"97? It's fine, I guess," said my dad as he looked at my result on the laptop screen.
I nodded, hiding my disappointment because "fine" doesn't capture all those late nights.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQ0arcHSW0
"She did well. Now I can show my face at school," my brother chimed in, earning a glare from me.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3quQ89Ae3v
"Don't get too excited. Some students score 100. This is nothing," my dad remarked, pushing the laptop towards me.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBGp6C825hQ
Those words shattered the last pieces of my heart. The room fell silent, but my mind was loud with questions. Isn't 97 enough? Am I not enough? Will I ever be? Yes, some students get 100, but 97 is still something, I told myself as I retreated to my room with the laptop.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZLGlEd2hiT
Entering my room, I closed the door, tossed the laptop aside, tears streaming down my cheeks. I wrapped myself in a blanket, seeking comfort.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ08UQbxDwcZ
"How long are you gonna act like a child?" Tis asked, following me closely.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3E6G8oOM72
"This is how a human acts," I replied, feeling the weight of his words.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQ3YjkeUuq
"But I told you, you aren't a human anymore," he reminded me.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWvqDLTwuEo
"Just tell me, when will I be enough?" I pleaded.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZqcOWTaYm
"You can't ever be enough," he answered firmly.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtXJhjOw4mK
“Why? Why can’t I be enough?” I shouted, my voice breaking from tears.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54rKY0Al5y
"Because there is no definition of enough. People play with that word," he explained.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFTY6Qr8FI
"But... but..." I started, feeling hopeless, wrapping myself tightly in the blanket.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebkrePIyob
"Follow me..".as he lead me to the middle world again. I followed him.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnmQs6pC0cB
"What will we do here?" I asked, wiping my tears.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9uBl9QepYX
"We will talk," Tis replied.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzM0UB8qj98
"What? Talk??" I asked, shocked and curious.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9CUOXQGEIw
"Yes, sit here," he said in a commanding voice.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJfwgTeQmp
I sat down beside him on that green cloud. Suddenly, as I blinked, a greenish silvery pond appeared in front of us. It was like a movie scene. We sat on the shore of a silver pond, looking at the mesmerizing sight. Tis had a serious expression, his green face glowing from the light of the pond.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGOKtnzS8AS
"Is it water?" I asked.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX8lmUU0QD4
"It's not water," Tis replied.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUqHZzhRQcJ
"What?"81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCk8vjTsgFZ
"It's not the water you think it is."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoPruotwORm
"Then what is this?"81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9HBBdz5Q7
"It's - It's your prayers."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ZZVWnlsD3
"Prayers? Like 'mannat' (prayers)?"81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRK9tsQSgmG
"Yes, people from your world pray every day just to let their prayers drown in this river."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaZ4PvlsJCu
"Ohh... I didn't understand anything," I replied.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwiJpVbf6gS
"How are you feeling now?" he asked, turning to me.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM4v7qgYGCI
"I don't know, it's just so pretty here. Can I touch that water?"81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8TvAtyxK9
"Yes, you can."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5u8QxNVMI
As I stood up and walked towards the silver pond, I hesitated just before touching the water with my left foot's toe.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡETbNqsnriJ
"It's fine, right?" I asked, seeking reassurance.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCGscor2K6A
He didn't reply, just looked at me with an annoyed face. I understood what he was saying.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLKICDiMiZ9
"I am touching it. I don't know, you told me it's fine, so if anything happens, it would be your fault," I said as I tentatively touched my left foot's toe to the water.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3c1dOMBrIE
As I dipped my toe, it felt warm, as if someone was gently pulling me into the river. I went further in until both my feet were submerged. The sensation was oddly familiar, like something I experienced every day but couldn't quite name. I was unsure of how any why I felt that way.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg2pADocxLv
"At this rate, I don't think you will be able to help me find her," Tis's voice brought me back to the present as he spoke gently.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKAhOhibk8T
"I-I know I am useless," I replied, gazing at the water which was a stark contrast to my life, BRIGHT.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSeXdTNOvlx
"Listen, little human, you are not useless. You just don't know how to use yourself," Tis reassured me.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgz7EWZVLP8
"I messed up everything. I couldn't get the highest marks in my class even after working my butt off. I don't think I can ever be useful to you," I lamented.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡggiOLHLOYx
