Sun rays fell on Krunali and Jeet's faces through the window.

It was early in the morning, around 7 o'clock. The twins were sleeping peacefully, lost in their own dreams. Krunali had turned 180° on her bed-one leg on the duvet, one pillow beneath her feet, another clutched tightly to her chest as if it were the only thing that mattered in the world. Another pillow rested lightly on her head.

Jeet, on the other hand, was sleeping awkwardly-half on his bed, half on the floor, yet somehow still comfortable.

The door to their room jerked open. Their mother stormed in, her face flushed with rage. She had been calling them for the last half an hour.

"Last warning de rahi hoon, uth jao warna thik nahi hoga!" she shouted angrily, her voice sharp and echoing through the room.

Her eyes were narrowed, jaw clenched tightly, and she stood with her hands on her hips, tapping her foot impatiently. The anger in her tone made it clear this was the final straw.

But the twins didn't even flinch. They continued to sleep as if nothing in the world could disturb them. It was as though they didn't care about what was happening around them.

Finally, Vidhi's last thread of patience snapped. She grabbed the jug of water from the table and splashed it on both their faces.

"Tsunami! Tsunami! Baad aagai!"

Jeet stood up jerkily. The sudden movement made him lose his balance, and he fell back onto the bed with a loud thud.

"Mummy yaar..." Krunali groaned, still rubbing her eyes.

"Tum dono ka aaj school ka pehla din hai. 7:15 baj chuke hain already, and here you both are sleeping like taalab me bhese padi ho"

She snapped, pointing her finger at them.

"I need you both near the dining table in half an hour. Now get up, fast!" Vidhi said furiously as she stormed toward the kitchen.

The twins lazily stood up and dragged themselves to get ready for school.

By the time Krunali and Jeet reached the dining area, Rakshit was already seated. He was munching on his sandwich while typing something quickly on his phone, completely lost in his own world. The dining table was neatly set-toast, butter, milk glasses, and a steaming bowl of poha placed in the center. The clinking of cutlery and the soft aroma of food filled the air, but the atmosphere was tense with Vidhi's simmering temper.

Krunali and Jeet slowly pulled out their chairs and adjusted them with exaggerated slowness, trying to avoid their mother's glare.

"Mummy, where's the food? We're hungry!" Jeet shouted carelessly.

That was enough. Vidhi, already at the edge of her patience, lost control. Her blood boiled at the chaos. She smacked Jeet lightly on the head and said sharply,

"aakhe phaad ke dekhle, dinning table pe rakha hai!"

Vidhi then adjusted herself beside her husband at the dining table.

"Vidhi, baby, cool down... itna gussa kyun kar rahi ho?" Dheeraj said calmly, placing his hand on hers. He leaned in and kissed her gently on the forehead, trying to pacify her.

The anger was melted slowly, vidhi relaxed by his gesture.

Now, she looked up at her kids, who were busy in their own little world.

"Chalo, bachcho, get ready. It's already getting late for school," she said, packing their tiffins.

The trio hurried to put on their shoes.

"Aree suno, Ridham didi ko bhi bulao," krunali said with sparkling excitement, her eyes wide and voice playful.

"Ridham didi...!" Jeet shouted from outside, his face glowing with mischief as he hopped around like a restless monkey.

Rakshit chuckled at their antics and said, "Esi bandaron ki tarah uchhalna bandh karo. Aajayegi Ridham"

Ridham stepped out of her house, pushing the door shut behind her with a satisfied thud. A playful smile curved her lips as she adjusted her uniform and looked at her cousins waiting impatiently near the gate.

"Haa, chalo aa gai," she said, her tone half-teasing, half-relieved, as though she had just won a small battle against the delays inside. Her eyes sparkled with the excitement of finally joining them, while the others exchanged exaggerated sighs of relief, as if they had been waiting for ages.

The moment carried a mix of laughter, impatience, and the thrill of what was about to begin.

