INT. VIGNESH SIVAN HIGH SCHOOL

They met under the biology lab's soft yellow lights, textbooks spread out, markers scattered like confetti on a birthday card.

Preethi (eyebrow raised): “Did you even read the assignment?”

Arjun (leaning back, arms crossed): “I was waiting for your expert opinion, Miss Perfectionist.”

Preethi (mocking): “Well, Mr. MVP, the human heart has four chambers, not six.”

He scratched his head sheepishly, holding up a sketch that looked more like an alien spaceship than a cardiovascular system.

Arjun: “Creative liberty?”

She rolled her eyes, but her lips were already curving into a smile.

That afternoon, as they scribbled and debated, time blurred.

At one point, their fingers touched while reaching for the same red pen.

Preethi (quietly): “You’re warm.”

Arjun (smiling softly): “You’re close.”

Silence lingered—just enough to hear her heartbeat flutter.

Fashback;

Prelude — When Fate Scribbled Their Names Together

The class was buzzing.

Charts were pinned. Names were being called.

The biology teacher, Mrs. Janaki, held a crumpled paper — the list of project pairs.

Preethi sat in the third row, back straight, highlighters perfectly aligned.

Arjun leaned against the wall near the window, spinning a basketball on his finger like he didn’t care. But he did. Just a little.

Author pov;

Around them, the world swirled in usual teenage chaos — exams, whispers, secrets, and hormonal confusion.

But hidden beneath, something else stirred.

A wind no one noticed.

A pull no one could explain.

Sometimes, it’s not lightning that sparks the storm—

It’s a whisper in the wind, choosing two people before they ever see it coming.

Mrs. Janaki read aloud:

“Arjun and… Preethi.”

Silence.

A beat passed.

Preethi (blinking): “Excuse me, ma’am… did you say…?”

Arjun (smirking, already walking up): “Looks like you’re stuck with me, chart queen.”

Author pov;

And just like that, two people from opposite pages of the school diary—

One ruled by structure,

The other by spontaneity—

Were stitched into the same story.

Some call it coincidence.

Others call it chaos.

But maybe… it was love, dressed as a project sheet.

What they didn’t know was this:

The world outside was planning storms,

But for now, inside these walls,

The only thing brewing—

Was a love that would defy every plan ever made for them.

Back to present;

Later, while pasting the chart:

Preethi (concentrating): “Careful with the glue—”

Arjun (accidentally brushing glue on her cheek): “Oops… decoration?”

She gasped, then swiped a streak on his nose in revenge.

Preethi (laughing): “Now you look like the diagram.”

Arjun (pointing to his chest): “Must be the heart reacting.”

They both paused.

A hush settled between them—not awkward, but tender.

In that hush, time slowed.

A breeze tiptoed through the window,

And the sunlight drew golden outlines around her lashes.

His breath caught, not from words unsaid—

But from a spark he never expected to feel this young, this fast.

Her eyes dipped from his gaze to the red pen in his fingers…

But in that silence, he felt it.

Not noise, not chaos.

Just… the first language of love, quietly written between heartbeats.

Preethi (softly): “We should… finish this part.”

Arjun (smiling gently): “Yeah… before I draw another potato.”

She laughed, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear—but her cheeks stayed warm, colored by something no chart could measure.

The next day at the school, during break time.

The biology chart stood proudly on the noticeboard. Below it, two names scribbled in blue ink: Arjun & Preethi.

Rohith and Jeeva were the first to spot it. Rohith leaned in with a grin that stretched too far.

Rohith: “Ohhh, look who became the poster couple for the human heart!”

Jeeva (whistling): “Bro didn’t just draw a heart... he hand-delivered his.”

Arjun, casually sipping his Boost, shrugged like it was nothing.

Arjun: “Just teamwork, da.”

Rohith: “Teamwork? You pasted glue on her cheek like you were proposing in kindergarten.”

Jeeva (mimicking): “‘You’re warm.’ ‘You’re close.’ Ayyo! Romance chapter started before the syllabus!”

Meanwhile, on the girls’ side…

Archana clutched her books dramatically to her chest.

Archana: “Preethi! What was that glue moment?! You were BLUSHING! Admit it!”

Reeka (snorting): “She even forgot to color-code the final section. Love has corrupted her order!”