"Do you know why the creator made your world?" Tis asked, looking at the pond.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ24eux1udDp
"I don't know, " I replied.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPpFxxZbB6h
"How would you know? I don't even know it, idiot," Tis retorted.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡahkwfVqtZk
"Are you insane?Why did you asked me, if you didn't know it too," I snapped back.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzZlSP0qG6q
"Listen, you are a good human being, and I don't want you to focus on things that are just a distraction," Tis said, coming closer and hovering above the pond.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFP4ZBANAx
"Like what things?" I asked immediately.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx9AqlhdYTu
"Like your family drama, your overthinking, and all," Tis mentioned.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzqLUChoAHo
"You won't ever understand me, Tis, it's much more complicated than it looks to you," I expressed.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUWLGU7A5Er
"Trust me, I don't even want to understand, but the thing is you are the MAIN CHARACTER here. The surroundings shouldn't change you; you have to change them," Tis advised.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbezax7cpZm
"And how do you decide I am the main character? Everyone is the main character of their story," I questioned.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSuYJwmlL4u
"Exactly, everyone is the main character of their story, but it depends on the reader whose story she decides to read," Tis replied, looking into my eyes. His words struck a chord within me as I pondered my actions in my muddled mind, and I saw myself crying for a moment.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg6JBAmqcMt
"But I am not sure, Tis. I am too broken to be fixed," I admitted.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbM5mguSf2K
"Or maybe it's all in your head, the cracks you are seeing are just small scratches, they don't have to break when they can still be healed," Tis replied, gazing at me and then at the pond again.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnGYuBHBawM
I stared at him, blinking my eyes in a little astonishment as I remarked, "You should open a YouTube channel and motivate people."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx3r8HJQS3c
He contemplated and then replied, "I would have if cameras could capture me."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Fm8JhOqtk
"Really? You know so much about the human world," I commented.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6rvVbP5FYS
"The creator once said, 'If you are growing a wheat field, make sure the seed is not of Paddy's,'" Tis shared.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJyrQciooh
"Huh? I am not that poetic," I asked with a humble smile.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEIDQk51B4J
"Leave it, from the moment I saw you, I knew you were crazy," he said, imitating my smile.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjqasgGv8s
"You asked me, right, why did I start hurting myself?" I inquired.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02fGfT8o1t
"Yes, I did. Do you want to tell me now?" Tis replied.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5RGgoqJPwD
"No, I just reminded you that you forgot it," I responded.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjxnleiDk2S
"Wow, so you won't tell me?" Tis questioned.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9IebcaKFHH
"It's not a small story, and I don't know how to put it into words. I was bullied for liking a guy and was expected to keep shining when I was totally looking for my own light," I explained.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlpgI7x6xS3
"Did those guys bully you more? I mean, I know that much after you started hurting yourself. Ron told me that much," Tis asked.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKY2S0g5pCQ
"You guys have studied me? I feel so honored," I remarked.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaKNojoLc0f
"Nah, I just learned about your existence before I was going to the Mixture," Tis shared.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡygYe5rIpV3
I sighed as I prepared to narrate more about my experiences.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvaV10MtEXs
After that day, I chose to keep my distance from Ayaan because he wasn't the guy I had imagined him to be. But it seemed like fate had other plans for me, as a few days after that incident, I received a message from an unknown number claiming to be Ayaan's mother, apologizing for his actions. I was stunned when I read that message; how did this issue reach his parents? I felt my heart racing as I read the message repeatedly. Knowing Ayaan, I couldn't believe he would involve his parents, so I assumed either his mother found out on her own or Arth informed her. I was so anxious that I ignored the message for hours until the calls from the same number began. Finally, after a whole day, I replied, apologizing and promising not to contact her son again. However, she insisted on meeting me. Instead of asking 'why,' I foolishly inquired 'where,' not fully understanding my own actions. I agreed to meet her at the same place where I had met Ayaan. The next day, after finishing my studies, I cycled to the meeting spot. Unlike before, I was filled with dread and shame, almost on the verge of tears. When I arrived, I saw the familiar faces of Ayaan's friends, but Ayaan and Nishkarsh were not among them. Overwhelmed, I took a step back, deciding to flee rather than confront them again. And then...81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwHnzjtIK4
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.................3 months ago..............
