"This is your only chance to confess."

"But I don't LOVE him!"

"But you DO have a crush him and that is enough!"

"Please," Lavanya held my hand in hers and looked into my eyes pleadingly. "Let's make it quick. The boys might see us standing here."

"Hey, Jagannatha Mahaprabhu," I cried, giving up on myself.

Seizing the opportunity, Lavanya quickly ran towards the counter and came back with two cards and two roses.

"Here," Taarini handed us two pens.

We were standing at the 'Anonymous Confessions' counter, which was right after the crochet counter.

At first, it was suprising to see such counters piled up across the outskirts of the playground. We were given a thirty minutes break time and most of the crowd made their way to these counters.

They had Chinese, Thai, Italian and Indian food counters, clothes, jewelleries, crochet, aesthetic stationeries, nail art, cute home decors and many more along with 'Anonymous Confessions', where we head towards first.

It was officially organized by our college's students council members.

The procedure was simple. If you want to express any feeling (typically crush or love) towards someone who's special for you, you can buy them a beautiful red card and a rose for fifteen rupees and write the message you want to convey inside the card.

Then, after the program ends, the Students' Council anchors would come up on the stage and reveal the names of the people who got the cards.

One of our classmates told Lavanya about this counter and she made sure to make no delays running into this place.

"To," she spelled, holding the card firmly on her palm as support. "Karthikeya."

Karthikeya was the Head of the Students' Council and he was a senior.

I don't remember Lavanya noticing him a little too much. But ever since she did, she fell for him instantly.

He's present tonight. Lavanya showed him to us, when he was near the music console, conversing with the guy sitting over there.

They both are even matching tonight. Lavanya is wearing a deep fuschia pink lehenga skirt with a fitted blouse and sheer dupatta. Meanwhile, he is wearing a pastel pink button-down shirt with formal white trousers.

"But wait. What exactly should I write?" Lavanya stopped mid-writing.

"What do you mean?" Taarini looked at her cluelessly, as if she's some haunted spirit.

"I mean," Lavanya spoke. "I can't use the word 'love because it's too intense and sounds serious. I can't even use the word 'crush'. It may seem to him like a regular crush which changes time to time and he might assume that I'm not serious about him."

"You can say that you fell for him at the first sight," I suggested and looked at Taarini for approval.

"And since then you started liking him a real lot," Taarini continued.

Lavanya looked up for once in thinking.

"Sounds cool!"

She resumed scribbling all her feelings and thoughts about Karthikeya on that card. As soon as she was done, both of them insisted (again) me to write one for Hridayansh.

Though the card sender's identity would be kept anonymous, I know Hridayansh will take no time finding out who was the one to write that card for him.

And I'm surely not ready for that level of embarrassment.

It's not that I'm unsure about my feelings or I don't want to express them yet. I just don't know whether he already has a girlfriend or crush.

I thought of asking Revant or Karthik about his status, but I don't have that close bonding with them and they most probably would tell it to him.

And honestly, rejection due to that reason would hurt me to the core. I would absolutely be fine to know that he must not be interested in relationships. But to know he's already into someone else?

However, I decided to grab this chance. Maybe I'll never be able to confess. At least, in person. But I can always do, through an anonymous letter.

I thought of keeping this simple.

No exaggeration. No fangirling. No pick-me energy.

Just pure emotions.

"I bet Revant would have written you one," Lavanya joked, playfully nudging Taarini's shoulder.

Right. Absolutely right. That fellow is such a lover boy even before knowing Taarini's 'yes' or 'no'. He would definitely not miss this chance.

"He better not," Taarini muttered under her breath. "Or else, I'm gonna beat him from my heel."

"You shouldn't get that harsh on him, babygirl," I laughed, looking at Taarini's red little anger on her nose.

She complained a few more times about how cheesy and flirty Revant gets sometimes and how desperately he dreams she would say him 'yes'.

I would really love to see them together.

Sometimes, Lavanya and I cannot understand why Taarini keeps pushing him away. We tried to make her understand that Revant is really a nice guy and definitely worth trying to be with. But she always comes up excuses like she's not interested in relationships.

"You guys like crochet?" Taarini asked.

Lavanya and I were not huge fans of crochet but we would always love crochet items.

"Let's go," we cheered all our way as we handed over our cards to the volunteers of Students' Council present over there.

The crochet stall was smaller compared to the others, but somehow it stood out the most. Maybe it was the way everything looked so... delicate and beautiful.