Preethi (rolling her eyes hard): “I wasn’t blushing. That’s glue reaction. And he was the one acting like Picasso with a fever.”

Archana (grinning): “Yeah, yeah. Keep denying. But your cheeks are pinker than your highlighter.”

Reeka (leaning close): “Just say the word, and we’ll plan the wedding theme: Red pens and chart papers!”

Preethi groaned, burying her face in her notebook.

Preethi (muffled): “Can someone please switch me to a new partner… like, immediately?”

Back at Arjun’s bench...

Rohith (laughing): “So, when’s the sequel? ‘Heart Attack: The Return of Glue Boy’?”

Jeeva (elbowing Arjun): “You like her, admit it. You’ve never smiled that long for anything without a basketball.”

Arjun just smiled, tapping his pen on the desk.

Arjun (softly): “She’s... something.”

Preethi (overhearing, whispering to Archana): “He said I’m something?! What does that even mean?! Ugh, boys!”

But she couldn’t stop smiling.

And across the room, neither could he.

Next day Sunday evening all are gather in jeeva house...despite Preethi refuse Archana request at one point she agree when her mother said her go study there....

Evening, Jeeva’s House Terrace

The sky was dipped in a fading orange, the sun lazily resting behind water tanks and coconut trees. The terrace was lit by fairy lights hung across poles, a rug spread out with textbooks, chips, juice, and some last-minute panic.

Rohith (flipping pages): “Group study or group therapy? Because I feel both.”

Reeka (munching): “You brought four pens, but forgot your textbook. Genius.”

Jeeva (sipping soda): “Welcome to my house of procrastination. Where answers are few but drama is free.”

They all laughed.

Arjun and Preethi sat across from each other, separated only by a physics book that no one really wanted to open. The breeze gently lifted Preethi’s hair, which danced like poetry in motion.

Above them, the stars waited to blink awake.

Between laughter and low whispers, something warmer floated in the air—

A feeling unspoken, yet alive in every stolen glance and shared silence.

Archana (teasing): “Preethi, stop staring. He’s not the answer key.”

Preethi (blushing, flipping a page aggressively): “I wasn’t staring! I was... scanning his formula.”

Reeka (grinning): “Scan all you want. Love’s already in the equation.”

Arjun (smirking): “Just trying to keep her... positively charged.”

Jeeva (groaning): “Bro, that’s not chemistry. That’s criminally cheesy.”

As the night deepened, books opened but minds wandered. Archana was doodling hearts in the margin. Rohith was balancing a pencil on his nose. Preethi kept checking the time, but not to leave. And Arjun?

He watched her laugh in the starlight.

The world slowed again.

In between pages and problems, love sat quietly in the corner—

Not loud, not rushed,

Just real... like the wind that knows when to stay still.

Jeeva (raising a juice box): “To exams, chaos, and the weird way love starts with glue and charts.”

All (raising theirs): “To chaos!”

And on that terrace, under a velvet sky, six hearts studied... not just subjects, but each other.

Where grades may fade—but this evening would linger like a soft echo.

Later that Night

The fairy lights now glowed softer, the stars brighter, and the textbooks... mostly forgotten.

The group had shifted into a circle, legs crossed, shoulders touching. There was music playing low from Jeeva’s old speaker—some retro melody that matched the mood.

Rohith (half-asleep on his bag): “Can someone explain why Newton felt the need to drop that damn apple?”

Archana (giggling): “without that apple, we wouldn’t have gravity... and without gravity, Preethi’s heart wouldn’t be falling for Arjun.”

Preethi (groaning): “Archana! You’re worse than Newton!”

Arjun (teasing, leaning closer): “So it’s true? You’re falling?”

She threw a cushion at him, but he caught it—smiling, unshaken.

Preethi (trying to sound serious): “I’m falling... asleep. Because someone decided to turn this into a comedy club.”

Reeka (smirking): “Sure, sure. But your eyes always wake up when *he* talks.”

Jeeva: “Okay enough! Time for ‘Rapid Fire’! Everyone has to answer—truth only. No escape.”

Rohith: “Truth? At this hour? My brain went offline five minutes ago.”

Jeeva (grinning): “First question! Preethi—describe Arjun in one word.”

All eyes turned to her. Arjun, now suddenly quiet, glanced sideways—waiting.

