Shumaila stood frozen in the empty dance room, staring at the spot where Hamza had been just moments ago. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her mind in complete chaos.
The warmth of his touch still lingered on her skin. His words—"I miss you"—replayed in her head like a broken record.
She clenched her fists.
What the hell just happened?
Why did she let him hold her? Why didn't she push him away immediately?
Her breath hitched as she touched her forehead, the exact spot where he had kissed her.
Frustration surged through her, and she wiped at it harshly as if trying to erase the sensation. She hated this. She hated him.
Didn't she?
The next morning, the cafeteria was as loud as ever, students discussing the latest gossip, classes, and the recent suspension of Taniya's gang. But at one particular table, the mood was different.
Shumaila sat among her friends, picking at her food absentmindedly. Her usual sharp remarks were absent, her presence muted.
Komal nudged Akansha subtly, exchanging a look.
"Hey," Akansha called, tilting her head. "You good?"
Shumaila blinked, as if pulled from her thoughts. "Hmm? Yeah, why?"
"Because you're weirdly quiet," Komal pointed out. "That's not normal."
"I'm just tired," she dismissed, waving a hand.
"Tired of what?" Siddarth asked, raising a brow. "Ignoring Hamza?"
Shumaila shot him a glare. "Don't test me."
Siddarth smirked, but Komal and Akansha weren't convinced.
Komal observed Shumaila carefully. She had known her for years. And right now, Shumaila was acting off.
And the only person who had the power to do that…
Was Hamza.
Meanwhile, across campus, two other people noticed something else.
"Have you seen Hamza?" Rudra asked as he and Aarav walked toward their next class.
Aarav frowned. "Now that you mention it… no."
"He wasn't in the cafeteria, wasn't in class yesterday, and he didn't even show up in the CS lab." Rudra adjusted his bag strap. "That's not like him."
Aarav exhaled sharply. "After what happened in the ground? I'm not surprised."
Rudra thought for a moment. "You think he'll give up now?"
Aarav shrugged. "Maybe. But knowing him? I doubt it."
Rudra nodded. "Yeah. But the real question is… will Shumaila?"
Aarav didn't respond. Because honestly?
He didn't know the answer to that.
Later that evening, as Rudra sat on a park bench, flipping through his phone, Sneha plopped down next to him with a loud sigh.
"You look exhausted," Rudra commented, glancing at her.
"That's because I am," Sneha muttered. "And it's all because of our stupid friends."
Rudra snorted. "Which ones?"
Sneha shot him a look. "Which ones do you think?"
Rudra sighed, leaning back. "So, you're thinking about them too, huh?"
"It's hard not to when they're acting like walking disasters." Sneha crossed her arms. "Hamza disappears, and Shumaila is acting like someone swapped her brain."
"I know," Rudra agreed. "It's weird seeing her like this."
Sneha leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "Do you think Hamza's given up?"
Rudra shook his head. "No. But I think Shumaila is finally starting to feel something too."
Sneha smirked. "Took them long enough."
"Yeah," Rudra chuckled. "But how long do you think she'll keep pretending?"
Sneha exhaled. "Knowing her? Probably a while."
They both fell silent for a moment, watching as the campus lights flickered on.
"You think they'll fix this?" Sneha finally asked.
Rudra tapped his fingers against his knee. "I don't know. But I hope so."
Back in girls dorm.
"Okay, that's it," Komal announced, shutting the dorm door. "We're talking about it."
Shumaila, who had just changed into her nightwear, sighed. "Talking about what?"
Akansha raised a brow. "You know what."
Shumaila grabbed her moisturizer, ignoring them. "I really don't."
"Shumaila," Komal said, voice serious now. "What happened between you and Hamza?"
Shumaila stiffened for half a second before rolling her eyes. "Nothing."
"Liar," Akansha countered. "You've been weird since yesterday after you returned from jog. And he's disappeared. That's not a coincidence."
Shumaila sighed, rubbing her temples. "I don't have the energy for this."
"Then save your energy and just tell us," Komal pressed.
"There's nothing to tell!" Shumaila snapped, frustration lacing her tone.
Komal and Akansha didn't look convinced.
"You're hiding something," Akansha accused. "And we're not leaving until you tell us what."
Shumaila exhaled, looking away. Her mind flashed back to the dance room, to Hamza's desperate voice, to his arms around her.
To his words.
I miss you.
She clenched her jaw. "It doesn't matter. I still hate him."
Akansha's brow raised. "You sure about that?"
Shumaila's lips parted for a moment before she pressed them shut. "Yes."
Neither of her friends believed her.
But for now, they let it go.
That night, as Shumaila lay in bed, sleep refused to come.
She kept replaying his words, his hug, the warmth of his presence.
Her fingers twitched as they hovered over her forehead.
She didn't know why, but her hand absentmindedly brushed against the spot where he kissed her.
Realizing what she was doing, she clenched her fists and turned away, forcing herself to push the thoughts aside.
But no matter how hard she tried—
She couldn't.