Soft yarn flowers arranged neatly in baskets. Tiny plushies sitting side by side like they had personalities of their own. Pastel-colored keychains hanging in rows, swaying slightly every time someone passed by. Little bows. Hearts. Mini bags. Even crocheted bookmarks.

Everything was handmade.

And that was the best part.

Taarini's fingers moved over the items carefully. She picked up a small bow keychain.

For a second, she just looked at it.

"Guys," she said quietly.

Lavanya leaned in immediately.
"Oh my God."

I didn't even need to think.
"We're getting three."

"Obviously," Lavanya nodded, already searching for more.

Within seconds, we found three matching bow keychains with the same design but different colors.

"Trio energy," Lavanya declared, holding her keychain up in the air so that Taarini and I, too, can hold it up.

"Or emotional attachment issues," I added.

"Same thing," she shrugged.

Taarini laughed gently.

As we moved to pay, something else caught my eye.

A row of small evil eye keychains. Blue, circular, but somehow striking in their own way.

Taarini followed my gaze. And her expression changed.

"No way," she whispered.
"Yes way," I said, cheekily.

Lavanya looked at both of us, already suspicious.

"What?"

"We're getting these," I said immediately, picking up three.

"For?" Taarini asked, though she already knew.

"For our very problematic male best friends," I replied.

Lavanya walked up to my side and held one.
"For protection," she said dramatically.

"From what?" Taarini raised a brow.

"From us," I answered.

"Especially Revant," Lavanya snorted.

Taarini rolled her eyes instantly.
"He needs it the most."

"Exactly," I said.

There was a pause.

And then, unexpectedly, Taarini reached out and picked one herself, turning it slightly between her fingers.

Her expression didn't change much. But something in her gaze softened. Just a little.

"Fine," she said. "But this doesn't mean anything."

"Of course it doesn't," Lavanya agreed immediately, barely able to hide her smile.

"It absolutely does," I whispered into her ear.

We paid for everything and packed them all in small paper bag tahat suddenly feeling far more valuable than it should have.

Three bow keychains. Three evil eyes.

Simple things.

But somehow, they already felt like memories.

As we stepped away from the counter, the music grew louder again, the crowd thicker, the night pulling us back into its rhythm.

"Okay," Lavanya clapped lightly. "Now we shall find the boys."

"Why?" Taarini asked instantly.

Lavanya grinned.

"Because," she said, lifting the small bag slightly, "we have gifts."

I smiled. Because this was exactly how nights like these worked. You never need to plan the moments. You just walk into them.

We didn't have to search for the boys for long.

They were exactly where they were expected to be.

Slightly away from the main crowd, near one of the chinese food counters, standing in a loose circle with a few other guys. Laughing loudly. Talking over each other. Acting like the entire event was personally organized for their entertainment.

"Of course," Lavanya muttered. "Look at them."

"Very predictable," I added.

Taarini didn't comment.
But her gaze had already found them.

For a brief second, she stilled. Then looked away.

"Call them," Lavanya said, already pushing Taarini forward.

"Why me?" she whispered.

"Because you look harmless," she replied instantly.

"As if you're going to shoot them down," she muttered.

Lavanya quickly imitated some mysterious action hero holding a gun.

Taarini walked a few steps ahead and waved her hand, catching Revant's attention first.

Lavanya and I giggled quietly.

He noticed and nudged the others to turn.

They said something to the rest of their group, probably a quick excuse, and started walking toward us.

They reached us within seconds.

"All okay, ladies?" Hridayansh asked casually, glancing between us.

"Nothing serious, I hope," Karthik added, though there was a faint curiosity in his tone.

Lavanya straightened slightly, holding the small paper bag like it was some official announcement.

"We have something for you," she said.

That got their attention.

"For us?" Karthik raised a brow.

"Should we be concerned?" Revant added.

"Yes, we are about to shoot you," Taarini said dryly.

"Should I - hands up or kneel down?"

Lavanya and I couldn't control ourselves this time. We burst out laughing like maniacs, not even looking at Taarini's reaction.

Hridayansh's and Karthik's soft chuckles followed ours. They, too, were not able to control.

This was insane.

In between the laughs, I looked at Taarini.

She wasn't pissed off. She wasn't glaring anyone of us to stop.

Instead, she herself was smiling, but kept a hand in front of her mouth, trying to show that she's not.

The laughter settled slowly, leaving behind an ease in the air between all of us.

Lavanya seized the chance and reached into the bag, pulling out the three small evil eye keychains.

She held them up together, the tiny blue charms catching the light.

"For your protection," she declared.

