~नमस्ते~

The sun streamed through the curtains of a cozy Delhi bedroom, casting warm hues on the walls. Kiara lay sprawled on her bed, blissfully unaware of the ticking clock. Today was the day her 10th-grade results were to be declared, but Kiara? She was still deep in slumber, with not a care in the world.

Her phone buzzed on the bedside table, its vibrations breaking the serene silence. After a few persistent rings, Kiara groggily picked it up, her eyes barely open.

"Hello?" she mumbled, her voice heavy with sleep.

"Kiara! Are you still sleeping? God, you...our results will be out in an hour!" Meera's voice on the other end was a mix of excitement and urgency.

Kiara's eyes flew open. "Oh shit! Give me half an hour, I'll be there," she stammered, all traces of sleep vanishing.

"Come fast," Meera said.

Leaping out of bed, she muttered, "Hey Mahadev ji," as she rushed to freshen up. In no time, she was dressed in a crisp white kurti and light blue jeans, her hair tied back with a clip. Sliding her phone into her pocket.

She peeked out of her room to check if her family was around. Finding no one, she silently crept downstairs.

Her luck, however, ran out at the main door. There stood her mother, arms full of groceries, surprised to see Kiara up so early.

"Where are you going?" her mother asked, eyeing her from head to toe.

"Uh... Mumma, mandir Darshan krne, because my result is about to come, so I thought I'd visit the temple," Kiara replied with an overly sweet smile.

"Darshan karne or bhagwan ko maska marne?" her mother quipped, well aware of her daughter's antics.

"Mumma, please... I'm going now," Kiara said, slipping into her shoes.

"Who are you going with?" her mother pressed.

"With... uh... Meera," Kiara answered nervously.

"Alright, but come back soon. Your father and brother will want to see your results too," her mother reminded her.

"Yes, Mumma," Kiara said, dashing out the door. She hopped onto her cycle and pedalled towards the park.

On the way, she stopped by a nearby Shiv temple. Parking her cycle, she covered her head with a scarf, went inside the temple and stood before the Shivling.

"Mahadev ji, please let me pass. I promise I'll study hard next time," she prayed fervently.

A giggle broke her concentration. She opened her eyes to see Krish, her 10-year-old neighbour, laughing at her.

"Kira didi, today's your result, right? What if you fail?" he teased.

"Krish ke bacche!" Kiara said, mockingly glaring at him.

"Don't fight in front of God, didi," Krish laughed, dodging her mock scolding.

Just then, her phone rang again. It was Yuvaan.

"Are you still not here? Ab kiske sath ladne lagi?" Yuvaan's voice teased on the other end.

"Bakwaas bnd kar. I'm almost there," Kiara replied, hopping back on her cycle.

Minutes later, she reached the park where Meera and Yuvaan were waiting under a tree. Yuvaan had a laptop on his lap, ready to check their results.

"You're late, only two minutes left," Yuvaan said, glancing at his watch.

"Agar jaldi aa jati to result badal jata kya?" Kiara retorted, irritated.

She looked around. The park was serene, with only a few people strolling and kids playing. Her thoughts were interrupted by Meera's voice.

"Results are declared!"

Kiara, biting her nails nervously, sat with them on the table under the tree and leaned in closer to Yuvaan to get a better view of the laptop screen.

With a sudden shift in demeanor, she announced, "Main baad mein khud dekhungi, pehle tum log dekh lo." Both Yuvaan and Meera chuckled and shook their heads at her antics.

"Okay, pehle main apna dekh leta hoon," Yuvaan said, opening the results site and entering his roll number. The page began to load, and the tension in the air thickened. Despite his nerves, Yuvaan was confident he had passed all subjects. As the marksheet appeared, he focused intently on each number.

Meera and Kiara exchanged a glance, sensing the gravity of the moment.

For Kiara, though, the word "serious" didn't quite cover it. This was a do-or-die situation. She knew a low percentage would spell trouble with her family.

"Seventy percent! (70%)" Yuvaan exclaimed, his voice filled with joy. Kiara lost in her thoughts, snapped back to reality. Both girls hugged him, excitement bubbling over.

"Congratulations!" Kiara and Meera said in unison.

"Ah, thank you, thank you!" Yuvaan beamed, unable to hide his wide grin. He had set his sights on scoring at least 70%, and he'd done it.

"Ab mera result dekh," Meera said eagerly. Yuvaan entered her roll number, and the marksheet loaded. Meera quickly snatched the laptop, her brow furrowed with concentration.

"Seventy-five percent (75%)," she announced, her tone lacking enthusiasm as she handed the laptop back.

"Congratulations!" Kiara hugged her but noticed Meera's subdued reaction.

"Kya hua? Muh kyun latka liya?" Yuvaan said with a smile.

"Yaar, 75% is so low. I had aimed for 80%," Meera said, disappointment clear in her voice.

"Behen, if I had such a percentage, I'd faint from happiness," Kiara said with a serious expression.

"Khush ho jaa abhi, aur aaja Kiara ka result dekhte hain," Yuvaan said, giving Kiara a mischievous grin. He entered her roll number while Kiara closed her eyes and crossed her fingers.

" Aa gaya," Yuvaan said after a few moments. Kiara opened her eyes but didn't look at the screen. Yuvaan was intensely focused on the marksheet.

"Itna kya dhyaan se dekh raha hai? Seedha niche dekh na, pass hoon?" Kiara said, hitting him on the head.

Yuvaan rubbed his head and scrolled down. "Sixty percent(60%)," he announced, glancing at Kiara, who widened her eyes in shock.

"Kya hua? Tune bhi koi target set kiya tha?" Yuvaan asked, shaking her shoulders.

