CHAPTER 3 - A BEAUTIFUL GIRL

Rishab stood at the Saraswati Kanya Sangh court, providing instructions to his teammates, who were also his best friends. But then, he saw her. She walked onto the court, and he could not take his eyes off her.

She was around 5 feet 6 inches tall with a golden dusky complexion, sharp features, big beautiful black eyes, and long, straight hair tied in a ponytail. He couldn't tear his gaze away from her.

She looked at the strands of hair falling onto her face, her eyes darting around like a curious doe. ‘Cute,’ Rishabh mumbled smiling unconsciously.

She took out her rubber band, letting her long, straight black hair cascade around her. His heart skipped a beat at that moment. He was utterly captivated by her simple beauty. She was gorgeous. Rishabh’s friends were taken aback by his distraction and turned to see what had caught his attention so much.

"Where are you lost?" Rehaan waved his hand in front of his eyes. Rishabh snapped out of his reverie, trying to regain the focus. But,

when he looked back at the girl, she was tying her hair, and his heart leaped again. Her beauty had completely entranced him.

Rishabh Malhotra, from a Defence background. His father, Brigadier Rajeev Malhotra was his idol. He has looked up to him since he was a little boy. He aspires to be an excellent man like his dad, which is why he was preparing for NDA Entrance exams to join the Army.

Rishabh always filled his head with books, discipline, and training. He was the nerd and topper of his school, known for never showing interest in girls. Despite that, He was the charmer of his batch. While girls often throw themselves at him, he finds it irritating and kept his distance from such advances. There were even funny rumors about him being gay.

But she was different. He had never felt like this before.

"Let's continue!" He refocused and began discussing the strategy for the upcoming basketball games.

They were on one side of the court, but every time she passed by, Rishabh’s concentration was shaken. His friends observed this changed

behavior, with expressions of "aww" and silly smirks on their faces. He cursed under his breath, shot them a death glare, and playfully kicked each of them.

"Get lost, you assholes!" Rishabh reprimanded Vikram, Kabir, and Rehaan. Exchanging the high-fives, they began practicing, and he joined them with the rest of the team.

She was in a nearby court, doing her running shots. Rishabh couldn't help but admire her beauty and her skills. Again, their eyes met, and she quickly lowered her gaze. He lost his focus once more.

“Kriti...” Rishabh called her sister, who was talking to her friends on the court. Kriti, his little sister was junior taking training for the Basketball in the same court. She waved her hand in direction of Avani and finally bid goodbye to her friends and came in her brother’s direction.

“Let’s go...” Rishabh said and took Kriti along with her.

Rishabh wanted to ask Kriti about the girl she couldn't take his eyes off. But after dinner, Kriti was engrossed in her studies. As a responsible older brother, he didn't disturb her. He tried to force himself to concentrate on his studies, but as he lay in bed, her image kept coming back to him.

The next morning, Rishabh went to school with tired eyes. He hadn't slept well, and as he parked the bike, he saw her again. She was in a hurry, rushing to the bicycle stand, parking her bike quickly, and then running towards the classroom, muttering under her breath.

"Does she study at this school? It’s a surprise, I never noticed her. Why is she always in a rush?" He wondered, chuckling as he watched her while he slung his bag over his shoulder.

As he entered the classroom, his friends were already there and were laughing about something. He walked to my seat, ignoring the girls' curious glances.

"So, lover boy, how are you today?" Kabir asked with a small grin. Rishabh gave him a menacing glare and rolled up his sleeves. Kabir,

in fear, looked left and right, and then darted out of the classroom. Rishabh chased after him, but Rehaan and Vikram just laughed, holding their stomachs.

Kabir, Rehaan, and Vikram – were like brothers from different mothers to Rishabh. They had shared the same dream of joining the NDA and the Defence forces since they were kids, and were preparing for the entrance exam together.

During their lunch break, the four of them headed to the canteen. On the way, he saw the girl again, together with her friend, both carrying lunchboxes toward the canteen.

Rehaan commented, "Hey, she is the same girl we saw yesterday on the court, right? the 'long-legged beauty.'”

Rishabh sighed and muttered, "Stop calling her that. And I know that." He continued walking, trying to ignore their laughter.

Vikram chimed in, "And her friend is pretty too."

Ever since yesterday, Vikram had been constantly admiring her friend.

Inside the canteen, the girls stared at them and began discussing something. He paid no attention. Instead, his eyes sought out the girl, who was sitting in a corner with her friend, having lunch. She didn't seem as excited about their presence as the other girls did. Their eyes met briefly, and his heart raced. She looked away, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Why am I acting like a lovesick puppy?" Rishabh muttered to himself, trying to focus on NDA and nothing else. He reminded himself sternly that girls were to be kept strictly off-limits.

"Focus, Rishabh!" He scolded himself silently and walked straight to get his lunch.