The high school entrance buzzed with life that morning. A tall iron gate stood wide open, painted in bold black and golden letters spelling out the school's name above it. Just beyond, a paved pathway stretched ahead, lined with flowerbeds where marigolds and roses bloomed brightly, their fragrance mixing with the faint smell of chalk dust carried from the classrooms inside.

Students in crisp uniforms hurried through the gates-some laughing loudly with their groups, others clutching heavy bags with nervous faces, and a few dragging their feet as if they'd rather be anywhere else. The echo of ringing bicycles, the chatter of parents dropping off their children, and the whistle of the watchman at the gate created a familiar morning symphony.

Above the entrance, colorful posters from last year's annual day still fluttered slightly in the breeze, as if welcoming the new day with stories yet to be written.

As they stepped through the grand gates, Ridham eyes sparkled with nervous excitement, while Krunali still wore her mock-annoyed pout from the wait outside. The wide pathway and the buzz of students all around made everything feel larger than life.

"Wahh, kya school hai..." Jeet exclaimed, his voice carrying both awe and playfulness.

Jeet shrugged Krunali's shoulder with a playful grin, making her stumble just a little.

"Kya hai, kide kahi ke sahi se khada nahi re sakta kya!"she snapped, narrowing her eyes at him. Her tone was sharp, but her expression gave her away-cheeks puffed in mock anger, lips twitching as if holding back a smile.

Jeet only laughed louder, clearly enjoying how easily he could get on her nerves, while Ridham shook her head, amused at their never-ending banter.

Rakshit, adjusting his bag strap, finally sighed and stepped in between them.

"Dono sahi se re jana," he scolded in a low, warning tone, "bandaron jesi harkat karke mera naam kharab matt karna." His serious face tried to command authority, but the glint in his eyes gave away his irritation mixed with amusement.

Krunali raised her brows, tilting her head with a smirk. "Baat to aise kar rahe ho, jaise ye school aapke naam pe ho."

Rakshit didn't flinch, puffing up his chest with fake pride. "Jyada uchal matt. Is school me sab mujhe jante hai... aur darte bhi hai." He spoke with such overconfidence that even Jeet had to stifle a laugh.

"Juthe kahi ke!" Krunali shot back instantly, her voice rising as she folded her arms tighter. "Kahi or jaake pheko. Ghar me to pochha lagate ho."

Jeet burst into uncontrollable laughter at that, doubling over while Rakshit's face turned red, half with anger, half embarrassment. Ridham just shook her head at the chaos, muttering, "Yeh log kab sudhrenge..."

The lively banter mixed perfectly with the first-day buzz around the school gates, turning heads and drawing a few giggles from passing students.

Rakshit and Ridham headed off to their respective classes.

Rakshit walked with a smug little smile, swinging his bag carelessly on one shoulder, as if the entire corridor belonged to him. He kept glancing sideways at passing students, enjoying the nods and whispers that followed him

Krunali and Jeet were still walking lazily down the corridor. Jeet had his hands stuffed into his pockets, whistling a random tune without a care in the world. Krunali, meanwhile, was dragging her steps on purpose, swinging her water bottle like a weapon, occasionally bumping it against the wall just to annoy anyone passing by.

"Waise... jana kahan hai?" Krunali asked, raising her brows in mock curiosity, her tone playful yet casual

Jeet rolled his eyes dramatically and replied,"class me.."

Krunali's eyes narrowed, and she tapped her foot impatiently. "Vo to mujhe bhi pata hai, gawar! Par rasta pata hai?" she snapped, her tone sharp but playful, a mix of annoyance and exasperation at Jeet's teasing.

"Areee, pata hai, chal," Jeet said with a sly grin, dragging Krunali along with him toward their new class.

Jeet and Krunali finally stepped into their classroom, drawing a few curious glances. Being new, their entrance immediately caught everyone's attention.

Krunali nudged Jeet and asked, "Ye sab aise gur kyu rahe hai?"

Jeet leaned back slightly, a smug grin spreading across his face. "Aree nahi, pagal... meri sundarta ko nihar rahe hai," he replied, voice dripping with playful arrogance.

