It was still early when a new WhatsApp group pinged on Rajvansh and Naira's phones - "Hopeless Aashiqs 💔🔥", courtesy of Ritik. Only three members: Naira, Rajvansh, and the mastermind - Ritik.

Ritik had sent a video clip of a dramatic aunty with mismatched bold lipstick, overly smoky eyes and bold makeup claiming, "Agar apne premi ko apne paas rakhna hai to uska rumaal chura lo aur ghar ki kisi bhari vastu ke neeche daba do. Voh kabhi aapse door nahi ja payega."

Ritik: Bhaiyo aur behno... aaj ki subah ek dhamakedaar totka ke naam! 🤣

Rajvansh replied: "Ye kya Bakwas hai.😵"

Naira : "Aajkal log kuch bhi bolte hain online 🙄"

Ritik: "Try karo, love ke Titanic ko totke ka sahara chahiye 🪴🌊"

Naira: "Pagalpanti. Mujhe kya karna aise totkon se."

But deep inside... both paused. One thought of Karan. The other of Aarohi.

Moments later, a private chat began:

Naira: "Waise... tu bhi soch raha hai jo main soch rahi hoon?"

Rajvansh: "Agar tu try karegi... toh main bhi game mein hoon."

And thus began the infamous mission - Totka 101.

---

Morning light filters through the floral curtains. The aroma of tadka and toast lingers in the air as Naira enters the kitchen, tying her half-wet hair in a messy bun. She's unusually energetic for a school morning.

Naira (peeking into the kitchen):

"Mummy! Main help karaan kitchen mein? Aaj mood hai chef banne ka." 😌

Gayatri (without turning, still stirring the pan):

"Beta, mujhe maaf kar de. Subah-subah kitchen mein mujhe shanti chahiye... toofan nahi." 😑

Naira (dramatically gasps):

"Toofan? Mummy, main ek creative haath hoon... chef Naira Singhania! Ek baar try to karne do!"

Gayatri (turning with narrowed eyes):

"Pichli baar 'creative haath' se halwe mein elaichi ki jagah nimbu daal diya tha. "

Naira (grinning):

"Vo toh fusion tha... lemony twist wala halwa....khatta meetha!"

(Enter , folding his newspaper, stepping into the kitchen)

Subhash :

"Arey wah meri MasterChef beti! Mera breakfast iski haathon ka bana hua hona chahiye aaj."

Gayatri, with not so pleased expression, "Breakfast to tab karoge na jab ghar aur kitchen sahi salamat rahegaa "

(Everyone laughs. Subhash sneaks a bite of toast and Naira pops a grape into her mouth. Warm, chaotic, and cute - just like every morning here.)

------

School corridor just before break. Light buzz of chatter, rustling papers, a squeaky fan spinning overhead, and two hopeless aashiqs prepping for war - not with swords, but with sheer stupidity and zero planning.

---

Ritik (chewing on samosa):

"Tum dono ready ho?"

Rajvansh (serious AF):

"I was born ready."

Naira (pulling sleeves like Salman Khan):

"Rumaal nahi... izzat ka sawaal hai."

---

Attempt #1 - Naira

Target: Karan's neatly folded rumaal inside his bag.

Naira tiptoes toward Karan's bench like a full CID agent. She's about to open his bag flap when-

Karan (from behind):

"Madam, meri bag ki security kar rahi ho kya?"

Naira (startled, fake laughing):

"Arre nahi yaar! Main dekh rahi thi... tumhara bag new lag raha hai!"

Karan:

"Yeh wahi bag hai jisme kal tune apna lunch gira diya tha. Yaad aaya?"

Busted.

Ritik (appears out of nowhere, sipping Pepsi):

"First fail. Kya chaal thi, kya timing thi, aur kya beizzati!"

---

Attempt #2 - Rajvansh

Target: Aarohi's light peach embroidered rumaal kept delicately on her open notebook.

Rajvansh crawls low between benches like he's in a warzone. Sweat beads on his forehead. He's inches away. Fingers about to grab it-

Aarohi (with a raised brow):

"Kya ho raha hai? "

Rajvansh freezes mid-air.

Time stops.

