7 Day Writing Challenge: Is It Love?

It was Arya's first day at school after her tenth board examination. There was chaos in everyone's mind, wondering which stream to take. Arya was in the same phase, too. She was a class topper, so her teachers and parents insisted she opt for the Science stream and become a doctor or professor. But her inclination was towards the art side because Arya loved literature by heart. From a very young age, she started writing poems and non-fiction works.

When she went to school, her friends herded her, asking if she had chosen her stream yet. Arya shrugged her shoulders and nodded. Her friends felt doomed. They used to consider her their support system. They were waiting to follow her lead in deciding their future. Arya sat at her seat, scribbling something in her journal. She did not realize she didodle different shapes, making it heart-shaped with some letters inscribed in formations. Before she could figure it out, the teacher entered, and everyone stood, greeting the teacher in unison, "Good Morning, ma'am," to which the teacher responded, "Why do you guys have to sing a song? Can you not wish in a plain tone?"

Everybody laughed, and the teacher told the students to sit. It was the day when the teacher would announce the sections of the students based on the forms they filled out for stream selection. The teacher called out the first name, "Arya."

"Arya, what is this? How can you opt for arts?" the teacher asked with a confused look. Arya stood on her seat with her head down and said she wanted to pursue literature, so she filled arts as her first choice. The teacher, unconvinced, told Arya that she would talk to her parents. Arya sat at her place and continued her scribble. The teacher continued with other students and permitted everyone to their selected sections except Arya.

The bell rang, and the teacher instructed Arya to follow her to the principal office. Arya forgot to close her journal and left it on the table. As she left the class, the girl Ria, sitting beside Arya, got hold of her journal and started inspecting the doodle art made by Arya before leaving. She identified letters. She tried to find the meaning of the letters Arya inscribed on the figures and found out the letter forms the word "Rehaan." There was a devilish smile on her face. She was jealous of Arya because Arya, being a prodigy child, always shone in class, and she had to take second position. 

She tore the page and folded it nicely to place it in the envelope she created by paper cutting and fevi stick. She plotted to hand over this letter to Rehaan, informing him that it was a love letter for him that Arya told Ria to hand him. Rehaan was leaving the class when Ria rushed, taking him to the corner so nobody could watch her doing this mischievous act. Ria told Rehaan that she had something special for him. He smiled and excitedly asked what it was. Ria handed him the envelope she created and kept the doodle art of Arya. 

Rehaan was about to open the envelope when Ria held his hand, asking him to check out at home. Rehaan saw her with confusion but agreed as she requested. It prompted butterflies in Rehaan's stomach. He ran to his house, which was ten minutes away, but his excitement pushed him to reach in five minutes that day. Rehaan sped to the stairs towards his room, surprising his mother as it was the opposite of what happened other days. He would enter the house yelling, "Mum, I am hungry. Please lay my food on the table." 

His mother followed him to his room, but before she could reach him, he shut the door and told her he would come in ten minutes after changing his clothes. Without a word, she left for the kitchen. She made his favorite Dal Rice. Even after Rehaan assured her he would come after changing, she assumed she was missing something. Lost in her thoughts, she poured four spoons of ghee on rice and salt instead of caster sugar. She did not realize until Rehaan came down and tasted Dal Rice, spilling the food, "Yuck! Mom, why did you add so much salt and ghee to rice?"

Her mother tasted the food and gave the same reaction as Rehaan's. She said, "Sorry, baby. I will get you another plate of dal rice." She went to the kitchen and noticed rice and dal were insufficient. She felt guilty and came out of the kitchen in tears. Rehaan got worried seeing her in tears and made her sit on the chair. She told him she would cook again for him. It would take only half an hour. But Rehaan informed her that he would order something pleasing for both. She can rest.

With guilt in her eyes, she confirmed if he wished to eat from outside. Otherwise, she could cook again. Rehaan nodded and went to his room. He smiled sheepishly. Rehaan could check the letter received from Ria. Rehaan left the letter without checking as he knew his mother would doubt him if he did not go for lunch quickly. He made sure to order lunch for them before opening the letter.

Rehaan hesitated to open the letter. He assumed it to be a love letter. He noticed different shaped doodles in the shape of hearts with letters inscribed. He immediately figured out the letters meant "Rehaan." He also recognized that the page belonged to Arya's journal. He felt excited as he had been fond of Arya since 8th class, and now he found she also loved, which was a misunderstanding. Rehaan imagined Arya with him and was lost in his thoughts when he heard her mother calling, "Rehaan, come down. The food is here."  

Returning to the real world, Rehaan whispered, "Let's talk to Arya if this love letter is real."