The Undisputed Navel Queen

By the time Reenu and Divya reached the shade of the banyan tree near the auditorium, the rest of their batch had already gathered there, a small sea of white-and-gold sarees and black blouses, all of them buzzing with excitement.

Smitha Miss was standing in the middle of it, laughing at something Keerthana had just said, her own pallu sitting exactly where she'd left it that morning — unpinned, unbothered, on full display like she'd been doing this her whole life.

"There she is," Divya called out, waving. "Our Vada Yakshi. Fully retired, my foot."

Smitha turned, and her face lit up the second she spotted them. "Divya! Reenu! Come, come, you both need to hear this."

"Hear what?" Reenu asked, already grinning, because whatever it was, judging by the state of the group, it was clearly good.

"Jennifer was just telling us," Smitha said, gesturing at a second-year girl…