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Authors POV

Nirvan and Vritika trudging down the lane to school. The sun had already begun its daily assault.

Nirvan's bag scraped along the ground. Vritika, her braid sticking to the back of her neck, muttered complaints under her breath. 

Together, they were mocking the heat, mocking their teachers, mocking the very idea of discipline. Their words were sharp, but their laughter was sharper, cutting through the heavy air.

Trisha walked with them, but her mind had slipped away.

Nirvan and Vritika were busy roasting teachers. Trisha's eyes, were restless, darting from one passerby to the next.

Every stranger was a possibility. Every face carried the faint hope of recognition.

She wasn't part of their banter. She wasn't part of the heat.

She was looking for him.

The Calm Boy.

To Trisha, he moved differently. Time seemed to slow for him, each step a quiet disturbance in the heat-hazed street. He never laughed, never joined the noise, yet his silence rang louder than any chorus. 

He looked as though he had been sculpted from stillness, the sun laying its gold across his shoulders. And without even trying, he carried the promise of a story everyone longed to read.

Nirvan noticed the dreamy look settle over Trisha's face, and instantly, his grin sharpened. 

He slowed his steps and tilted his head just a liitle. "Kisey dhoond rahi ho, moti?" he teased while wiggling his eyebrows.  

Trisha flinched, her braid swinging as she turned too quickly. "K-kisiko nahi... Whom will I look for?" she snapped, her gaze never once landing on Nirvan.

Vritika squinted at her sister. "Toh phir itni der se yaha-waha, apne dimaag ko dhoond rahi hai kya?" she asked.  

Trisha let out a sharp breath. "I'm just looking around!" she insisted. "Can't I even look around now?"

Vritika chewed thoughtfully on the last bite of her energy bar. "You can look around. But it's strange." she said slowly while raising her brows. 

"You woke up early. You didn't fight over bathroom. You got ready quickly too. Poore raste ek baar bhi chikchik nahi ki tune." she continued while counting on her fingers. "Yeh miracle kaise ho gaya?" she added.  

Trisha swallowed hard.

"Ladke ka chakkar, Babu Bhaiya. Ladke ka chakkar," Nirvan said scanning her from head to toe.

Trisha's cheeks burned. "Kuch bhi," she whispered, eyes darting away but her mouth betrayed her with the faintest curve of a smile she couldn't quite hide.

Nirvan caught the curve of Trisha's lips and pounced. "Ohooo! Now she's smiling! Pakka Viru! Yeh ladke wali feeling hai."

Vritika leaned in her elbow nudging Trisha's side. "Kaun hai humare Future Jiju? Bata bhi do!"

Nirvan's eyes gleamed. "Naam kya hai?"

Vritika joined instantly. "School mein hi hai kya?"

"Teri class mein hai ya dusri?"

"Senior ya junior?"

"Uski koi behen hai kya?"

"Hum jaante hai kya usey?"

"Arey! Bas karo!" Trisha snapped, flinging her arms in the air. "Itne sawaal kaun puchta hai? Ruk jaa, tham jaao thoda! Mujhe khud uske baare mein kuch nahi pata, tumhe kaise batau?" she said.

Vritika stared at her while blinking in disbelief. "Hein? Not even his name?" she asked.

Trisha pouted. "Nahi yaar, woh bhi nahi." But then her eyes gleamed. "But! I, Ira, and Ridhima have made a plan to find out his name. So don't worry! bahut jald tumhe tumhare jijaji ka naam pata chal jayega!" she said while smiling wide.

Her siblings exchanged looks, while Trisha basked in her own triumph.

"Ooohooo! Khushi toh dekho ladki ke chehre pe!" Nirvan said, wiggling his brows and nudging Trisha with his elbow. "Shakal dekh lo apni pehle, ladka pasand karengi. Aur yeh koi umar hai inn sabh cheezon ki? Padhai pe dhyaan do-padhai pe!" he said scolding her.

Trisha seized his hair, bent him down with surprising force, and drove her elbow into his back making Nirvan hissed in pain. 

Vritika sighed, checked the street for curious eyes, and then walked ahead while clearly ignoring her siblings.

