Chapter 1
1813 Words
Chapter 1 —The Morning of New Beginnings 🌿✨
The alarm never rang.
That’s how the morning began or rather, how Aanya’s heart nearly jumped out of her chest when she opened her sleepy eyes and saw the sunlight already spilling across her new room like liquid gold. It felt foreign this room, these walls, even the air itself. Everything smelled different. Fresh paint. Cardboard boxes. Lavender air freshener her mom loved but Aanya secretly hated.
For a moment, she just lay there, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling.
And then
“AANYA!”
Her mother’s voice echoed from downstairs, loud enough to rattle the very glass of her window.
"Wake up! It’s already late for your school! And don’t forget it’s your first day. FIRST. DAY. So don’t even think about being late. Come down, eat breakfast, and get ready! Now!”
Aanya groaned and buried her face into the pillow.
First day of school. First day in a new city. First day without her old friends, without the comfort of knowing where the washrooms were, without the safety of walking through hallways where everyone already knew her name.
"Why do we even have to move?" she mumbled into the pillow.
Of course, no one heard. No one ever did when she whispered.
But there was no time to sulk. She shot upright, glancing at the clock. 7:40 AM.
Her school started at 8:30.
“Oh no oh no oh no” she whispered, practically tripping over the blanket as she jumped off the bed.
Five minutes. That was all she gave herself.
Five chaotic minutes of brushing, washing, changing, and tying her hair into something that looked less like she’d been electrocuted and more like a reasonably normal human being.
Her crisp white shirt felt stiff, the pleats of her skirt perfectly sharp too sharp, like they still belonged on a mannequin. The school badge on her pocket gleamed, freshly stitched.
She paused for half a second, standing before the mirror.
The girl staring back at her looked… scared. Nervous. Excited. Hopeful. All at once.
"You’ll be fine," she whispered to her reflection, forcing a smile. "New school, new people… maybe even a new you."
Downstairs, her mother’s voice boomed again:
“Aanya, breakfast! NOW!”
She grabbed her bag and sprinted down the stairs two at a time, nearly colliding with a stack of unpacked boxes in the hallway. The dining table was already set toast, butter, scrambled eggs, a glass of milk but she barely managed to snatch a single toast.
“Eat properly!” her mom scolded.
“I’ll eat in the car!” Aanya yelled over her shoulder, already halfway out the door.
Outside, the morning air felt different from their old neighborhood crisper, cooler, smelling faintly of wet earth. Their new house was tucked into a quiet lane, and from the driveway, Aanya could see rows of unfamiliar homes, tall neem trees, and the sun peeking lazily through gaps in the leaves.
Her dad’s car was already running, engine humming softly. He leaned out of the window, smiling like he always did when she panicked.
“Come on, kiddo! Hop in, or you’ll be late on your very first day!”
She opened the door and slid into the passenger seat, still clutching her toast. Her bag felt heavier than usual.
“Dad,” she said, buckling her seatbelt, “don’t drive too fast but also… drive fast.”
He chuckled. “Make up your mind, princess.”
She gave him a look, pouting. “I’m serious. I can’t afford to be late.”
Her dad started the car, pulling out of the driveway. “Relax, Aanya. You’ll be fine. It’s just school, not a battlefield.”
She turned to the window, watching the city unfold around her. The streets were already alive newspaper vendors shouting, cyclists weaving through traffic, a school bus full of laughing kids zooming past. Everything felt louder, bigger, more chaotic than her old neighborhood.
But beneath all of it, her stomach twisted with nerves.
"What if no one talks to me?"
"What if they already have their groups?"
"What if I sit alone during lunch?"
She bit her lip, pushing the thoughts away, but they clung to her like shadows.
The car slowed as they turned into a broad avenue lined with tall gulmohar trees. And then she saw it her new school.
It looked nothing like her old one.
This wasn’t just a school. It was huge.
A sprawling white building with glass windows reflecting the morning sun, wide stone steps leading to a massive wooden door, banners fluttering on either side, and students in matching uniforms walking in groups, laughing, chattering, alive.
Her heart thumped louder with every passing second.
Her dad parked near the gates and looked at her. “You got this, kiddo.”
She nodded but said nothing, her fingers gripping her bag strap like it was her only lifeline.
And just as she stepped out of the car, into this new world full of strangers, she didn’t know that someone someone she hadn’t met yet would notice her first.
Someone who would watch.
Someone who would never speak.
Someone who, without even knowing it,
was about to change everything
The moment Aanya stepped out of the car, it felt like the entire world was watching her.
Okay, maybe not the entire world… but definitely enough strangers to make her want to crawl back inside the car and disappear under the seat.
The school gates loomed tall and intimidating, black iron bars lined with fluttering banners that proudly screamed,
“WELCOME TO ST. CLAIRE’S INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL!”