There was a brief pause. And then, Karthik let out a small laugh.
"From what?"

"From us," I replied instantly, signalling towards me, Lavanya and Taarini. "We are no bad luck, but we know we would always trouble you guys for life."

"Fair enough," Revant exhaled softly, shaking his head.

Karthik reached out first, picking one up with a faint smile.
"Thank you," he said, tone light but genuine.

Revant followed, taking another, turning it slightly between his fingers.
"Thanks," he said. "Mere taraf se ek-ek plate noodles."
("One plate noodles for you guys from my side.)

Then, Hridayansh stepped forward.
"Thank you," he smiled, genuinely.

He took a moment and then unconsciously, his gaze lifted towards me.

I didn't mean to look at him instantly. The desire in my mind of breaking that eye contact grew stronger, yet I couldn't move an inch.

Lavanya clapped her hands lightly, breaking the silence before it could stretch too far.
"Okay, done. You're welcome. Don't lose them."

"No promises," Karthik said.

"Typical," she rolled her eyes.

"Wait," Revant added, glancing at the keychain again, "This actually means we're important, right?"

"Don't overthink it," Taarini said, rolling her eyes.

"Too late," he replied, smiling, more to himself.

Taarini shook her head slightly, but there was no real irritation in it this time. Just something softer and quieter.

"Let's go back. Thirty minutes are already up," Hridayansh suggested, casually glancing at his wristwatch.

The boys quickly ran towards our seats with our handbags to re-reserve them or else someone might take them up. The college's dance group were already on stage. This was something we definitely couldn't afford to miss.

The playground had grown louder as the night progressed. Music blended with conversations, camera shutters, random cheers, and the constant movement of students crossing from one side of the ground to another.

A few students sat on the grass near the stage. Some stood near the food counters with paper plates in their hands.

Others crowded closer to the front, already guessing which song would play next.

The fairy lights overhead swayed slightly with the breeze, their golden glow softening the entire atmosphere.

Everything naturally looked cinematic tonight.

Ipsita was sitting with Taarini and Lavanya somewhere in the middle seats along with the boys to her right.

"Why are they taking so long?" Lavanya muttered impatiently, craning her neck toward the stage.

"Technical issues, maybe," Taarini replied.

Meanwhile, Revant passed us three mini cold drink bottles. I gladly took them and muttered him a thanks.

The performances had begun blending into each other beautifully by then.

One act ended in loud cheering, another began with whistles and dramatic introductions from the anchors, and somewhere in between all that chaos, the night only kept growing warmer, louder, brighter.

"This angle is horrible," she shouted loud for the fifth time, the music was so loud that we could barely hear our own voice.

"Then stop recording from the crowd," Karthik replied with the same volume.

"And miss the memories?" she gasped dramatically. "Never."

"Let her record them, after all she's the one who'll post and tag us for re-posting on our profiles," I said, leaning towards Karthik's ears.

The stage lights shifted again dramatically as another dance performance began. This time, the music started softly.

🎶 "Mujhko itna bataaye koyi
Kaise tujh se dil na lagaaye koyi..." 🎶

The stage glowed in warm golden lights as the performers moved gracefully across it, their silhouettes soft beneath the fairy lights hanging overhead.

And somewhere in the middle of all that warmth, Ipsita became aware of something.

Hridayansh wasn't watching the stage anymore.

At least not completely.

Every now and then, his attention drifted toward her unconsciously, as if he didn't even realize he was doing it.

When she laughed at something Lavanya said.
When the golden lights reflected softly against the side of her face.
When she absentmindedly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear while looking toward the stage.

🎶 "Rabba ne tujhko banaane mein
Kar di hain husn ki khali tijoriyaan
Kaajal ki siyaahi se likhi
Hain tune jaane kitno ki love storiyaan..." 🎶

Ipsita casually glanced at him and found that he was already looking at her.

But he instantly turned his attention towards the stage, trying not to make it look obvious.

She tried not to overthink about this two-second eye-contact they'd just shared, but the intensity of the moment and the atmosphere around him refused to.

🎶 "Kesariya tera ishq hai, piya
Rang jaaun jo main haath lagaaun
Din beete saara teri fikr mein
Rain saari teri khair manaaun..." 🎶

Lavanya, while vibing a little too much with the song, unknowingly pushed Ipsita and made her lose balance. Hridayansh's hand instantly reached for her wrist, soft and just enough to steady her for half a second before letting go again.