Preethi (after a pause): “Unexpected.”

Silence. Archana raised an eyebrow. Reeka gasped. Arjun blinked.

Arjun (softly, smiling): “Good unexpected?”

Preethi (with a small smile): “You’ll never know.”

Jeeva (laughing): “Ohooo... tension! Love tension!”

Reeka: “My turn! Arjun—what’s the first thing you noticed about Preethi?”

Arjun looked directly at Preethi, no smirk this time, just a gentle gaze.

Arjun: “The way she argues. Like she’s trying to win a war but save your heart at the same time.”

Everyone went quiet.

Archana: “Someone call a poet hotline. This boy’s dangerous.”

Preethi (whispering to herself): “What do I even do with that line...

The conversation drifted. Laughter grew softer. Jeeva lay back, staring at stars, Reeka and Rohith sharing chips in sleepy silence.

Preethi (murmuring to Arjun): “You make it hard to ignore you, you know that?”

Arjun (leaning a bit closer): “Maybe I don’t want to be ignored.”

Their eyes met. Not bold. Just real.

And in that hush—beneath city skies and the soft song of crickets—

two hearts stayed still, like the night had paused just for them.

No confessions. No promises.

Just the warmth of being seen.

As game futher continue....

**Rohith–Archana**, **Jeeva–Reeka**, and our central duo, **Preethi–Arjun*

Jeeva (sitting up): “Next round of Rapid Fire! This one’s *Pair Questions!* I ask, you answer—for your pair only. Let the drama begin!”

Reeka (clapping): “Finally, some spice!”

Jeeva (grinning at Rohith and Archana): “Rohith, if Archana were a song, what would she be?”

Rohith (without missing a beat): “‘Headache Remix ft. Sass Queen’.”

Archana (mock-punching him): “And you’d be ‘Flirt Without a Filter’.”

They all laughed—except Rohith, who rubbed his arm, grinning anyway.

Jeeva (turning to Reeka): “Okay Reeka, what’s Jeeva’s most annoying habit?”

Reeka: “He breathes too loud when he’s thinking.”

Jeeva (offended): “That’s *deep thinking*, not loud breathing!”

Reeka (teasing): “Deep? You were calculating how many chips were left.”

Now the circle turned to **Arjun and Preethi**.

Archana (smirking): “Preethi, last question. If Arjun was a season, which one would he be?”

Preethi (surprised, thoughtful): “Hmm... Winter.”

Everyone looked confused.

Reeka: “Winter? He’s all sunshine!”

Preethi (softly): “Exactly. You only notice how warm he is when it’s cold. He sneaks up on you.”

Arjun (quietly): “That’s the nicest thing anyone’s said about me…”

The city below started slowing. The fairy lights flickered gently, and the breeze grew cooler.

One by one, the group began packing up.

Archana (stretching): “My mom will turn into a detective if I don’t get home.”

Rohith (grabbing her bag): “I’ll walk you. For protection… from street dogs. And your mom.”

Archana (smiling): “Brave of you to fear both equally.”

They laughed and walked downstairs together, their silhouettes brushing under the fairy lights.

Jeeva (yawning): “Reeka, want another soda?”

Reeka: “I want sleep. But I’ll settle for soda.”

Jeeva (grinning):“Romantic. Let’s go.”

They disappeared toward the kitchen, shoulders bumping playfully.

Now only Arjun and Preethi remained.

The rooftop was silent. The stars bold now. The wind cooler.

Preethi (hugging her knees): “This was nice.”

Arjun (sitting beside her): “Better than any match I’ve played.”

She turned to look at him. No teasing. Just... stillness.

Preethi: “I meant the whole group thing.”

Arjun (smiling): “I didn’t.”

She looked away, smiling despite herself.

The night was quiet, but their hearts had never been louder.

In the hush of shared silence, goodbyes came slowly.

Not out of hesitation—but out of hope... that something was just beginning.

Arjun (standing up): “I’ll walk you till the gate.”

Preethi (joining him): “I thought you were scared of my silence.”

Arjun (opening the gate slowly): “No. I like it. It says more than your words do.”

She looked at him once—really looked.

And maybe, in that moment, her silence spoke of every feeling she hadn’t yet named.

To be continue ...

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