By the time the school gates came into view, Nirvan was still rubbing his back, Vritika was already a few steps ahead, and Trisha had a small smile dancing on her lips.

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In the far corner of the field, Team T.R.I. gathered with the precision of undercover agents. Their eyes scanned the crowd with sharp intent with their backs rigid. 

"Abey oye! Don't stare at all the boys like that, they'll misunderstand you!" Trisha hissed, her elbow jabbing into Ridhima's side. 

Ridhima barely flinched as her eyes kept sweeping across the courtyard. 

The boys shifted uneasily under her gaze, some straightening their collars, others pretending to look elsewhere, while Trisha muttered under her breath.

"Exactly! Riddhi, thoda casual dikha. If you look like this, everyone will get suspicious," Ira whispered.

"Will you both be quiet? Let me see!" Ridhima snapped while her gaze locked on the second row.

Ira tugged at Trisha's sleeve. "Oye, mujhe dikh gaya!" she whispered.

Trisha spun around instantly. "Kahaan?! KAHAAAN?!" she said tilting her head in every direction. 

"Uh... nahi, sorry. He was someone else..." Ira whispered as her posture sagged.

"Tu bhi kya karti hai, Iru? Bechari ki heartbeat skip karwa di thi tune," Ridhima teased while leaning closer to nudge Trisha. 

Trisha's cheeks flushed as she swatted Ridhima away. "Wahi toh! Look carefully from now on, samjhi?!" she snapped.

"Jaisi aagya, maatey," Ira murmured, pressing her palms together as she bent forward in a bow.

"Oye, dekh dekh! Mil gaya!" Ridhima shouted as she jabbed her finger toward the second row. 

The sudden outburst made a curiosity rippling through the crowd as Trisha and Ira leaned in.

"Kahaan?! Kaunsi class?!" Trisha cried as she started scanning every corner.

Ridhima and Ira burst into laughter. 

"Kitni badi kamini hai na tu," Trisha hissed at Ridhima while jabbing a finger in her direction. "Yaha meri haalat kharab ho rahi hai aur tujhe majaak sujh raha hai! KUTTI. HARAAAMI. DUSHT. NEECH. PAPIN INSAAN."

Ridhima bent forward, clutching her stomach. "Arey bas! I was just joking yaar," she managed between her giggles. 

Ira leaned in and added, "Reaction toh mast tha." Then, she started to imitate Trisha's reaction, "Kahaan? Kaunsi class?" she said imitating her.

"Girls."

The trio froze mid-breath, their laughter dying on their lips. A gulp passed between them, and slowly they turned toward the source of the sound.

Behind them loomed the terror of every morning assembly, Tripathi Sir. His arms were folded tight across his chest, eyebrows carved into a strict 'V' that could silence a crowd.

"You three," he said, "are whispering, laughing, and disturbing the discipline before the anthem. What's going on?" he said raising his brows.

"Umm... we were just... umm..." Ira stammered, eyes darting helplessly between Ridhima and Trisha for rescue.

"Hum... hum... woh sir, yeh mujhse puch rahi thi ki agar hum ghar ke bahar lock ho jaaye, toh kya karna chahiye?" Trisha said pointing hastily at Ridhima. 

Ridhima and Ira froze while her lips curled into a shaky smile.

Tripathi Sir's eyes narrowed. "Acha? Toh tumne kya kaha ki kya karna chahiye?" he asked with a tight smile.

Ira and Ridhima instantly shut their eyes while shaking their heads.

"Yahi sir, ki hume lock se badi calmly baat karni chahiye," Trisha declared while making Ridhima and Ira knit their brows. 

Tripathi Sir's gaze hardened. "Lock se kyu baat karni chahiye?" he asked. 

Ira and Ridhima gave a question nod while looking at her.

"Simple sir! Because communication is the key!" Trisha said, her hand cutting the air with casual confidence. 

Tripathi Sir's eyes got widened in shock meanwhile, Ira and Ridhima pressed their lips tight to stop them from laughing.

"Arms up. Now," he commanded. "Aur agle das minute tak tum teeno aise hi khadhi rahogi!"

Dozens of eyes turned as the trio stood frozen in their punishment in the morning assembly.