🎶 "Patjhad ke mausam mein bhi rangi chanaaron jaisi
Jhanke sannaaton mein tu veena ke taaron jaisi..." 🎶

Ipsita steadied herself and stood straight, muttering a 'thank-you'. She brushed off all her thoughts, but she could still feel the warmth of his fingers long after.

🎶 "Mmm, sadiyon se bhi lambi ye mann ki amaavasein hain
Aur tu phuljhadiyon waale tyohaaron jaisi..." 🎶

Ipsita tucked a strand of hair behind her ear absentmindedly while looking toward the stage. Hridayansh noticed the tiny gesture immediately.

Not because it was special. But because everything she did had begun feeling noticeable to him lately.

🎶 "Chanda bhi deewaana hai tera
Jalti hain tujhse saari chakoriyaan
Kaajal ki siyaahi se likhi
Hain tune jaane kitnon ki love storiyan..." 🎶

"You're not dancing?" he asked softly once, leaning slightly closer so she could hear him over the music.

Ipsita looked at the crowd in front of them before replying, "I am."

He frowned faintly. "You're simply standing."

A small smile appeared on her lips.
"You're standing too."

🎶 "Kesariya tera ishq hai, piya
Rang jaaun jo main haath lagaaun
Din beete saara teri fikr mein
Rain saari teri khair manaaun..." 🎶

The song slowly approached its final chorus, but instead of losing energy, the entire playground seemed to rise with it. The DJ lowered the music for a moment, letting the crowd sing louder than the speakers themselves.

The fairy lights overhead blurred softly against the flashing DJ lights, bathing the entire ground in gold, blue, purple, and pink in uneven intervals.

Everything felt messy. Yet beautiful.

Hands lifted into the air one after another, like a silent wave passing through the playground. Almost everyone took their phone out. Some captured the moment and some turned their flashlights on for a cinematic concert view.

Everyone began to sway with the music with no no planning, yet a perfect cordination. Just hundreds of students moving together beneath the open sky like they all belonged to the same moment.

Lavanya immediately raised both her hands dramatically.
"This," she declared emotionally, "is absolute CINEMA."

"You say that about everything," Karthik laughed beside her, though even he had started swaying slightly with the crowd.

Revant was singing loudly despite knowing absolutely none of the correct lyrics. Taarini laughed embarrassingly and looked one second away from disowning him publicly.

Ipsita looked around slowly, taking in the sight before her.

The glowing lights. The loud but soft music vibrating through the ground. The laughter echoing endlessly around the playground. The feeling of youth sitting so heavily in the air that it almost hurt.

🎶 Kesariya tera ishq hai, piya, ishq hai, piya
Kesariya tera ishq hai, piya, ishq hai, piya
Piya, ishq hai, piya, ishq hai, piya
Kesariya tera ishq hai, piya
Rang jaaun jo main haath lagaaun 🎶

Her eyes found Hridayansh again.

He stood beside her, one hand lifted slightly with the rhythm of the crowd, the golden lights flickering softly across his face.

He felt her gaze and slowly looked towards her direction with a small smile.

Ipsita's breath caught faintly in her throat. Because something about the moment felt terrifyingly soft.

Not loud enough to be called love. Not obvious enough to be called confession. And yet, it carried the warmth of both.

The music reached its final beat. The crowd screamed the last lyrics together at the top of their lungs.

Hands still swaying beneath the lights. Voices overlapping. Laughter dissolving into the night air. Phones still capturing the last fading moments.

And in the chaos, something deep and unfamiliar settled in the air between Ipsita and Hridayansh.

Not the bad kind of unfamiliar, but the one that's very new to you, the one you feel you're ready to explore but scared a little to.

Later that evening, the wild energy of dancing slowly dissolved into loud conversations, breathless laughter, students fixing their hair after the chaos, and groups collapsing back onto chairs dramatically as if they had just survived a war instead of three songs.

The fairy lights still glowed warmly overhead, but now the stage lights had softened into calmer hues of amber and gold.

A cool breeze passed through the playground, carrying traces of perfume, sweat, food, and the strange emotional warmth nights like these always seemed to collect.

One of the anchors climbed up the stage and held a microphone.

"So..." he dragged dramatically, immediately earning loud cheers from the crowd. "Are we ready for the most awaited part of the night?"

The audience erupted instantly with loud cheers and claps.

Though it was already 7:30 PM, the energy the crowd showed for this moment was definitely something out of the world.

What could it be now?

The female anchor stepped forward next, holding a large decorated basket filled with envelopes and red cards.

And it hit me instantly.

The Anonymous Confessions.