"W.... W.... Woh main to makkhiyaan uda raha tha.. Kitni makkhiyaan ho gyi hain aajkal.... Hehe. "

He slowly retreats... backwards... like a guilty crab.

Ritik (cackling):

"Yeh toh horror movie ban gayi. Rajvansh 'The Rumaal Returns' se 'The Rumaal Rejected' ban gaya." 😂

---

Attempt #3 -

Naira (frustrated):

"Plan B. Distraction chahiye."

She loudly says: "Karan! Look, a cockroach on your shoe!"

Karan (jumps two feet high):

"Kya?! Kahan??"

In panic, he jumps on a bench. His bag falls. Books, bottle, and... rumaal - all scattered.

Naira dives for the rumaal, but ends up catching his sweaty gym towel.

Naira (gagging):

"Yuck! This smells like dead dreams!

Ye school mein gym towel kaun lata hai chheeeee."

Karan (with a sheepish smile) : "Arey wo to galti se aa gaya.... "

---

Meanwhile...

Rajvansh's Final Try - Going Full Bollywood

He pretends to trip in front of Aarohi's desk and slides across the floor like Shah Rukh Khan in Main Hoon Na.

Aarohi (annoyed):

"Excuse me! Floor pe Olympic kar rahe ho kya?"

Rajvansh lifts his head - and instead of the rumaal - he has her pencil box stuck in his hand.

Aarohi (snatching it):

"Mujhe samajh nahi aata, tum kar kya rahe ho ?"

Rajvansh (broken spirit):

"Mujhe bhi nahi aata..."

School corridor. The air buzzes with chaos. Breaktime is nearly over. Rajvansh and Naira stand defeated - mission Rumaal Churao, Prem Paayo is failing miserably.

Naira (dramatically slumping against the wall):

"We are doomed. Love doesn't want us. Even the rumaals are rejecting us."

Rajvansh (groaning):

"This is so embarrassing. What kind of dumb totka was this anyway?"

Ritik (eating chips like a talk show host): "Tum dono hopeless ho. Ek rumaal tak nahi churaya gaya!"

Naira:

"Shut up Ritik!"

She and Rajvansh lock eyes. Something snaps.

Rajvansh (mocking):

"And whose idea was this again? 'Let's steal a gym towel and summon love!' Wah!"

Naira (flaring up):

"At least I tried! You're the one who belly-flopped in front of Aarohi like a dying fish!"

What starts as verbal sparring turns into full-on public tamasha. Students gather. The energy? Jethalal vs Iyer + Roadies audition level.

Naira (grabbing Rajvansh's hair):

"Tu khud itna useless hai, toh totka bhi kya karega?!"

Rajvansh (twisting away):

"Oye! These are expensive hair products, don't ruin my brand!"

Naira (pushing him):

"Brand ke saath brain bhi invest kiya hota toh aaj rumaal tere haath mein hota!"

They're flailing, shouting, jumping around. One of Naira's shoes comes off and hits a dustbin. Everyone in the back shouts.

Karan (rushing over):

"What the hell is going on here?! Are you two possessed!?"

Aarohi (authoritative):

"Enough! Both of you - stop this nonsense or I'll write you both up for indiscipline!"

Ritik (to camera, imaginary):

"This is the moment. Cue Mission Impossible music."

The Grand Theft Rumaal.

As Karan tries to separate Naira from Rajvansh's collar and Aarohi steps between them, shouting for order...

- BOOM. ACTION BEGINS.

Like trained pickpockets from Chandni Chowk:

Naira slides her hand like a snake from Aarohi's dupatta side and grabs the peach rumaal stuffed in the side pocket.

Rajvansh, while pretending to calm down, dips one hand into Karan's side pocket, plucks the neatly folded blue one, and hides it under his sleeve.

Both quickly pull apart. The fight suddenly goes... poof.

Naira (dusting herself off):

"Well, I'm done arguing. I'm going to class."

Rajvansh (clearing throat, adjusting hair):

"Yeah... pointless waste of energy."

Aarohi (suspiciously):

"You two are weird."

Karan (blinking):

"I feel like I got scammed... and I don't even know how."

---

Later - Secret Victory

Back at their bench in the library...

Naira & Rajvansh (both grinning):

"Mission successful."