They stood frozen while arms stiffly raised, faces etched with shame, pride sinking lower than the ground beneath them. 

The courtyard buzzed with suppressed laughter, the spectacle impossible to ignore. Even Calm Boy allowed himself the smallest turn of the head.

"Abey yaar!" Trisha muttered under her breath. "He must be watching me like this. It's all because of you two." she said glaring at both of them. "Kya zarurat thi khikhikhikhi karne ki? Mera impression gaya uske saamne!" she added while clicking her tongue.

"Koi nahi, Rishu," Ira said. "Log toh prem mein apne aap ko nuevechaawar kar dete hain. Tera toh bas tuch sa prabhav gaya hai. Iss pal ko apne hriday se nishkashit karo, Putri!" she said while giving a nod.

Ridhima bit her lip to keep herself from laughing while Trisha just stared at Ira.

"Hein?! Apne hriday se kya karo?" Trisha said, her eyes darting helplessly toward Ira.

"Leave it. Humare samajh ke bahar hai," Ridhima sighed.

Tripathi Sir cleared his throat. "You three in class. Now. And from tomorrow, I don't want to see you laughing in the middle of assembly. Got it?" he said.

The trio nodded and trotted back to class. As soon as they stepped into the classroom, every head swiveled toward them. 

"Kya?! Ghoor kya rahe ho sab? Kabhi dekha nahi kya hume?! Apne-apne kaam pe lago, samjhe?!" she snapped at them. 

A few students jumped, others smirked, and the trio marched to their seats.

They slumped into their benches, notebooks opening with the dull resignation of students caught in routine. 

Ridhima and Ira scribbled obediently.

But Trisha?

Her notebook stared back at her. 

Calm Boy. Assembly. Punishment. Calm Boy. Assembly. Punishment. The cycle spun endlessly.

Mission Naam Khoj had failed... for now. But Trisha's lips curved into a faint smile. 

Next time, she swore, she'd break the loop. She'd find his name. No distractions. No punishments. Just the truth.

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Classes moved on as teachers were drifting in and out, lessons blurring together. 

But for Team T.R.I., time had splintered. Their universe existed in hushed laughter, coded glances, and the quiet rustle of lunch sneaked beneath the desk.

Trisha munched on a samosa. Ridhima chewed chocolate. And Ira...alone dared to bring chutney in a tiny plastic box.

Miss Preeti swept into the room, her eyes scanning for the slightest hint of mischief.

Just as she wrapped up her lesson, she spun around. "Students, submit your homework before the next period," she declared. 

Trisha froze mid-bite as the bite stopped halfway to her mouth. "Mein toh homework karna bhool gayi, yaar!" she hissed. "Tum logon ne kiya hai kya?" she asked looking both at them.

"Homework?! Woh diya bhi tha kya?" Ridhima asked while blinking with innocence.

"Haan haan, I did it!" Ira said proudly.

Trisha and Ridhima exchanged a glance. The one that screamed, Operation Notebook Chori is officially on.

"Neha beta, collect everyone's notebooks and take them to the staff room," Miss Preeti ordered, before sweeping out of the classroom.

When Neha reached Ira's desk, she greeted her with confident ease while unzipping her bag. 

Her brows knitted, her hands moved faster while searching the bag, the desk, beneath the chair, even rifling through her file, then she opened her lunchbox.

Finally, Ira turned to them. "Did you both see my notebook?" she asked them.

Trisha leaned back while Ridhima's shoulders shook with barely contained laughter.

"Nahi toh, we haven't seen anything," Ridhima replied with confidence.

"Jaldi kar, Iru. Bechari Neha kab tak khadi rahegi?" Trisha said dragging each word.

"Bas ek minute, yaar! I don't know where it went. I had kept it here," Ira mumbled as she rummaged through her bag, scattering its contents across the desk.

Neha's shoulders slumped. "Koi nahi. Get it checked later," she said, turning away, her footsteps fading while Ira sat frozen in the wreckage of her failed search.

The instant she disappeared, Trisha and Ridhima revealed Ira's notebook from under the desk.