My fingers tightened unconsciously around the edge of my dupatta.

This was real. The confessions were actually going to be announced in front of everyone.

The boys almost prepared to leave dragging their tired bodies to stand up.

"Where to?" Lavanya asked them, making the boys halt at their places.

"Y'all want to wait for this?" Hridayansh asked, pointing towards the stage.

Obviously Hridayansh. Or else how would you get my letter?

Lavanya tried her best not to look at me and expose our secrets.

"We want to book a cab to go back home and it'll take some time. Right, Taarini?" I nudged Taarini's arm strongly, with a smile pleading to support our lie.

"Y-Yeah, yeah. R-Right," she stuttered at first. "I'll quickly have a look," she said, opening the Ola Uber app on her mobile phone and vigorously tapping random options on it.

The anchors began opening envelopes dramatically one by one, intentionally increasing suspense before announcing names.

Each revelation caused immediate chaos.

Some students screamed loudly while their friends pushed them toward the stage forcefully. Some hid their faces completely and some walked up on the stage to receive the letters as if they are celebrities receiving awards.

The female anchor reached deeper into the basket dramatically.

"Oho," she said loudly. "This next one seems... detailed."

The crowd screamed immediately.

"Is it an essay?"

"Read it fully!"

"Reveal the name!"

The anchor laughed before unfolding the card carefully beneath the stage lights.

"This confession," she announced slowly, "goes to..."

A deliberate pause.

"Karthik!"

"OOOOHHHHH!" Revant exploded instantly, grabbing his shoulder so violently that Karthik nearly dropped his phone.

"No way!" Karthik shouted on top of his voice.

"PARTY!"

"I DIDN'T EVEN DO ANYTHING!" Karthik shouted again over the noise, looking genuinely horrified while Revant and Hridayansh burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"Karthik?" Taarini repeated. "Surname or from? Nothing else mentioned?"

There was only one Karthik in their entire batch.

Revant stood up before Karthik himself could process anything.
"GO, MY BOY!" he yelled unnecessarily loudly.

Hridayansh was laughing openly now, one hand pressed against his forehead as Karthik glared at both of them in betrayal.

"I SWEAR I DON'T KNOW WHO THIS IS," Karthik defended himself while being practically pushed toward the stage by his own dearest friend Revant.

"Sure," Revant nodded seriously. "Mysterious lover boy."

And with absolutely no dignity left intact, Karthik finally got up and walked toward the stage while the crowd whistled dramatically at him.

The anchors teased him mercilessly the moment he reached there. One of them handed him the rose while the other opened the card slightly to read a few lines aloud.

Eventually, after surviving enough public humiliation for one lifetime, Karthik escaped the stage and returned toward their group holding the red card and rose carefully in his hands.

Revant stood up instantly.

"SHOW US."

"No."

Revant did not argue back, but instead he took the card from Karthik's hands in a swift motion.

"Muin janeni kahin je, hele tameke dekhla dinu mana baar baar tamar katha bhabuchhe-"

("I don't know why, but ever since I saw you, my heart keeps thinking about you again and again.")

"OOOOOOHHH," Hridayansh teased Karthik, imitating Revant's style.

"Tame hasidele dekhile kaen je pura din ta bhal laguchhe," Revant continued reading from the letter, acting as if he's the one who's confessing to Karthik.

("When I see you smile, somehow the whole day starts feeling better.")

"AAYE HAAYEEEEE," Hridayansh sang on top of his voice, making Karthik's smile fade for a second.

The girls kept on bursting on laugh more and more with each line and Hridayansh's imitating reaction.

"Mal Molia Rassia Pila
Dil Ke Sate Ghayal Kala
Nai Dekhala Prem Lila
Mue Na Noni Bolibali Re"

("That charming, stylish boy
Wounded my heart completely
I had never seen the game of love before
Yet now, all I do is think and speak about him.")

Ipsita burst out laughing.

Not any graceful or quiet shy laughter. But an actual uncontrollable laughter.

"Oh my God-" she covered her mouth immediately, bending slightly forward while Revant started laughing equally hard beside her.

Hridayansh looked completely gone too now, lowering his head briefly while laughing into his hand.

Meanwhile, Karthik hid his face with the confession card itself.

"Kill me," he muttered from behind it while trying and failing not to laugh a little himself.

"What kind of confession IS THIS?" Revant wheezed dramatically. "Bro got proposed through Alta Makhi lyrics."

(Alta Makhi: A popular 2023 Odia/Sambalpuri song composed by Bijay Anand Sahu.)