I turned my bike when I spotted Arth, Ritwik, and Aadish. They were still laughing as I turned my cycle, but I couldn't move it as someone was holding it. I looked around and saw a tall, brown girl with a lot of kajal under her eye holding the back of my cycle. I glanced at her from top to bottom.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYVMArDARF
"Excuse me?" I asked politely.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIc1XeyUJyu
"Where do you think you're going, stalker?" she asked with a smirk.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM3oyW9pITt
My eyes widened as I finally understood the situation.She fooled me with the message.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9iZJxMQrc
"I-I-I" I stuttered.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgH56vNz1vX
The boys stopped laughing and approached us. Suddenly, the girl lunged at me, grabbing my small bob hairs, causing me to scream in pain.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpmyMyDYFHe
"Ouch-ouch, what are you doing ?"81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfiZtrFc5nR
"Something those guys should have done," she replied angrily.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnV3Fi868Wa
"You deserve it, you jerk," replied another girl who was also talking as they dragged me into the nearby bushes by my hair. I winced in pain, but the first girl, Pankti, muffled my screams with her hand. The boys chuckled as all three of them left. Now I was alone in the bushes with two unfamiliar girls who were glaring at me angrily, as one of them threw my bike on the ground with a thud.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5UkCvyY8e8
"Listen here, Ayaan Mishra and I are meant to be together, and how did you even manage to get into the boys' group?" Pankti growled in anger.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBV4kuEKg2D
I just looked down as her hand was still gripping my hair.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1YEKwZOxk
"You should even look at yourself. Listen, we won't tell anyone anything if you let us vent out our anger," she continued as her friend nodded in agreement.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcnlILKX3dk
"I am sorry. I know I made a big mistake, but can you please let me go? I promise I won't do it again. I won't even look at Ayaan from now on," I pleaded, tears rolling down my cheek.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMM1eweatS
"Let me beat you, and then we will let you go," she replied.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFRWICWbYv
"What?" I asked to check if I heard wrong. Was she a psycho? How did I get involved in this?81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHzSlHY7ie
"You heard me, let me just give you a little beating, and then we'll let you go. I need to show my Ayaan how super jealous I am and how much he means to me," she said with a determined tone.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALoDBWQrlf
"Huh?" I was genuinely worried about her mental state as I continued to look at her with a puzzled expression in my eyes.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5tNpdMxe13
"Do you want me to spill everything to your pita ji(dad)?" She said, laughing maniacally.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEErroDTIKy
I snapped out of my thoughts as I pleaded, "Please, no, no. I promise I won't look at him, and yo-you can hit me."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7l3XaF2JQT
"Thanks," she said as she slapped me.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qZaxRqMIr
The next thing I knew, I was sitting there as they both slapped me, hard ,My brown cheeks still turned red as she pulled my hair, making me face her before splashing water on my face. Then she kicked me to the ground, while her friend kicked my stomach. I was on my periods, lying there with my eyes closed, gazing at the sky. My stomach was in pain, actually, my whole body was in pain as they both laughed. I kept wondering what was so amusing about seeing me lying here like a lifeless body. Was it fun? Maybe I should be dead for a day to see how people celebrates it.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ALZomC88i
They paused the video, chuckled, and then left me standing there as they vanished from sight. I lingered on the ground for a moment, wishing for it to open up and swallow me whole. Summoning courage akin to the protagonist of a survival film, I hoisted my bike from the ground, only to discover its chain was loose, and there was a leakage, staining my entire outfit red. With tears streaming down my face, I gazed at the dark sky, realizing it wasn't safe to remain there. I managed to make my way home, where I faced a barrage of questions from my family and the neighborhood aunties. I fabricated a story, concealing the truth once more.Retreating to my room in anguish, I changed my clothes and spiraled into deep introspection.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt2yKM9wtPx
"I am at fault, always in the wrong. I brought this upon myself. What if they disclose this to my father? What if they spread gossip among my schoolmates? I'll be judged by everyone. The next two years of school will be a nightmare. I fear I won't perform well in the exams now that I've messed up," I murmured to myself.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVxQ1QsWHk4
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