"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.29Please respect copyright.PENANAhKbh9HZKlj
"She did well. Now I can show my face at school," my brother chimed in, earning a glare from me.29Please respect copyright.PENANANLuoLhBd0e
"Don't get too excited. Some students score 100. This is nothing," my dad remarked, pushing the laptop towards me.29Please respect copyright.PENANAd5kK7xwXaw
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.29Please respect copyright.PENANA64zLE0ruKE
Entering my room, I closed the door, tossed the laptop aside, tears streaming down my cheeks. I wrapped myself in a blanket, seeking comfort.29Please respect copyright.PENANAFk1HAwmDBF
"How long are you gonna act like a child?" Tis asked, following me closely.29Please respect copyright.PENANAc60M9RLUxY
"This is how a human acts," I replied, feeling the weight of his words.29Please respect copyright.PENANAu5QI8Ip2FQ
"But I told you, you aren't a human anymore," he reminded me.29Please respect copyright.PENANAjvyYknzxC6
"Just tell me, when will I be enough?" I pleaded.29Please respect copyright.PENANAiJxdplNbMz
"You can't ever be enough," he answered firmly.29Please respect copyright.PENANA5lHD9pXhAh
“Why? Why can’t I be enough?” I shouted, my voice breaking from tears.29Please respect copyright.PENANAxZCygEJTB5
"Because there is no definition of enough. People play with that word," he explained.29Please respect copyright.PENANAVaRUvMYT7H
"But... but..." I started, feeling hopeless, wrapping myself tightly in the blanket.29Please respect copyright.PENANAYZwcpfba2i
"Follow me..".as he lead me to the middle world again. I followed him.29Please respect copyright.PENANApJBdwzCMy2
"What will we do here?" I asked, wiping my tears.29Please respect copyright.PENANAGRAHn1G8QM
"We will talk," Tis replied.29Please respect copyright.PENANA1qCS0IJeNo
"What? Talk??" I asked, shocked and curious.29Please respect copyright.PENANAFrPsNRpbnQ
"Yes, sit here," he said in a commanding voice.29Please respect copyright.PENANAtBEMA8agsn
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.29Please respect copyright.PENANARLSnG1QrBl
"Is it water?" I asked.29Please respect copyright.PENANANCkPyJW5lb
"It's not water," Tis replied.29Please respect copyright.PENANAF7WP5WVop8
"What?"29Please respect copyright.PENANAEiWIFDrNN2
"It's not the water you think it is."29Please respect copyright.PENANAmkwGP0eNj2
"Then what is this?"29Please respect copyright.PENANAqIc0r4atMp
"It's - It's your prayers."29Please respect copyright.PENANAOUSrfOnCXV
"Prayers? Like 'mannat' (prayers)?"29Please respect copyright.PENANABO8AZWU9du
"Yes, people from your world pray every day just to let their prayers drown in this river."29Please respect copyright.PENANAP7GxiIHzZE
"Ohh... I didn't understand anything," I replied.29Please respect copyright.PENANAhJNRrudbYm
"How are you feeling now?" he asked, turning to me.29Please respect copyright.PENANAE4XsZL76Kd
"I don't know, it's just so pretty here. Can I touch that water?"29Please respect copyright.PENANAcBWsICm9CC
"Yes, you can."29Please respect copyright.PENANAMRfLOx0vGT
As I stood up and walked towards the silver pond, I hesitated just before touching the water with my left foot's toe.29Please respect copyright.PENANAJTJh4VfZWW
"It's fine, right?" I asked, seeking reassurance.29Please respect copyright.PENANAQoEIhunUBu
He didn't reply, just looked at me with an annoyed face. I understood what he was saying.29Please respect copyright.PENANAsugm2MySko
"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.29Please respect copyright.PENANA9UOT5T5B4m
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.29Please respect copyright.PENANAVrehgPOK0A
"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.29Please respect copyright.PENANAtLZT2sgSg5
"I-I know I am useless," I replied, gazing at the water which was a stark contrast to my life, BRIGHT.29Please respect copyright.PENANAkIDNeNVbG5
"Listen, little human, you are not useless. You just don't know how to use yourself," Tis reassured me.29Please respect copyright.PENANAbtOfFUYXQY
"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.29Please respect copyright.PENANAYCVibqB3mk
"Do you know why the creator made your world?" Tis asked, looking at the pond.29Please respect copyright.PENANA5vArXHcdkD
"I don't know, " I replied.29Please respect copyright.PENANAgCRefjCqgK
"How would you know? I don't even know it, idiot," Tis retorted.29Please respect copyright.PENANA1OdwXduBsq
"Are you insane?Why did you asked me, if you didn't know it too," I snapped back.29Please respect copyright.PENANASDcWx4jU8S
"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.29Please respect copyright.PENANAnhFiaMtOix
"Like what things?" I asked immediately.29Please respect copyright.PENANAfmVuZC2Ldm
"Like your family drama, your overthinking, and all," Tis mentioned.29Please respect copyright.PENANAvG3sKvZePn
"You won't ever understand me, Tis, it's much more complicated than it looks to you," I expressed.29Please respect copyright.PENANANM6QEe9JaO