Beside them, Taarini had stopped reacting to the jokes entirely. Because suddenly something clicked in her mind.

Slowly, suspiciously, she turned her head toward Lavanya.

Ready to ask one dangerously simple question.

"Lav-"

She saw that the seat beside her was empty.

Lavanya was already gone. Way before.

Well, almost gone.

At the far end of the seating rows, her fuchsia lehenga could be seen disappearing rapidly through the crowd while she half-ran toward the academic block corridor, one hand clutching her phone and the other lifting her lehenga slightly so she wouldn't trip.

Taarini blinked once. Then looked back at the card. Then toward Lavanya again.

And it hit her. Even when she wished the opposite.

"Lavanya fucked up," she whispered close into Ipsita's ears.

Ipsita turned towards her direction and immediately stopped laughing midway.

"What?"

Taarini pointed silently toward the escaping figure.

"I hope you understood..."

Ipsita didn't understand anything for the first few seconds. She kept looking at the card and the empty seat beside Taarini.

Taarini rolled her eyes and glared at those song lyrics written in the card, so that Ipsita can look at them and realize the huge blunder.

Ipsita's eyes slowly moved toward the last few lines written at the bottom of the card.

Those lyrics from Alta Makhi.

The exact lyrics Lavanya had been humming since she wrote the letter back there at the Anonymous Confessions counter.

Ipsita's mouth fell open slowly.

She looked toward the corridor where Lavanya had disappeared. Then back at the card. And then at Karthik.

"What the..." she whispered.

Both of them were completely speechless at that moment. No one expected this could happen in any universe or else they could have definitely come up with some immediate solution.

Before they could process the accident well, Ipsita's phone popped up with a notification.

💬 Lavanya: Help me dig the ground, guys.

"What!?" Taarini exclaimed, reading the notification from the phone.

"Is she planning to bury someone?" Ipsita whispered, more to herself.

"Shut up, Ips yaar," Taarini deadpanned.

"Lavanya cannot be trusted for this," Ipsita defended herself, trying to focus on the confession revelations, even though her mind was racing with the thought that Hridayansh is going to be called up on the stage any time.

Taarini snatched the phone from Ipsita's hand before she could even react properly.
"I'm calling her," she declared.

"Ask whether she's alive first," Ipsita muttered.

"Considering her level of embarrassment right now, maybe not."

The call rang twice and finally Lavanya picked up.

"What?" her whisper-shout came instantly from the other side. "WHY are you calling me? Are you people insane?"

"Where are you?" Taarini asked flatly.

"Inside the second floor washroom."

Ipsita blinked, "SECOND FLOOR?"

"Yes! Obviously!" Lavanya whisper-yelled again. "You think I'll hide in the ground floor one where everybody comes?"

Meanwhile, beside them, Revant was still laughing occasionally while Karthik carefully folded the confession card and slipped it into his pocket despite pretending not to care about it anymore.

And somehow, that tiny gesture did not go unnoticed by anyone.

"Oh, he's keeping it," Revant noticed dramatically.

"I'm keeping it because someone spent fifteen rupees on this nonsense."

"Fifteen rupees and emotional damage," Hridayansh corrected casually.

Karthik glared at both of them while Ipsita tried listening to Lavanya and the boys at the same time, and failing miserably to do so.

"And this next confession..."

The anchor's voice echoed across the playground again.

The crowd screamed another random name before she even spoke. Students were fully invested now with their phones up and waiting for the next victim.

Ipsita unconsciously straightened in her seat.

Beside her, Taarini was still on call.

"No, you're not staying there forever."

"No one's getting married because of one confession card!"

"They won't even know it was YOU."

"If you don't come back in the next few minutes, I'm definitely going to tell them all."

"This confession," the anchor announced dramatically, "goes to..."

"Hridayansh Pradhan."

The crowd erupted immediately.

"OHHHHHH!"

Karthik instantly leaned forward with interest, forgetting about what happened with him five minutes ago.

Ipsita almost stop smiling and sat like a statue. Her stomach twisted painfully.

What if he recognized her handwriting?

On stage, Hridayansh accepted the red card from the anchor while the crowd cheered dramatically again.

What made Ipsita more nervous wasn't the card, but the calmness on Hridayansh's face and body language.

Beside her, Lavanya's voice suddenly returned loudly through the phone speaker.
"WAIT. WHO GOT CALLED NOW?"

Taarini looked toward Ipsita once. Then slowly smiled.

"Ips's Mr. Topper who has emotions."

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