Ira's gasped. "KITNE kathor hriday ke praani ho tum dono! Maine pooran ratri jaag ke apni nidra ka balidaan diya tha! Meri mehnat, MERE SAPNE, sab vyarth chale gaye! Tum dono ko toh main chhodungi nahi!" she snapped.

Before Ira could strike, Ridhima leapt onto a bench while Trisha stormed out.

"Rishu, ruk jaaa! Nahi toh aur pitegi!" Ira cried as she gave chase.

Trisha kept running, her breath quick, her pulse wild. She turned the corner, glanced back and collided hard. 

Books spilled across the floor, her heartbeat spilling faster still.

Her palms throbbed against the ground, but she felt nothing. Her eyes lifted.

And there he was.

The Calm Boy.

Up close, calm was too small a word for him. He was arresting, his quiet presence wrapping around her. When he bent to collect his books, it was with a grace that made the world falter, her lungs forgetting their duty.

He offered no words, no smile, only a silence so heavy it thundered through her, leaving her shaken in its echo.

Her chest fluttered. She reached for a fallen book, but the shimmer on the floor caught her eye.

An ID card.

Her hand closed around it before she could think. The name stared back.

MAHIN. Class 11-B.

Her fingers shook, clutching the secret the world had slipped into her palms.

"It's mine," the voice came quiet, softened by something that made her pulse falter.

Trisha startled, her eyes snapping up. "Huh?"

His gaze lingered on her hand, then rose to meet hers. "The ID card. It's mine." he said slowly.

She remembered too late that the card was still in her grip. 

Flustered, she pressed it back into his palm as their fingers touched barely and the jolt left her reeling.

He gave a single nod and began to walk away. 

"Suno!" The word escaped her before she could stop it. 

He turned. "Kaho," he answered.

Trisha froze, her breath caught, her pulse hammering against her ribs. She couldn't move, couldn't speak, she only stand there, trembling, while Mahin waited, his eyes steady.

"Woh... uh... woh kuch nahi. Bas aise hi. Hi... matlab... Bye!" she stammered before she darted back toward her classroom.

Mahin stood still in confusion. "Bye," he said softly to himself, before a smile tugged at his lips but his gaze lingered on the empty corridor.

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Trisha BURST into the classroom, her hurried entrance rattling a chair, her heart still tethered to the name that had just changed everything.

"Iruuuuuuu!" Trisha squealed, throwing herself at Ira in a hug. "Mujhe pata chal gaya! Iru, mujhe pata chal gayaaa!" Trisha's voice rang through the classroom, her joy spilling over in every syllable.

Ira blinked, squished against Trisha's shoulder, her voice muffled. "Yeh pagal ho gayi hai kya?"

But Trisha was already gone as she caught Ridhima's hands and twirled her. "Ridhiiii! I FOUND IT! I found itttt!" she shouted.

Ridhima yelped, stumbling as Trisha whirled her around. "Arre! Breathe-breathe, Psycho! Now TELL US, what did you find?!"

Trisha spun once more, arms lifted high. "MERA SAB KUCH!" she said with a big smile on her face.

"Hein?!" Ira and Ridhima echoed in unison.

Trisha giggled. "Arey bewakoofon! I found out his name!" she said raising her both brows.

"KYA?! Sach much?!" Ira and Ridhima cried.

"Haan, Pagli!" Trisha answered.

"Naam kya hai humare hone waale jiju ka? Kaunsi class? Kahan mila? Kaise mila? Junior toh nahi hai na? Arey! Bol bhi, chup kyu hai? Chal chal chal, jaldi bol!" Ridhima rattled off.

"Tu kuch bolne degi tab toh bolegi!" Ira snapped at her.

"EXACTLY!" Trisha laughed. "Mujhe bolne toh de!" she said between her giggles.

"When I was running away from Ira..." Trisha said softly, "he bumped into me. We both fell, his books scattering across the floor, and as I helped him..." Her fingers tightened around her notebook while pressing it to her chest. "I saw it. His ID card. And then... I read his name."

"Ohooo, kya baat hai!" Ridhima grinned while wiggling her brows.

"But!" Ira exclaimed. "Tell us the name!"

