THE WISH OF HER

chapter 3

Author's POV:

Now the story has begun. Both of them have feelings for each other, but they don’t have the courage to talk.

When you have feelings for someone, you can't look into their eyes for more than 0.001 seconds until you confess.

Here, Manisha and Ajay are going to struggle just to speak at least once… But how will they manage? Let’s see what happens when they step into 10th grade, the most important phase of their school life. On one side, they have to study hard for board exams. On the other, they are struggling to control their feelings.

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Manisha’s POV:

I woke up at 6:30 when my mom started shouting my name from the kitchen. But beside me, my elder sister, Sanjana, was sleeping peacefully after disturbing my sleep by talking to her fiancé.

I went to the kitchen and took a cup of tea. My day would be incomplete without tea. I think my mom has magic in her hands because she makes tea so well, and I fall for it every single day.

Mom asked me to wake up my sister since she had to go to the office, and she was already running late. So I called out, “Sanju, get up! You’re late!” But she didn’t respond. I poured water on her, slapped her lightly, but still, this girl wouldn't wake up.

Then, I got an idea. I took my mom’s phone and dialed Sanju’s number. The moment her phone rang, I answered, “Hello, Mama! My sister is sleeping, so call her later—”

Before I could finish, she snatched her phone from my hand and immediately started talking, “Hello, hello!” I burst into laughter, clutching my stomach—it was hilarious watching her reaction.

She glared at me angrily before stomping into the washroom. After that, I brushed my teeth, took a bath, ate breakfast, grabbed my school bag, and headed to school in an auto.

As I entered my classroom, the usual love birds were there again.

I badly wanted to get out, so I went to meet a friend from another section. She wasn’t that close to me, but we talked whenever we met. From now on, she and I decided to roam around the school in the mornings until assembly—just to avoid watching the love birds.

We strolled to the school gate and counted how many autos were parked outside. Then, we wandered near the nursery building, where LKG and UKG kids sat quietly—some crying while their teachers comforted them. They all looked so cute.

Soon, it was time for the assembly, so we returned to our building. As I was heading to my classroom, I saw Mr.kumar walking opposite direction. But the surprising part is He was looking at me.

The moment I realized it, I quickly looked away. My family is against love… Not love, I mean— well, you all get what I mean.

So, I had to avoid him and focus on my studies. I didn’t know if it would work, but I had to try my best.

Another surprise,my two best friends arrived on time today! For a second, I thought I was dreaming.

Hina patted my head and said, “Hey, girl! Don’t overthink. It’s not a dream,it’s real. And from now on, we’ll come to school on time.”

We laughed and walked to the ground for assembly.

As usual, our first period was Moral Science.

The topic? Love.

Not the kind you’re thinking of! It was about the love between God and humans. But, of course, my classmates had other ideas.

Everyone started shouting and teasing each other, so I turned to see the commotion. And there HE was, looking straight into my soul from his bench.

I quickly turned back to face the board. My friends were saying something and laughing, but I couldn’t hear them. My heart was racing.

Why is he looking at me like that all of a sudden!?

My inner voice screamed, DON’T FALL FOR THIS! CONTROL! CONTROL! IT’S ALL FAKE!

I shut my eyes and took a deep breath.

Then, our class teacher arrived and announced that she was changing our seating arrangement.

We all groaned—this was the worst thing about school!

My school had a unique way of setting seats: an entire bench of boys, then a bench of girls behind them, then boys again, and so on.

At least, she wasn’t separating friends.

She started rearranging us one by one.And then…

She placed me and my two besties right in front of Ajay’s bench.

What the hell!? Is the universe trying to kill me!?

Now, HE was staring at me again—with those lovely eyes.I couldn’t handle it.

We sat down, pretending nothing had happened.

Break time came. Ajay left the classroom, and I turned to Hina.

"Hey, girl, look at me. Is there something wrong with my face? Do I look different today?"

She frowned. “No, Manu… Why?”

"No reason. Just wondering."

Math class started. I tried to focus on the board, but I could feel him behind me.

My mind was blank.

Suddenly, the teacher called my name.

"Manisha, tell me the algebra formula."That’s it.This is the most embarrassing moment of my life.

I didn’t know the formula. My friends, as intelligent as they were, didn’t even know which chapter we were studying. They were whispering, “Which chapter is this?”

Before I could answer, a student from another class came in and spoke to the teacher.

At that moment, I heard a voice behind me.

" Manisha."

I turned, Mr. Kumar was ready to say something, so I watched him.

He leaned slightly and whispered the answer.

I stared at him in disbelief. He again looking into my eyes and telling the answer, then our eyes get locked and I lost looking at him.

The teacher returned, and I quickly answered. She nodded and moved on. I sat down, my heart pounding.

This is the first time we’ve been this close.

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After lunch, our class teacher informed us that all teachers had a meeting. So, our class rep was assigned to maintain order,

Which meant absolute chaos.

Some students moved around, and my friends and I wanted to talk about our favorite Polimer channel serials.

Hina asked Subh to switch seats so that our friends can join with us, but he refused—just to annoy her.

So, she turned to Ajay.

"Ajay, can you switch seats..?"

He nodded as no and said “Sorry, Hina. I can't switch seats,I want to be here itself...”

She frowned. “What’s so special about that seat, Ajay? You just sat there today!”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I just like it.”

And then—he looked straight at me.

OMG. AM I DREAMING!?

I turned away, avoiding eye contact.

He chuckled softly. Then, he turned to his friends and started laughing and chatting, while I sat there, drowning in confusion.