chapter 15

Part 15: Laughs Between the LinesIt was Friday — the kind of day that already smells like weekend freedom. Students were more alive than usual, the classroom filled with chatter, last-period plans, and random laughter.Riya walked in with Pihu and Sneha, already giggling about something silly. As she reached her desk, she noticed a folded chit placed neatly on her notebook.She opened it.“White Crow Alert: You forgot to blink at least 10 times yesterday. You okay?”—MonkeyShe turned around sharply to catch Dhirav already smirking at her from two benches behind.Riya scribbled back.“I blink. Just not at monkeys.”She tossed the chit back when the teacher turned to the board. Dhirav read it and laughed silently, shaking his head.Their whole friend group had unknowingly started orbiting around the two of them. Not because Riya and Dhirav were loud — but because they made everything feel alive.During the second period, the teacher asked a tricky question.“Who can explain this theorem?”No one raised a hand.Except — surprisingly — Dhirav.He walked to the board, fumbled with the marker, then turned to look at Riya.“I might mess this up. So don’t laugh,” he whispered just loud enough for her to hear.Riya whispered back, “No promises, Monkey.”He still smiled and explained — a little nervously, a little confidently.When he returned, Riya gave a dramatic slow clap under her desk.“Wow, Newton would be so proud,” she whispered.Dhirav whispered back, “That’s rich coming from someone who once called mitochondria a disease.”“I said it once! And I was sleepy!”Their whispers were getting bolder these days — filled with jokes and comfort. No one else was allowed to call her out like he did. And she loved it.After school, they all sat near the school lawn — their usual hangout.Pihu was telling a story about how she once mistook shampoo for conditioner and walked around all day with oily hair. Kunal and Abhi were cracking up.Riya was laughing so hard, her eyes were watery. She leaned slightly toward Dhirav, trying to breathe between laughs.“Your friends are worse than mine,” she managed.“Wrong,” Dhirav said. “You’re the chaos.”She nudged him. “Excuse me? You started the Monkey-White Crow war!”He shrugged, smiling. “And I’ll finish it, White Crow.”They stared at each other for a moment. That unspoken something passed between them again — like always.Pihu caught the look and raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Sneha smirked knowingly.Later, while the others were still talking, Riya quietly got up and walked a few steps away near the school fence.Dhirav followed, as always.She leaned against the wall. “Do you ever feel scared?”He tilted his head. “Scared of what?”“I don’t know… feeling too much. Trusting too much.”He didn’t speak for a while. Then softly said, “Yeah. But with you… it feels safe.”Riya looked up.He smiled, gently. “Like… even silence becomes warm.”She looked down, hiding her smile. Then slowly said, “Monkey…”“Hmm?”“No one else gets to call you that, okay?”He nodded. “Same goes for White Crow.”They stood there for a few more seconds, the sun glowing behind them, painting their shadows side by side on the school wall.Before leaving, Dhirav said, “You know, we’re weird.”“Why?”“Because we joke, roast, fight, laugh… but at the end, I still want to talk to you first — every time.”Riya turned, soft-eyed.“Me too.”And that was all.Because some friendships don’t need labels.They just grow — quietly, joyfully, completely.