"Thu," Krunali said dismissively, flicking her hair back, and turned toward the girl sitting alone on the second-last bench in the corner of the class. Her steps were confident, each one deliberate, as if she owned the space around her.

The girl looked up, startled for a moment, then quickly offered a shy smile. Krunali's mischievous grin softened slightly. "Hi, krunali," she said, keeping her tone friendly but casual.

"Sidhi", girl replied

Krunali asked softly,"can I set beside you?"

"Yeah sure",sidhi replied

Just then, Jeet walked towards them and said casually,

"Main kahan baithu?"

Krunali shot him an annoyed glare and snapped,

"Mere sar pe baith ja, gadhe! ... Dikhai nahi deta kya? Yeh seat khali hai!"

Sidhi pressed her lips together, trying hard not to laugh at their bickering, while Jeet scratched his head, pretending to look confused.

Jeet frowned dramatically and said,

"Aise beizzati kya kar rahi hai? Pyar se bhi bol sakti hai."

Krunali rolled her eyes, crossing her arms.

"Tu deserve karta hai kya pyar se bolna?" she shot back.

Sidhi couldn't control it anymore and burst into laughter, making Jeet pout like a child.

Jeet plopped down on the desk nearby them with his usual carefree attitude. Leaning slightly forward, he smiled and said,

"Hi, I'm most handsome and adorable Jeet."

Sidhi returned the smile politely.

"I'm Sidhi," she replied, introducing herself.

Just then, a boy walked up to Jeet and said firmly,

"This is my seat."

Before Jeet could answer, Krunali jumped in with a sharp tongue,"Kyun? Tumhara naam likha hai ispe?"

The boy frowned, clearly irritated.

"Mera rotation hai yaha pe aaj," he shot back.

The boy frowned and muttered,"What nonsense... uspe kya duniya loot gayi?"

Krunali smirked and shot back,

"Arre, aage bhi toh baithna padega na!"

The boy rolled his eyes in annoyance and then turned to Jeet.

"If you want, you can sit beside me."

"Thank you," Jeet said with a grin, shifting a little to make space. The boy sat down beside him.

The boy gave a small smile and said,

"Hello, I'm Vedant Shekhavat."

Jeet nodded back.

"I'm Jeet," he introduced himself.

Just then, Krunali leaned forward with a confident smile.

"And I'm Krunali," she added quickly, not wanting to be left out.

Vedant gave her a brief, almost uninterested handshake and turned his attention back to Jeet, leaving Krunali staring at her hand in mock offense.

Sidhi bit her lip, trying not to laugh at Krunali's expression, while Jeet smirked, clearly enjoying the situation.

Just then, the bell rang, alerting everyone that the teacher was about to arrive.

But since their class teacher was late, Krunali and Sidhi kept chatting, slowly getting to know each other.

Vedant suddenly leaned in and interrupted with a sly grin,

"Sidhi, dhyaan se... kahin yeh chuhiya tumhe apne jaisi na bana de."

Sidhi chuckled softly at his comment, but Krunali's face turned red with offense.

"Tujhe apni tote jaisi naak har jagah ghusaane ki aadat hai kya? Aur meri jaisi ka kya matlab hai?" she shot back sharply.

Vedant smirked lazily.

"Chuhiya," he repeated, deliberately provoking her.

Krunali's mind raced for a savage comeback, but instead she blurted out,

"Tu jaanta nahi mera bhai kaun hai... ek thappad mein seedha kar dega tujhe!"

Vedant leaned back, calm and confident.

"Kaun hai?" he asked.

Krunali lifted her chin proudly.

"Rakshit Singh Chauhan," she declared. She usually never brought up her brother-neither with respect nor pride-but today felt different.

Vedant gave a mock-impressed nod.

"Ohh, fir toh tumhara aisa hona banta hai," he teased.

Before Krunali could fire back, the classroom door

creaked open-their teacher had finally entered, silencing the group and shifting all attention to the front.