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Chapter 1 â Under the Summer Tree
It was the summer of 2025.
I was on my way to school, sitting inside my legendary tuk-tuk, surrounded by a group of screaming little demons disguised as children.
Honestly, I wanted to yell at them.
Maybe even shake one or two.
But I couldn't.
Because last yearâŠ
I had already messed up enough.
So I stayed quiet.
Our tuk-tuk suddenly slowed down.
A bus had stopped near a huge tree on the roadside, letting students get down.
That's when I saw her.
She was standing under the shade of the tree.
Sunlight slipped through the leaves and landed gently on her face.
And she was smiling.
Not a loud smile.
Not a forced one.
A soft, peaceful smile.
For a second, she looked at our tuk-tuk.
The kids were screaming.
The driver was annoyed.
And somehowâŠ
She smiled at me.
I didn't feel butterflies.
I didn't feel my heart racing.
I didn't think, Oh, this is love.
What I felt was⊠calm.
A strange, comfortable calm.
Like my noisy mind suddenly decided to shut up.
Maybe this is what people call destiny.
Before I could think anything more, my driver got angry and took a sharp turn, speeding through another road.
But my thoughts stayed behind.
Who was she?
Why had I never seen her before?
Was she a new student?
---
I reached school, threw my bag on my bench, and ran straight to the washroom.
The broken board outside still had "12th CLASS" scratched on it in ugly handwriting.
Classic.
Inside, I found Sameer and Aman.
I told them everything.
Sameer stared at me like I had confessed a crime.
"Bro," he said. "Have you forgotten last year already?"
Aman nodded. "Be careful, Surya."
Last year.
Yeah.
That disaster.
I sighed. "Fine. I won't look for her."
They looked relieved.
The bell rang, and we went for assembly.
I stood in my line, hands folded, pretending to pray.
In reality, I was thinking about her smile.
And her eyes.
Principal sir and the sports teacher were beating latecomers behind us.
Honestly?
Watching my own classmates get scolded felt weirdly satisfying.
Then I heard a laugh.
Soft.
Cute.
I turned my head slightly.
She was standing in the 11th-grade line.
Right beside the 12th-grade line.
Beside me.
My brain stopped working.
I whispered to my friends, "That's her."
Sameer rolled his eyes. "Bro, shut up."
Aman squinted. "Oh⊠I know her."
Sameer and I stared at him.
"How?"
"She comes in my bus sometimes."
My heart did a small victory dance.
"So you know her name?" I asked.
Aman shook his head.
"Nope. She just asks for a seat and sits."
Sameer smacked my shoulder.
"After everything last year, you still want trouble?"
I stayed quiet.
Yeah.
I should stop.
---
I didn't see her for a whole week.
Then one day, during the last period, rain started pouring.
In summer.
Because weather also enjoys ruining lives.
The bell rang.
Sameer left for his army bus.
Aman went to his school bus.
I walked toward my legendary tuk-tuk.
Rain was still falling.
Near the same tree, I saw two students standing, trying to avoid getting wet.
One of themâŠ
Was her.
I had an umbrella in the tuk-tuk for emergencies.
I told the driver to stop.
I grabbed the umbrella and walked toward them.
I handed it over.
One of them said, "Thank you. What's your name?"
"Surya," I replied.
Then she looked at me.
And smiled.
Again.
The same calm feeling returned.
The kids in my tuk-tuk started screaming.
My driver shouted, "Hurry up!"
I turned to her.
"I have to go. Return the umbrella to me tomorrow at school."
She nodded. "Of course."
As I was about to leave, I suddenly asked:
"What's your name?"
She tilted her head slightly.
"Can you find it?"
My brain froze.
Was that a challenge?
The tuk-tuk started moving.
I kept staring at her until she disappeared behind the rain.
And just like thatâŠ
My last year of school no longer felt empty.
---
End of Chapter 1
Next Chapter: Detective Lover
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