Mani was thankful for being assigned a seat near the window of her classroom that directly overlooked the basketball court. As her math teacher droned on about weights and heights, she let her thoughts wander to a certain tall boy, who happened to be her sister's best friend.

The day after their first awkward encounter, Vihan returned with candy. He had whispered in her ear that it was good to meet her. He also assured her that he was the most handsome in his grade after Shrest. Something Mani had not known how to interpret.