"Nahi yaar," she replied, snatching the laptop to check her marksheet. A wide smile spread across her face. "Bhai, itni percent kaise aa gayi meri? Thank you, Mahadev ji," she said, looking up at the sky.

Yuvaan and Meera congratulated her, and she thanked them with a toothy grin.

"Bhai, chalo Ab pizza khane chalte hain," she said with excitement in her voice.

Yuvaan and Meera exchanged flat looks. "Tu khush hai itne mein?" Meera asked, placing a hand on Kiara's shoulder.

"Khush? Main phoole nahi sama rahi," Kiara said, clapping her hands.

"Dekhna, yeh phool ghar jaake murjha na jaye," Yuvaan teased, knowing her family would have high expectations.

"Tujhse meri khushi bardasht nahi hoti do minute bhi, kutta," Kiara shot back, pretending to throw the laptop at him. Yuvaan quickly snatched it away.

"Mera laptop!"

"Kha nahi jaungi tera laptop."

"Chalo ab, chalte hain. Maine mannat maangi thi ki jab Tak mera accha result ni aata main pizza ni kahungi," Kiara said; yuvaan, Meera looked at her with 'Are you serious, face'.

And, they headed out to a small café.

As they entered, the smell of cookies, sweets, coffee, and freshly baked bread wafted through the air. The café, with its peach and white theme, felt cozy. They found a table near the window and settled in.

"Sabse zyada percentage kiski hai?" Kiara asked as they sat down.

"Meri," Meera said, pointing at herself.

"To phir magwa pizza aur samosa," Kiara said, tapping her fingers on the table.

"Yeh toh galat baat hai," Meera said, leaning in.

"Koi galat baat nahi. Tere zyada numbers hain, tu pizza aur samosas magwa," Kiara retorted, looking at Yuvaan, who was laughing.

"Aur tu kya khi khi kar raha hai? Tu sabki drinks magma," she added, making Yuvaan's laughter fade.

"Aur aap kya karengi, madam?" Yuvaan asked.

"Main khaungi," Kiara replied simply, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Behen, tu kya kisi ki birthday party mein aayi hai jo itna magwa rahi hai?" Meera said, gritting her teeth.

"Arey samajh na, Meera... Abhi ye sab khayegi to energy milegi na uncle aunty ki daant sunne ke liye," Yuvaan teased again.

Kiara threw a tissue at him. "Nahi magwana, saaf saaf mana kar do. Bhaw kyu khaate ho?" she said, leaning back in her chair.

As their playful banter continued, the waiter approached their table. "Excuse me, ma'am, sir, your order," he said politely.

Before Kiara could speak, Yuvaan shot a playful look at her and quickly ordered, The waiter nodded and left. Soon their order arrived.

"By the way, Aage ka kya plan hai?" Meera asked, leaning forward with a curious expression.

Yuvaan casually picked up a slice of pizza, not missing a beat. "I'm heading to boarding school," he said, taking a bite.

"Kutta, Gaddar!" Kiara glared at him, her voice teasing yet hurt. "You promised we'd always be together."

Yuvaan shrugged nonchalantly. "What can I do? My parents have been insisting on it forever. I tried to talk to them. Abhi kuch ni ho skta. If they find out we're still in touch, you know what would happen, right?" His gaze shifted to Kiara, and he took a sip from his drink.

Kiara pouted, feeling the weight of their imminent separation. She turned to Meera, "So, what's your plan?"

Meera smiled weakly, her voice tinged with sadness. "mere papa ka Shrinagar me transfer ho gaya hai , so I'm going with my parents."

The mood shifted, the once carefree atmosphere now thick with the looming reality that their close-knit group would soon be broken. The friends, who had been inseparable since the beginning of their school years, were now facing the harshness of growing up and drifting apart due to their circumstances.

Yuvaan, sensing the sadness in the air, tried to lighten the mood. "Don't be sad. Just talk to your parents. You can join the same boarding school as me."

Kiara, who had been slumped in her seat, immediately sat up with a smile at his suggestion. But as the thought sank in, her shoulders sagged again. "But mom and dad won't agree. Now that you're going, they'll never allow it," she said, well aware of both of their family's relationship.

Yuvaan grinned, trying to offer some hope. “You never know—just give it a shot. I’m leaving the day after tomorrow, and Aarav Bhai left yesterday.”

As soon as he mentioned Aarav, Kiara's face flushed. She had been nibbling on her samosa, but at the mention of his name, she immediately stopped and hid her face in her palms, a deep blush creeping up her cheeks.

Yuvaan and Meera exchanged a knowing look, their expressions a mix of amusement and exasperation. "Stop it, Kiara. Don't overdo it," Yuvaan teased. Both of them were well aware of her feelings for Aarav, but they often teased her, thinking it was just a harmless crush.

Suddenly, Kiara's phone rang, displaying "Bhai" on the screen. She choked on her Samosa, coughing as she tried to compose herself.

Sensing the tension on her face, Yuvaan couldn't resist teasing her further."Jaiye, agar Zinda Rahi to phir mulakat hogi!" he said with a laugh. Meera joined in with a soft chuckle.

Kiara stood up quickly, glaring at Yuvaan. "Kutte, Kimine," she said, ready to throw her drink at him. But Yuvaan nimbly dodged, grinning like a mischievous cat.

Rolling her eyes, Kiara stormed out of the café, picking up her cycle. As she cycled toward home, her thoughts were a whirlwind. The reality of the situation hit her hard.

The close-knit group of friends that had always stuck together through thick and thin was now facing the inevitable changes that come with growing up. But despite the sadness, she was determined to face whatever lay ahead. After all, life went on, even when things changed.

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If there are any mistakes, please Pardon me!