The students walking past looked like they had stepped out of some teen drama series. Perfectly tied ponytails, crisp uniforms, sparkling shoes, and faces that already screamed, “We have our groups, don’t even try.”
"Great," Aanya muttered under her breath, adjusting the strap of her bag. "Throw me into a jungle full of strangers, why don’t you?"
“Good luck, kiddo,” her dad called from the car window.
She turned, forcing a smile. “Thanks, Dad. If I don’t come back alive, tell Mom I loved her.”
He rolled his eyes but laughed. “You’ll be fine. Now go.”
As she walked through the gates, she reminded herself of one important thing never let them see you panic.
Inside her head: “I’m literally dying. Someone bury me here and now.”
On the outside: flawless poker face.
Her sneakers squeaked slightly against the marble floor as she entered the main hallway. It was massive. Like, Harry-Potter-meets-high-school-drama massive. Whitewashed walls covered with posters, a giant chandelier hanging right in the center, and rows of lockers stretching endlessly on both sides.
She swallowed hard.
And then came the whispers.
“New girl?”
“She’s kinda cute.”
“Where do you think she’s from?”
Aanya smiled politely at no one in particular, pretending she couldn’t hear them, even though her ears burned. “Act normal, Aanya. Don’t trip. Don’t stutter. Don’t—”
WHAM.
She crashed straight into someone.
“WOAH! Watch where you’re going!” a sharp voice snapped.
Aanya looked up to see a tall girl with perfectly straight hair, glossy lip gloss, and the kind of attitude that screamed school royalty. Her name tag read: “Kiara S.”
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” Aanya said quickly, stepping back.
Kiara narrowed her eyes, scanning her from head to toe. “You’re new.”
“Uh… yeah.”
Kiara’s lips curled into the faintest smirk. “Cute skirt. Too bad it’s last year’s design.”
Aanya blinked, momentarily frozen.
Inside her head: “Girl, it’s a SCHOOL UNIFORM, not Paris Fashion Week. Calm down.”
Outside: sweet smile. “Oh… thanks?”
Kiara raised a brow, clearly unimpressed, before flipping her hair and strutting away with two other girls following her like loyal minions.
Aanya exhaled sharply. “Great. Day one, and I’ve already met Regina George 2.0.”
By the time she found her classroom after asking three different seniors and accidentally walking into the boys’ washroom once (don’t ask) she was sweating bullets.
She stepped inside slowly, praying no one would notice her.
Wrong.
Twenty pairs of eyes turned instantly.
She could feel the curiosity hanging in the air, the silent judgment, the quick mental notes people were already making about her. Her inner sass-monologue kicked in immediately:
“Hi, yes, I’m the new girl. No, I don’t bite. Yes, I know you’re staring. Kindly stop before I combust.”
Before she could spiral further, a chirpy voice called out from the second row, “Hey! New girl! Come sit here!”
Aanya looked up to see a petite girl with messy curls and a huge grin waving at her like they’d known each other for years.
She gratefully slid into the empty seat next to her.
“I’m Meher,” the girl introduced herself instantly. “You’re Aanya, right?”
“How do you?”
“Word travels fast.” Meher winked. “Plus, I saw Kiara sizing you up earlier. Classic Kiara move.”
“You… know her?”
Meher snorted. “Unfortunately. She’s the queen bee around here. Don’t worry, though. Her bark’s louder than her bite.”
Aanya chuckled softly. “Thanks for the heads-up.”
Meher grinned wider. “Stick with me, newbie. I’ll make sure you survive this place.”
And just as Aanya started to relax, that’s when she felt it.
That strange… pull.
A pair of eyes on her.
She couldn’t explain it, but she knew someone was watching her quietly, intensely, like he’d been waiting.
She turned her head slightly… and saw him.
Author’s Note 🌿✨
Hey beautiful souls 🤍,
Welcome to my little world of dreamy chaos and unspoken feelings 🕊️.
This is my very first chapter of “The Boy Who Never Spoke, But Always Watched” a story straight from my heart.
It’s about new beginnings, silent glances, unsaid words, and that one person who notices you… even when the rest of the world doesn’t. 🌸
This chapter is just the start of Aanya’s journey moving to a new city, stepping into a new school, and unknowingly crossing paths with someone who’s about to change everything.
If you’ve ever been the new kid, felt lost in a crowd of strangers, or had that one mysterious someone who stole your attention without saying a word…
then this story is for you. ✍🏼✨
I’m pouring every ounce of emotion, drama, and main-character energy into this novel, so buckle up we’re going on a dreamy, emotional, slightly sassy ride.
Your support means the world to me 🤍.
Drop a ❤️, share your thoughts, and let’s make this journey unforgettable together.
Atulika Singh 🌿
- Writer
