"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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLNB5IedT0O
"She did well. Now I can show my face at school," my brother chimed in, earning a glare from me.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEZlv2K8fo
"Don't get too excited. Some students score 100. This is nothing," my dad remarked, pushing the laptop towards me.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh79baWIZjV
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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjRhq7R63YJ
Entering my room, I closed the door, tossed the laptop aside, tears streaming down my cheeks. I wrapped myself in a blanket, seeking comfort.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0uhe0HunIK
"How long are you gonna act like a child?" Tis asked, following me closely.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQbhyar0vYo
"This is how a human acts," I replied, feeling the weight of his words.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrfFSYeKzpi
"But I told you, you aren't a human anymore," he reminded me.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1dz36rTLqW
"Just tell me, when will I be enough?" I pleaded.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL1IdMTfCNG
"You can't ever be enough," he answered firmly.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd5fWKs7Rlk
“Why? Why can’t I be enough?” I shouted, my voice breaking from tears.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJ759Tej0C
"Because there is no definition of enough. People play with that word," he explained.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJhAJPVBdMF
"But... but..." I started, feeling hopeless, wrapping myself tightly in the blanket.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡusua3z0NMB
"Follow me..".as he lead me to the middle world again. I followed him.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ZwI6mEtlw
"What will we do here?" I asked, wiping my tears.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhG75bVkE10
"We will talk," Tis replied.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDVosoKzTxn
"What? Talk??" I asked, shocked and curious.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3bjTGl7Vz
"Yes, sit here," he said in a commanding voice.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDjjubup8tW
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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrv6oXAe1Sa
"Is it water?" I asked.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWJuGfrU4O
"It's not water," Tis replied.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjjzYzUWcEt
"What?"118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXD2ikftBx
"It's not the water you think it is."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡumjBliCvVa
"Then what is this?"118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTCd5dpwlob
"It's - It's your prayers."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLhf7ueLcUs
"Prayers? Like 'mannat' (prayers)?"118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlkSUPVECBP
"Yes, people from your world pray every day just to let their prayers drown in this river."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxbzOmDwDij
"Ohh... I didn't understand anything," I replied.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7eNxIB64OA
"How are you feeling now?" he asked, turning to me.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzbuT1yEzyk
"I don't know, it's just so pretty here. Can I touch that water?"118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpggQJoQChF
"Yes, you can."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp2dUDOJU7B
As I stood up and walked towards the silver pond, I hesitated just before touching the water with my left foot's toe.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMJOIce9fEl
"It's fine, right?" I asked, seeking reassurance.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz8fo4Zaqfo
He didn't reply, just looked at me with an annoyed face. I understood what he was saying.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3w20iWBK2
"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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl2VaaePyaL
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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrEWrAYwqVV
"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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrpQ9bPkfvA
"I-I know I am useless," I replied, gazing at the water which was a stark contrast to my life, BRIGHT.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5QrBwXW8AP
"Listen, little human, you are not useless. You just don't know how to use yourself," Tis reassured me.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ4LPxwQP02
"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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk5AyKdpxEw
"Do you know why the creator made your world?" Tis asked, looking at the pond.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡksTvJBAdd5
"I don't know, " I replied.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkEZh1RjKuq
"How would you know? I don't even know it, idiot," Tis retorted.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBSKTjxKcT
"Are you insane?Why did you asked me, if you didn't know it too," I snapped back.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡasQ9E9In34
"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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZGJIvUam9
"Like what things?" I asked immediately.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNxs58PaSi
"Like your family drama, your overthinking, and all," Tis mentioned.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy9DSJcHj6Q
"You won't ever understand me, Tis, it's much more complicated than it looks to you," I expressed.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxXMT65eAKp
"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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYxk48PCsXn
"And how do you decide I am the main character? Everyone is the main character of their story," I questioned.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJk0dszUUh
"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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡthkNQLX34p
"But I am not sure, Tis. I am too broken to be fixed," I admitted.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSDUYBEIofU
"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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCt5NmECl4
I stared at him, blinking my eyes in a little astonishment as I remarked, "You should open a YouTube channel and motivate people."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡceFEfchC7A
He contemplated and then replied, "I would have if cameras could capture me."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfBLCJgTtXz
"Really? You know so much about the human world," I commented.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlBXL572vOy
"The creator once said, 'If you are growing a wheat field, make sure the seed is not of Paddy's,'" Tis shared.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx3J6yG4Nog
"Huh? I am not that poetic," I asked with a humble smile.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUJsbc9Xfkt
"Leave it, from the moment I saw you, I knew you were crazy," he said, imitating my smile.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLza6iEKvnw
"You asked me, right, why did I start hurting myself?" I inquired.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC8ew38PTKV
"Yes, I did. Do you want to tell me now?" Tis replied.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MACCbVwas
"No, I just reminded you that you forgot it," I responded.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8T1XPECqWw
"Wow, so you won't tell me?" Tis questioned.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbxx4BwgTyN
"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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuVsjXqBtwn
"Did those guys bully you more? I mean, I know that much after you started hurting yourself. Ron told me that much," Tis asked.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYsLwB4ARkz
"You guys have studied me? I feel so honored," I remarked.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJa05LxFwDE
"Nah, I just learned about your existence before I was going to the Mixture," Tis shared.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEB08I3aQXC
I sighed as I prepared to narrate more about my experiences.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY5g4a2QlHT
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...118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWBM3TWdgIy
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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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5CdIK1SLzZ
"Excuse me?" I asked politely.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKnPd38KBb
"Where do you think you're going, stalker?" she asked with a smirk.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRST4XWg6L5
My eyes widened as I finally understood the situation.She fooled me with the message.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡegE2sEWJ0f
"I-I-I" I stuttered.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNNayGtJyp
The boys stopped laughing and approached us. Suddenly, the girl lunged at me, grabbing my small bob hairs, causing me to scream in pain.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvRbZ9TDvop
"Ouch-ouch, what are you doing ?"118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWNib3sf74u
"Something those guys should have done," she replied angrily.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6lojuRhmou
"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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFI0Rdakmd
"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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8uTKR8ZTg
I just looked down as her hand was still gripping my hair.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkZceGAFUGr
"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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9kKlufZ8Fo
"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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlO3eva1vf5
"Let me beat you, and then we will let you go," she replied.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6BBeFhfMB9
"What?" I asked to check if I heard wrong. Was she a psycho? How did I get involved in this?118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmJvCcomfxK
"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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFB8KjAmAYz
"Huh?" I was genuinely worried about her mental state as I continued to look at her with a puzzled expression in my eyes.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN10c1elWCF
"Do you want me to spill everything to your pita ji(dad)?" She said, laughing maniacally.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrTsqlfSyg
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."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe54KoUvJUO
"Thanks," she said as she slapped me.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAnHydZCQwA
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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSzzmcmSZL
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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFI1xq3Hkej
"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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZZbR7e2nJ
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and then Add to home screen.