It was Maya's first day at a new school, and her stomach fluttered like it was full of tiny butterflies. She held her lunchbox close, fingers wrapped tightly around the handle. Her shoes made soft squeaks against the shiny hallway floor as she looked around at unfamiliar faces, bright posters, and buzzing chatter.

Beside her walked Ishaan - tall, a little clumsy, and equally nervous. He was fiddling with the strap of his backpack, pretending to read the timetable stuck on the wall, though none of it made much sense to him.

"I think we're supposed to go to the cafeteria now," Maya said softly.

"Yeah," Ishaan replied, adjusting his glasses. "I hope it's not too crowded."

They exchanged a small, shy smile. They didn't know each other well - just met that morning when the teacher introduced all the new kids - but somehow, standing side by side made the new school feel a little less scary.

The cafeteria buzzed with voices, trays clattering, and chairs scraping. It smelled like warm rotis and chocolate cake. Maya spotted an empty table in the corner. "Let's sit there," she said, pointing.

They weaved their way through the crowd and finally reached the table. Ishaan set his backpack down and opened his lunchbox, but just as he did, it slipped from his hand.

Clatter!

The whole cafeteria seemed to pause.

His lunch - rice, curry, and a sweet little gulab jamun - spilled all over the floor.

Ishaan's face turned bright red. He quickly bent down, trying to scoop things back into the container with shaking hands. "Oh no, oh no?" he muttered.

Maya knelt beside him, took a few tissues from her bag, and helped him clean up. "Hey," she said gently, "don't worry. That could happen to anyone."

Ishaan glanced at her, surprised by the kindness in her voice.

She sat back down and opened her own lunchbox. "My mom always packs too much food. Want to share"?

He hesitated. "Are you sure?"

"Of course! There's plenty."

She broke off half her sandwich and handed it to him.

Ishaan took a bite. " "Wow? this tastes amazing," he said with a mouthful and a smile. " "Thank you, Maya. I was really nervous about starting here."

Maya shrugged, smiling. "Honestly, I was nervous too. I barely slept last night.

They spent the rest of lunch swapping stories - about their favorite books, their favorite foods, and their weirdest memories from their old schools.

"You know," Ishaan said, "my old school was much smaller. We didn't even have a cafeteria. I didn't really have a lunch buddy."

"Well," Maya said, taking a sip from her water bottle, "you do now."

He grinned. "Lunch together every day?"

"Deal," she said, and they bumped fists like old friends.

By the time the bell rang, the cafeteria had emptied out, and the floor was once again filled with echoing footsteps. But something had changed.

Maya and Ishaan walked side by side, no longer strangers but teammates in this big new place.

"I'll bring extra snacks tomorrow," Ishaan promised.

"And I'll bring some chocolates," Maya added.

As they disappeared into the hallway, their voices carried behind them - light, easy, and full of laughter.

Two quiet kids, finding something big in the small kindness of shared lunch and honest smiles.

A new school might have felt scary that morning.

But now, this place doesn't feel so unfamiliar anymore.