Ritik (slow clapping with tears in eyes):

"This... THIS was the dumbest and most brilliant crime I've ever witnessed."

They do the legendary exchange.

Rumaals in hand. Victory in heart.

Rajvansh (grinning):

"Totka or not... this was worth it."

Naira:

"And if this works, I'm opening an astrology channel."

---

Annual Function Practice: Sparks & Silence

As practice resumed, the air was thick with chaos, music, and hormones. Couples argued over choreography, missteps led to accidental closeness, and shy smiles floated across the stage.

Rajvansh passed near Aarohi during the partner rehearsal. Their hands brushed accidentally. She looked up... but didn't say anything. No glare. No sarcasm.

He didn't say anything either, but his heart thudded so loud he was sure even she could hear it.

---

Aarav vs Roohi: The Great Skit War

Elsewhere, Aarav and Roohi rehearsed their skit. Or rather, argued through it.

Aarav: "Tu punch line pe punch maar deti hai. Dialogue ka time de!"

Roohi: "Aur tu? Delivery se zyada attitude deta hai!"

Script pages flew. Roohi picked up the duster. Aarav grabbed a marker like a sword.

It was a full-blown rehearsal riot.

Teacher (walking by): "Is this theatre or WWF?"

---

The final period of the day had arrived, and with it, the collective sighs of drained students. Outside, the sky had begun to mellow into the golden glow of afternoon - but inside, Class 11 still had one final battle to fight: Complex Numbers with Mr. Sharma.

As he walked in, holding a bundle of chalks like weapons of destruction, the board welcomed one lonely expression:

> i² = ?

Mr. Sharma: "Alright. Who here knows the value of i squared?"

Ritik raised his hand dramatically.

"Sir, it's simple. i² = -1. Just like my patience at the end of this day."

Mr. Sharma: "Very funny. Let's see if your test marks are positive or also imaginary."

---

At the back benches...

Rajvansh and Naira sat looking like they had fought a small war. Rajvansh's hair was a mess from Naira's "fake fight," and Naira was still huffing from all that yelling and fake clawing. Their plan had almost failed until the last-minute distraction gave them the chance to steal the handkerchiefs while Karan and Aarohi tried to separate their totally fake brawl.

Now both were quiet, pretending to focus on the class, but sneakily high-fiving under the desk.

Ritik (whispering across from the front): "Congrats, pagal premi log. Ab bacha lena apne marks ko bhi kisi vase ke neeche!"

---

Meanwhile, Aarohi, completely unaware of their idiocy, was busy solving sums. She hadn't even realized her handkerchief was gone yet.

Karan, sitting a row ahead, turned once and raised an eyebrow at Naira.

Karan: "Tum dono pagal ho gaye the kya? Kya fight chal rahi thi?"

Naira (fake innocent): "Bas aise hi... mood off tha."

Karan: "Mujhe laga tum Rajvansh ko thappad hi maar dogi."

Aarohi: "Mujhe laga mujhe dono ko detention deni padegi. Par chhodo... aaj tum dono kuch zyada hi hyper the."

Both Karan and Aarohi moved on, still puzzled by the chaos - unaware that their handkerchiefs were going to sit secretly beneath two different flower vases at two different homes, part of a totally bonkers love magic experiment.

---

Mr. Sharma: "Naira. What's i to the power 4?"

Naira (blinking): "i⁴... uh... i for imaginary?"

Ritik (grinning): "No no, sir... she meant 'I for innocent'."

Mr. Sharma: "No, no. You all are I for idiots."

---

Bell Rings.

The classroom buzzed with the familiar energy of freedom.

Students zipped bags, pushed benches, and raced toward the corridor. Karan, Ritik, Naira and Aarohi walked out chatting about the practice. Rajvansh quietly followed behind, glancing once at Aarohi's back - where her braid swayed slightly.

---

Outside the school...

Ritik (mock serious): "So... according to WhatsApp Totka University... they should start falling in love now, right?"

Rajvansh (deadpan): "Itna asaan hota toh tumhara bhi koi hota."

Naira: "Excuse me? I just risked detention and hairfall for this. Magic better happen."

The three of them walked off toward the gate, laughing like idiots - while their secret rumaal mission remained a mystery to the two most important people it involved.

************************************

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