✨CHAPTER 1 – The Day Everything Changed✨

Poornima Rathore was only eleven when her world tilted for the first time.

The school corridors were loud with lunchtime chatter, but she couldn’t hear any of it. All she felt was an unfamiliar cramp twisting her stomach and the hot sting of tears that refused to stop. She had never known pain like this—sharp, sudden, confusing.

She clutched her stomach and backed against the wall, her breath shaky. When she looked down and saw the red stain spreading on her school skirt, her heart dropped.

Why is this happening?

Why today? Why here?

Poornima was strong for her age—years of being treated like an unwanted child at home had taught her to stay silent, to endure. But this… this she didn’t know how to handle.

That’s when she heard footsteps.

And of course—because fate always had a twisted sense of humor—it had to be Veeresh Rathore.

Fifteen, tall for his age, already carrying the sharp attitude of a boy forced to grow up too soon. Her cousin. Her rival. Her daily headache.

He stopped when he saw her standing stiffly, tears rolling down her cheeks.

“What happened to you now?” he asked, half-annoyed, half-concerned—because Veeresh would rather die than look too soft.

Poornima swallowed hard, her voice trembling.

“My skirt… it’s red,” she whispered, not even able to say the word.

Veeresh’s eyes widened for a brief second—but he didn’t tease, didn’t smirk, didn’t insult her like he usually did.

Instead, without a word, he took off his school sweater and tied it around her waist gently.

“Don’t cry, stupid,” he muttered, but his voice was softer than she had ever heard. “I’ll call your parents.”

She looked up at him, surprised. Veeresh never helped her. Not ever. But today… something changed.

He walked her to the school office, told the teacher what happened, and made sure she sat down. He even stood outside until her parents arrived, hovering like he didn’t want anyone else to see her crying.

By evening, Poornima was resting at home when she heard a knock. She opened the door to find Veeresh standing awkwardly with a bottle of glucose water and a pack of chocolates he probably stole from his own kitchen.

“Why are you here?” she asked, confused.

He scratched the back of his head. “Just… checking if you’re fine.”

Poornima blinked. Veeresh? Checking on her?

“Thank you,” she said softly.

He shrugged. “Don’t think too much. You’re still my enemy.”

Her lips twitched. “Same feeling.”

For a moment—just a moment—they both stood there, not fighting, not shouting, just two lonely kids who unexpectedly found shelter in each other.

Neither of them knew that this small moment…

this strange, awkward kindness…

would become the first thread that tied their fates together.

The beginning neither of them understood yet.