The sky over Starlight High School was a pale, hopeful blue—clouds like wisps of chalk drifting across a freshly cleaned board. It was October 2021, and for the first time in nearly one and half years, the gates of the school were wide open. A familiar rustling of uniforms, murmurs of excitement, and the squeaks of polished shoes on tile returned to the campus like music. The lockdown was finally over.
Students poured in—some taller, some wearing glasses now, some almost unrecognizable behind masks. For many of them, it was like stepping into a dream they had nearly forgotten.
In Class 7-B, the morning light fell warmly through the half-open windows. The smell of fresh paint lingered, mixed with sanitizer and a trace of chalk dust.
At the second bench, near the window, two boys sat together—laughing quietly, nudging each other, already acting as if no time had passed at all.
"Dude, you've grown taller!" Roy said, poking Alex in the ribs. "You were my height last time I saw you."
Alex grinned. "You've grown too... sideways."
"Hey! That's muscle!" Roy defended himself, flexing his arm, and they both burst out laughing.
"Roy and Alex!" barked a familiar voice from the front of the room. "Less talking, more listening!"
It was Miss Ragini,, their strict but fair class teacher, wearing a floral mask and the same sharp eyes they remembered from video calls.
"Yes, ma'am," they chorused.
But within minutes, they were whispering again.
"Bro, online school was so boring," Alex muttered. "I used to mute myself, play Minecraft, and just nod like I was listening."
Roy stifled a laugh. "Same! One time, I even slept through science class, and my mom thought I was doing yoga."
Their shoulders shook with silent laughter until Miss Ragini, gave them a sharp look again.
Still, nothing could dampen their joy that day. Every corner of the classroom, every scratch on the desk, every faded poster on the walls felt like home again.
When the bell rang for recess, the classroom exploded with energy. Students rushed outside, running, shouting, chasing each other like they were younger kids again—making up for all the time they lost.
Roy and Alex sat under the gulmohar tree in the school yard, sharing their lunchboxes like old times. Alex had brought momos. Roy had parathas. As always, they swapped half.
"Remember that time we tried to sneak chips into the exam hall?" Roy asked.
Alex laughed. "Yeah, and Sharma Sir caught us and made us eat them in front of the whole class."
The memories came rushing back—endless games during lunch, inside jokes, doodles on each other's notebooks, planning class pranks, and talking about everything from cartoons to what they'd be when they grew up.
For a moment, the world felt simple again.
Later that afternoon, back in class, miss Ragini asked everyone to write a paragraph on "How I Felt During the Lockdown."
Roy looked at his blank page for a few seconds before writing:
"I missed my friends. I missed school. But most of all, I missed sitting next to Alex."
Alex, without knowing what Roy had written, scribbled on his own page:
"Everything changed in lockdown, but when I saw Roy again today, it felt like nothing had."
They didn't share their essays with each other, but both smiled when the papers were handed in.
The school day came to an end too soon. As they walked out of the gates together, their shadows long and side by side, Roy nudged Alex and said, "This year's going to be awesome. We're finally back."
Alex nodded. "Yeah. Nothing can break this friendship."
They didn't know how wrong they were.
But for now, in that golden afternoon, with backpacks swinging and hearts light, they were just two boys who had found their way back to each other.
Two best friends.
And this was just the beginning.
Chapter 1 (Continued)
The next morning came early. Birds chirped on windowsills, and the streets buzzed with the sound of school vans and hurried footsteps. Roy woke up with excitement still in his heart. He quickly packed his bag, ate a piece of toast, and ran to school with his shoes half-tied.
At Starlight High, students weren't allowed into classrooms before 8:15 a.m., so they all gathered on the wide school playground. Some sat in circles, some stood chatting, and others kicked around a deflated football. It was noisy, cheerful chaos.
Roy reached early. He scanned the ground for Alex, but he hadn't arrived yet. So, he walked toward the neem tree near the far end of the playground where he usually waited.
A few minutes later, Alex came through the gate, looking around. For a second, their eyes met. Roy raised his hand in a casual wave.
But Alex didn't walk toward him.
Instead, he headed over to a group of boys near the sports shed. They had all been in Class 5B, and during that time, they had slowly started talking to Roy and Alex—mostly jokes, games, and group work. They were never close friends. Just classmates who shared laughs.
Now, Alex stood among them like he belonged.
Roy watched quietly, the smile fading from his face. He didn't feel jealous—just… out of place.
Still, it didn't take him long to move. He walked toward another group—the old circle.
There stood Suka, the boy who had been both friend and irritation since Class 4B. He was loud, restless, and always full of pranks. Roy often fought with him—especially because they used to sit together, and Suka loved to poke and tease him during class.
Also in the group was Ayush, another friend from their Class 4B days. Quieter than Suka, but funny in his own way. Ayush gave Roy a nod as he approached.
"Yo, Suka," Roy said, dropping his bag beside them.
Suka grinned. "Did you bring your math homework? I forgot again."
"Not giving you mine," Roy replied, rolling his eyes.
"You never do. Selfish," Suka said, smirking.
"Because you never stop messing with my stuff!"
Their usual back-and-forth started. It was annoying—but familiar. And maybe, comforting.
