The other was using a pen. Above them, he had written: *“Some things feel like home.”*

Aarohi's heart was pounding.

"Why did you draw this?" she asked softly, though she already knew the answer.

Rian gathered courage and cleared his throat. "Because... you feel like home to me."

Aarohi felt a warmth in her chest. She didn't know if it was love—not yet. But it was something tender, something real.