chapter 27

Part 27: Happiness hidden in small thingsThe next day after the test, there was a slight peaceful vibe in the school.It was lunch break. Everyone was busy eating after opening their tiffins. Riya, Pihu and Sneha were sitting on the corner bench, sharing their lunch boxes.“Riya, the aloo paratha from your house is world famous,” Pihu said, taking an extra bite.Sneha: “And I wanted to taste your food even after the test.”Everyone laughed.Then someone lightly tapped Riya’s notebook.I looked behind me – Dhirav was standing with a small folded notebook.“I could not understand a question in homework… will you explain it?” he said casually.Riya took the notebook and saw – inside it was written:“Today chocolate for you… because I passed the teamwork exam yesterday.”In the middle of the notebook was a half bar of Dairy Milk – sticky, like some secret treasure.Riya asked with her eyes, “Are you crazy?”Dhirav raised his shoulder slightly, “You yourself said… small joys are important.”At that moment, there was a hidden happiness on Riya's face. She did not say anything - just kept the chocolate between the diary and smiled softly.Abhi and Aayush commented cheekily from behind, "Dhirav, is something very important going on?"Dhirav: "No bhai… I was just saying thank you. Emotions are allowed in friendship."The class bell rang. Riya closed the letter by pasting it between the diary.Pihu teased with her eyes, "Was there any special homework?"Riya said just one line, "Yes… I got an answer… which was more important than marks."