A moment later, another boy walked toward them—Manav. He had been in Class 5B with Roy and Alex but more importantly, he lived near Roy's house. They had played cricket together since they were little kids and had known each other from before school even began.
"Hey, Roy!" Manav said, bumping fists with him. "You saw the IPL scores last night?"
"Yeah," Roy replied, "CSK lost again."
"Shame," Manav laughed.
Roy chatted with them, half his attention still drifting toward Alex—who was still laughing with the boys from the 5B group. They weren't bad kids. But something about seeing Alex so comfortable with them… hurt.
He remembered the first day back. How they had sat together, talked like no time had passed, shared jokes like always.
And now—one day later—it already felt like something was shifting.
Not on purpose. Not with anger.
But like two boats slowly drifting apart on still water.
The bell rang. It was time for class.
Everyone started walking in lines toward their classrooms. Roy joined his group—Suka, Ayush, and Manav. Alex walked a few steps ahead with his group from the other side.
As they entered Class 7B, Roy sat near the front, next to Ayush.
Alex walked past without even looking at him and took a seat near the back with the same boys he'd stood with in the morning.
Roy didn't say anything.
He didn't want to.
Not yet.
Chapter 1 (Continued)
The classroom of 7B settled into a quiet hum as the students opened their notebooks. The walls were freshly painted, though the corners still held chalk smudges and memories of the years before. At the front of the room stood Miss Ragini, their Social Science teacher—stern, graceful, and always dressed in neatly-pleated cotton sarees that made her look both elegant and strict.
She clapped her hands softly, drawing attention.
"Alright, class. Open your history notebooks. Today we'll revise the first chapter—The Early Kingdoms of India."
The scribbling of pens filled the room. She explained dynasties and rulers, the Mauryas and the Guptas, pausing now and then to ask questions. Roy tried to stay focused, but his mind wandered—drifting back to the playground, back to Alex's laughter with that new group.
Still, he copied the notes.
Then, halfway through the period, Miss Ragini set down the chalk and faced the class with a smile.
"I have an announcement," she said. "For the Annual Function this year, every class will present one history project—in the form of a model, drama, or presentation. I need this class to form five groups, and each group will choose a theme from our syllabus."
The room stirred with excitement and nervous whispers.
"So," she continued, "those who want to lead a group, stand up now. We'll start from there."
A few students looked around. Roy turned to Suka, Ayush, and Manav, who were already huddling at his desk.
"I don't know if I should stand," Roy said.
"You should," Ayush said quickly.
"Yeah," Suka added. "You're the only one among us who'll take this seriously."
"We'll join your group," Manav said with a grin. "You lead it."
Roy hesitated, but the encouragement gave him confidence. Slowly, he stood up.
But as he looked ahead, his heart skipped.
Alex was already standing.
They made eye contact—brief, uncertain.
Roy sat back down slowly. His mind spun.
Why is he standing? He's never been the one to lead group projects. Is he trying to compete? Or… is it something else?
Three more boys stood up after Alex—Harsh, Yuvan, and Deepraj, all part of his new circle.
Miss Ragini noted the names on the board and said, "These five will be the group leaders. Tomorrow, you may select your team members and submit your group names and topics. I want creativity and teamwork. No drama. Understood?"
"Yes, ma'am," the class replied.
The bell rang, signaling the end of the class. Chairs screeched as students began chatting excitedly. Roy's thoughts, however, felt heavier.
Lunch Break – On the Steps Outside the Class
Roy sat with his tiffin, half-eaten roti in one hand. Suka and Ayush were talking about possible topics.
"We could do a model of Ashoka's empire," Suka said. "I can help with the borders and stuff."
"No, no, what about the Indus Valley Civilization?" Manav added. "Clay pots, houses—we can actually build something."
Roy nodded absent-mindedly.
But then he stood up, without a word, and walked toward the other end of the corridor.
Alex was sitting there, laughing with Yuvan and Harsh. But when Roy approached, their voices lowered. Alex looked up.
"Hey," Roy said softly.
Alex blinked, surprised. "Hey."
The other boys gave them space without a word, slowly moving down the corridor.
They were alone for the first time in days.
"You stood for group leader," Roy said after a pause.
Alex shrugged. "Yeah. They asked me to. I thought… why not."
"You've never liked group stuff."
"Things change, Roy," Alex replied, not unkindly.
There was a silence. Not angry—just filled with things unsaid.
"I was going to ask if you wanted to make a group," Roy said. "With the others."
"I know," Alex said, eyes down. "But I already said yes to them."
"Oh."
More silence. A few footsteps passed in the background. A teacher shouted from a floor below.
Then Alex looked up again.
"But it doesn't mean we're not still… friends okay."
Roy smiled, just a little. "Yeah. I guess."
They sat side by side for a moment. It wasn't like old times—not quite. But something in that quiet told them the gap hadn't grown too wide just yet.
"I'm thinking of doing a project on the Mauryan court," Alex said suddenly. "Like, the king's council, ministers, spies…"
"That's cool," Roy replied. "We might go for Indus Valley."
"Nice," Alex said. "You're good with models."
Roy looked at him for a long second. "Thanks."
Just then the bell rang again.
Back to class.
Back to seats.
Back to distance.
But maybe—just maybe—the line between them hadn't turned into a wall yet.
Not today.