"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.29Please respect copyright.PENANAv0OyyZsVU9
"And how do you decide I am the main character? Everyone is the main character of their story," I questioned.29Please respect copyright.PENANAOc9tQ0PC6P
"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.29Please respect copyright.PENANAxlwE3bMhBg
"But I am not sure, Tis. I am too broken to be fixed," I admitted.29Please respect copyright.PENANAtMpHqBgcL5
"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.29Please respect copyright.PENANA1sPhzr8Vxu
I stared at him, blinking my eyes in a little astonishment as I remarked, "You should open a YouTube channel and motivate people."29Please respect copyright.PENANAlIjNOUzk8o
He contemplated and then replied, "I would have if cameras could capture me."29Please respect copyright.PENANAucWmrJDCH4
"Really? You know so much about the human world," I commented.29Please respect copyright.PENANALNYYolh5Lt
"The creator once said, 'If you are growing a wheat field, make sure the seed is not of Paddy's,'" Tis shared.29Please respect copyright.PENANAB1DIwNl3fU
"Huh? I am not that poetic," I asked with a humble smile.29Please respect copyright.PENANAWImsFSGxsZ
"Leave it, from the moment I saw you, I knew you were crazy," he said, imitating my smile.29Please respect copyright.PENANAt2PunuRDKP
"You asked me, right, why did I start hurting myself?" I inquired.29Please respect copyright.PENANAjgdeawerGU
"Yes, I did. Do you want to tell me now?" Tis replied.29Please respect copyright.PENANAY5AWER9hoY
"No, I just reminded you that you forgot it," I responded.29Please respect copyright.PENANAuWEcGNY7Dw
"Wow, so you won't tell me?" Tis questioned.29Please respect copyright.PENANAqAVydPZpcv
"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.29Please respect copyright.PENANAfOW5E4DuLY
"Did those guys bully you more? I mean, I know that much after you started hurting yourself. Ron told me that much," Tis asked.29Please respect copyright.PENANAaUlzQjX2OP
"You guys have studied me? I feel so honored," I remarked.29Please respect copyright.PENANADSt7KdYg98
"Nah, I just learned about your existence before I was going to the Mixture," Tis shared.29Please respect copyright.PENANALhgVRWBn64
I sighed as I prepared to narrate more about my experiences.29Please respect copyright.PENANAbwOreCsGUV
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...29Please respect copyright.PENANA7oABmfP9iv
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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.29Please respect copyright.PENANAlgUXCcvmfk
"Excuse me?" I asked politely.29Please respect copyright.PENANASSvrghGLDY
"Where do you think you're going, stalker?" she asked with a smirk.29Please respect copyright.PENANA5ZsFCXrrIC
My eyes widened as I finally understood the situation.She fooled me with the message.29Please respect copyright.PENANAdK1tpeza4c
"I-I-I" I stuttered.29Please respect copyright.PENANA6iG1owBOMs
The boys stopped laughing and approached us. Suddenly, the girl lunged at me, grabbing my small bob hairs, causing me to scream in pain.29Please respect copyright.PENANAVs1ykoULEa
"Ouch-ouch, what are you doing ?"29Please respect copyright.PENANApBU4pY6HTD
"Something those guys should have done," she replied angrily.29Please respect copyright.PENANACjvGZqRyqx
"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.29Please respect copyright.PENANAXXduomdSrz
"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.29Please respect copyright.PENANALvt6fvDupk
I just looked down as her hand was still gripping my hair.29Please respect copyright.PENANAiwHJClFhwd
"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.29Please respect copyright.PENANAY220KPP8QU
"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.29Please respect copyright.PENANAj9R2ejXGfl
"Let me beat you, and then we will let you go," she replied.29Please respect copyright.PENANAG3RIFdKLMU
"What?" I asked to check if I heard wrong. Was she a psycho? How did I get involved in this?29Please respect copyright.PENANAHBLpU1pM4o
"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.29Please respect copyright.PENANAhe715dz0sU
"Huh?" I was genuinely worried about her mental state as I continued to look at her with a puzzled expression in my eyes.29Please respect copyright.PENANA46YnrENRnZ
"Do you want me to spill everything to your pita ji(dad)?" She said, laughing maniacally.29Please respect copyright.PENANAgaj9E5scKb
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."29Please respect copyright.PENANAJgrMWLd7qJ
"Thanks," she said as she slapped me.29Please respect copyright.PENANA3RsY9w5tfu
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.29Please respect copyright.PENANABZF86VeonQ
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.29Please respect copyright.PENANAI7Lk4BMBiq
"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.29Please respect copyright.PENANAnqjhcl8SNM
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