"Textbooks, Tiffins, and Trouble"
The school bell rang like it was announcing the end of a war.
Isha slumped at her desk, forehead buried in her notebook, her brain still echoing with algebra and the droning voice of Mr. Patil.
"Did we survive?" Riya whispered dramatically beside her.
"Barely," Isha muttered. "I think I just had a near-death experience via quadratic equations."
"Shut up, math queen. You'll still score highest."
Riya handed her a stolen samosa under the table like it was contraband. Isha smiled. This was the part of life she liked — the small, stupid moments that made everything feel okay.
---
🏫 After School
The walk home was noisy as usual — auto rickshaws honking, street vendors shouting offers, a group of boys chasing a flat football. Isha and Riya split ways at the temple junction.
"Tell Aarav I said hi," Riya called.
"Tell your cat to stop ignoring me."
"Milo chooses whom she loves, okay?"
Isha laughed.
---
🏠 At Home
Back in their 2BHK apartment, the air smelled like turmeric and fried onions. Her mom, still in her printed cotton saree, hummed along to an old 90s Bollywood track while stirring a pot.
"Wash your hands and come help with rotis," she said.
"I just survived double math."
"So? Use that intelligence to roll a perfect circle for once."
Isha groaned but obeyed. Her little brother peeked out from behind the fridge with a comic book in hand.
"Isha di," Aarav whispered, "if Thanos fought Hanuman, who would win?"
"Hanuman," she said without hesitation.
"Yesss," he whispered, pumping a fist.
---
📱 Later That Night
Homework done. Earbuds in. Lying on her bed, feet dangling off the edge, Isha scrolled through memes until sleep tugged at her thoughts.
Her last image before dozing off was a blurry meme of a cat sitting on a throne.
She smirked.
Then the dream came again.
The stone walls.
The temple fire.
The taste of blood.
She turned in her sleep. She didn't wake up this
time.
But somewhere in her dream — she whispered:
> "Not again."