Trisha closed her eyes. "Mahin. Aur woh 11-B mein hai." she whispered while releasing a soft sigh.

Ridhima squinted. "Dekho toh sahi, sharam ke maare gaal kaise gulabi ho rahe hai!" she teased while nudging Trisha.

"Aisa kuch nahi hai!" Trisha said, pressing her notebook to her face. 

But her blush betrayed her while painting her cheeks in a truth she could not hide.

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At the school gate, under the gulmohar tree, Team T.R.I. stood in a messy little circle. Bags slipping off shoulders, uniforms slightly crumpled, everyone pretending they weren't melting in the heat.

"I hope Vritika jaldi aa jaaye. Mujhe paani chahiye, warna main yahi behosh ho jaungi," Ira groaned, dramatically leaning back.

Ridhima rolled her eyes, still chewing her toffee but then she stopped mid-chew and her fingers tightened slightly around the wrapper.

"Rishu... dekh..." she said under her breath, nudging Trisha's elbow.

Trisha turned casually at first and then not so casually.

Mahin.

For a second, everything else felt... quieter. Or maybe that was just her head.

He was walking toward the gate, one strap of his bag hanging from his shoulder. His white shirt wasn't perfectly crisp as it's just slightly creased from the day. His hair moved a little with the breeze, and he looked the same as always.

Trisha's heartbeat tripped over itself.

"Why is he coming this way?" she thought as her grip tightened around her bag strap without her realizing it.

"Mahin bhaiya! I'm here!" The voice came from behind her.

Trisha blinked as a small girl ran past her, waving both hands in the air. Vanya, Ishaan's little cousin.

Mahin slowed down, then stopped. Not for her.

He turned slightly, his attention shifting away so easily it felt stupid that she had thought, he's coming for her.

He walked toward Vanya without even glancing in her direction.

Trisha let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Her heart was still racing, but now it just felt embarrassing.

She adjusted her bag and looked down, pretending she hadn't imagined that entire moment in her head.

"Where were you? Chal jaldi, Ishaan is waiting for you," Mahin said, already walking toward Vanya, he didn't look at Trisha, not even by accident.

"Bhaiya, you and Ravish bhaiya will come home today, right?" Vanya asked, skipping beside him.

"Hm," he nodded.

"So will you help me with that maths problem?"

"Kyu? Ishaan doesn't help?" he said lightly.

"Woh khud mushkil se pass hote hai, meri kya help karenge?" she laughed.

And Mahin smiled, not the polite one but a small and real which reaches his eyes.

Trisha hated that she noticed the difference.

He kept walking, talking to Vanya like nothing else existed. Like she hadn't been standing right there two seconds ago.

He didn't look back.

Trisha swallowed and shifted her bag on her shoulder, pretending she wasn't still watching him walk away. "Stupid! Why would he look at you?" Trisha's thought scoffing herself.

She looked down quickly before anyone could read her face.

By the time he disappeared into the crowd, she forced herself to look away too.

"CHALO DIDI!!"

Vritika's voice cut through their conversation before anyone could react.

She walked up to them, looking irritated as her brows pulled together, lips slightly pressed. Her bag hung off one shoulder.

"Chalo. Jaldi chalte hain," she said while not really looking at anyone properly.

Ridhima squinted at her. "Tujhe kya hua? Why are you in a bad mood?" she asked.

"Haan, kya hua?" Ira added tilting her head little. "Itni chidi hui kyu lag rahi hai?"

Vritika shook her head quickly. "Nahi toh. Garmi bahut ho gayi hai na... isliye." she said quickly while darting her eyes away.

Trisha noticed the way her eyes shifted away. The way she adjusted her bag strap twice for no reason.

She knew it wasn't just the heat, but she didn't say anything in front of everyone.

Before it could get awkward, Nirvan showed up out of nowhere. "Ghar ki aur prasthan kare?!" he announced dramatically.

Ira snorted. Ridhima laughed. Even Vritika's expression loosened a little.

They started walking, bags swinging, talking over each other again like nothing had happened.

But Trisha wasn't fully there as her thoughts kept drifting back to Mahin. To how he hadn't even looked at her.

And for some reason that small detail refused to leave her alone.