Aarav lay awake, staring at the ceiling. The dim glow of his phone screen was the only light in his dark dorm room. His roommate had fallen asleep long ago, but Aarav couldn't.
The video of Anaya in that black dress, dancing with Rahul, kept playing in his mind like a broken record.
He had told himself countless times that he had moved on, that Anaya's life was separate from his now. But seeing her like that—with someone else—had sent a strange, unfamiliar feeling through him.
Was it jealousy? Regret? Or something else?
He scoffed at himself. "It's just a dance, Aarav. Why do you even care?"
But deep down, he knew. He wasn't supposed to care, but he did.
His fingers instinctively reached for the small box in his drawer. He hesitated before opening it.
Inside lay the necklace he had bought for Anaya during their trip. A delicate silver chain with a small pendant—a design he knew she would love.
He had bought it with the intention of giving it to her, but when the moment came, he couldn't gather the courage. What right did he have to give her something so personal after everything?
Now, it just sat there. A reminder of things left unsaid.
Sighing, Aarav shut the drawer and turned over, forcing his eyes closed.
But sleep never came.
After the freshers' party, Rahul became even more persistent.
It wasn't just small gestures anymore. He started waiting for Anaya outside her classroom, conveniently appearing whenever she was heading to the library or the canteen.
At first, she brushed it off. But soon, it became impossible to ignore.
Her friends noticed it too.
"Rahul is literally everywhere you go," Anna pointed out one afternoon.
Anaya sighed, rubbing her temples. "I was hoping he'd take the hint, but clearly, he's not getting it."
Then, the situation got worse.
One evening, Anna pulled up the college forum on her phone. "You need to see this."
Anaya's stomach dropped as she read the post.
"The New College Couple: Anaya & Rahul?"
Dozens of comments followed. Some teasing, some supportive, and some outright assuming they were together.
Anger surged through her. This was not okay.
The next morning, as she stepped out of class, Rahul was already waiting for her.
Anaya had had enough.
"Rahul, we need to talk," she said firmly.
He grinned. "Of course!"
She led him to a quieter place, ignoring the curious glances from classmates.
"Listen, Rahul," she started, her tone serious. "You're a nice guy, but I need to be clear—I'm not interested in you. At all."
His smile faltered. "But we get along—"
She shook her head. "No. And I don't want to give you false hope. Whatever you think is happening between us, it's not. Please stop following me everywhere."
There was a moment of silence before he nodded, his expression unreadable.
Without another word, he turned and walked away.
Anaya exhaled, relieved.
Meanwhile, at Aarav's college, things were getting serious.
His class had been paired up with seniors to work on real-world projects. It was an opportunity to learn, but also a challenge. The seniors weren't easy to impress, and expectations were high.
Aarav's group had been assigned AI-driven automation, something he was already passionate about. But working under experienced seniors meant proving his worth.
One person in his team stood out—Nitya.
She was exceptionally intelligent, especially in programming and AI concepts. She always knew the answers, always had solutions ready.
More importantly, she always helped Aarav.
Whenever he was stuck, Nitya was there, offering guidance, simplifying concepts, encouraging him. Aarav found himself appreciating her presence. She was smart, helpful, and easy to work with.
But what he didn't realize was that Nitya's kindness wasn't just about teamwork.
She was doing everything to impress him.
Her admiration for Aarav wasn't just about his intellect—it was personal.
And Aarav, too focused on his work, was blind to her true intentions.