As Tara arrived at the market, her eyes scanned the crowd until they landed on a familiar figure. "Heyyy Iraaa!" Tara yelled, waving her hands frantically. "Yaha hu mai!""Han han, pata hai, dikh gayi tu,"

Ira said, chuckling as she walked over and wrapped her in a warm hug. Stepping back, Ira looked her up and down, whistling playfully.

"Kya baat hai! Hot lag rahi hai tu tho. Umm umm, Miss Poo!"Tara flipped her hair with ultimate drama. "Of course, I'm the hot!""Vase, vo kukur kha hai?" Ira asked, looking around for the final member of their trio."Aata hoga," Tara replied.Right on cue, Veer entered the market.

From a distance, he looked like a kind, laid-back, ordinary teenage boy. But up close, you could easily notice his well-toned muscles, sharp biceps, and athletic build."Aur ladiez, kesi ho?" Veer asked with a grin as the three of them dove into a tight group hug.

"Aur kukur kesa hai?" Ira shot back instantly.Veer groaned, throwing his hands up in mock exasperation. "Yrr, kabhi tho naam le le mera! Jab se dosti ki hai tab se 100 namo se bulaya hai, par kabhi mera actual naam nahi liya!""Chl chl," Ira laughed, waving him off.

Brushing the banter aside, they began wandering through the bustling market lanes. They had been saving up their pocket money for a long time for this specific back-to-school haul, and they weren't planning on holding back."Oye, ye notebook aur highlighter dekh, kitna aesthetic hai!" Tara squealed, picking up a pastel-colored book.

"Han, le le! Iss baar mast vo Pinterest jaise aesthetic saaman lete hai," Veer agreed enthusiastically, reaching for a sleek pack of fineliners.

Ira immediately snatched the items out of their hands, looking at them like a disappointed mother.

"Ye kya le rahe ho? Normal chize lo! Aesthetic ke chakkar mai 5 ka pen 20 mai le rahe ho, aur ye notebook ka bundle 500 ka aata hai, tum log 700 ka le rahe ho!"Turning her glare to Tara, she scolded,

"Aur Tara, tujhe dress aur cosmetic saaman nahi lena kya jo saare paise isme laga rahi hai?" She then pivoted toward Veer. "Aur janwar, tujhe Hot Wheels nahi leni kya, bol?"Neither of them answered, completely stunned by her lecture.

Ira continued on a roll, "Aur vase bhi, copy ko end mai cover karna hi hai, tho uska front kesa hai kya matter karta hai? Aur ye pens normal lo. Khona tho dono ko do din ke andar hi hai saare pens, phir mere pens se pura year kaam karoge! Shanti se jo lete ho vo lo."Tara and Veer slowly looked at each other, the reality of their terrible financial choices finally sinking in.

"Han yarr, sahi bola," they said in unison, sheepishly putting the overpriced items back and starting their practical shopping.After a few hours of walking, they finally took a break and walked into a cozy cafe. They ordered some snacks and drinks, sliding into a booth to rest.

Staring at her phone screen, Tara’s expression softened with a sudden wave of longing. "I miss him," she sighed quietly, tracing the blurred picture of her crush.

"Koi nahh, kal se school open ho rahe hai, dekh liyo jee bhar ke usee," Veer said encouragingly, taking a sip of his drink. He leaned in, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "

Aur iss baar teri love story tho mai hi agge badhunga, dekhiyo tu!"Tara raised an eyebrow, highly suspicious. "Kya baat hai, kutta mehrban ho raha hai?"Before Veer could answer, Ira smirked and chimed in, "Kuch mehrban nahi ho raha hai. Iski crush bhi tere crush ke group ki member hai, tho tere sahare ye apni setting kar raha hai!"Tara gasped playfully. "Awhhh, kutte!""Han tho kya hua? Dono saath mai shadi karenge!" Veer declared proudly."

Kyaaaa?!" Tara shrieked, her eyes widening.

"Aree, matlab apne-apne crush ke saath karenge!" Veer corrected quickly, his face flushing red.

"Kya karenge?" Tara teased, leaning in."Aree, shadi aur bacche yarr! Tu kya sochti hai!" Veer whined, thoroughly embarrassed."Heheeee!" Ira and Tara both erupted into loud, triumphant laughter.Later that evening, the trio headed back to Tara's house to sort through their loot.

Walking into her bedroom, Ira stopped at the threshold, looking around in disbelief. "Kya baat hai! Itna saaf room!" she said sarcastically, gesturing to the clothes strewn across the chairs, books scattered on the floor, empty chip packets peeking from under the bed, and a completely cluttered dressing table.

Tara offered a sheepish, defensive smile. "Heee, vo todha ganda ho raha hai room.""Todha nahi, isee ganda hi bolte hai!" Veer deadpanned, stepping over a stray shoe."Chl nahh, jaa!" Tara said, playfully shoving him.

The three of them quickly pitched in to tidy up the chaos, finally collapsing onto the freshly cleared bed to distribute their shared school supplies.

"Oye, ye pen mera hai!" Veer yelled suddenly, snatching a glittering gel pen right out of Tara’s hand."Ji nahi! Ye khushboo wala pen mera hai, yese kese de du!" Tara yelled back, aggressively snatching it right back from his grip.

Mera hai!

""Mera hai!

Nahi, mera hai

Mera hai

Busssssss!" Ira roared, rubbing her temples. She glared at Tara.

"Tara, de de nahh is bandar ko ye pen...""Ahaaahhh, kese de du? Pure 5 rupees ka hai pen!" Tara protested, clutching it to her chest.Veer rolled his eyes, sighing dramatically as he backed away.

"Rakh le... tu bhi kya yaad rakhega."With the battle settled, they packed their bags, laughed through their final goodbyes, and head back to their respective homes.

As night fell over the city, a quiet wave of anticipation settled over them, each waiting for tomorrow's first school bell so they could finally meet their special ones.

Okay… chapter khatam, but your job isn't! 👀

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