The bus hummed with soft chatter and laughter as Aarav's team celebrated their win. But Nitya sat quietly by the window, her arms folded, her smile long gone.
She wasn't thinking about the trophy.
She wasn't even thinking about the celebration waiting back at the campus.
Her mind was stuck on one thing.
Anaya.
Who is she to Aarav?
Why does he look at her like that? Like she's the only one who matters?
She had seen it clearly—the softness in his eyes, the kind of look he never gave her, no matter how close they got.
That girl wasn't just a memory for him. She was a piece of his heart. A piece Nitya hadn't managed to claim yet.
But she would.
She always got what she wanted.
Always.
Her eyes darkened slightly, her lips pressing into a firm line. She had to move fast—before Anaya became a threat. Before Aarav slipped away.
Meanwhile, at the girls' hostel…
Anaya tossed her bag onto the bed, sank into the mattress, and stared blankly at the ceiling. The cheers, the lights, Aarav's face—it all still played in her mind like a scene on repeat.
She hugged her knees to her chest and let out a slow, shaky breath.
The door creaked open. Anna stepped inside, instantly noticing the cloud in Anaya's eyes.
"Hey… you okay?" she asked, closing the door behind her.
"I'm fine," Anaya replied quickly.
Anna raised an eyebrow. "That tone just screamed 'I'm absolutely not fine.' Spill it."
Anaya hesitated. A silence stretched between them before she finally spoke.
"There was this guy…" she began softly. "Back in school. We were best friends. Or at least, I thought we were."
Anna sat beside her without a word, waiting.
"I fell for him," Anaya said, eyes down. "And I kept it to myself for a long time. But eventually, someone found out… and told everyone."
Anna's expression shifted slightly, sensing where this was going.
"He didn't feel the same," Anaya continued.
Her voice cracked, just a little.
"I spent years trying to move on. And just when I finally thought I was past it… he shows up again. And now he's texting me, trying to talk like nothing happened."
She looked at Anna, eyes searching.
"What am I supposed to do?"
Anna didn't speak right away. She reached out, gently taking Anaya's hand.
"You're supposed to remember that your feelings are valid. That healing doesn't mean forgetting—it means knowing what broke you and choosing to rise anyway."
Anaya blinked fast, trying not to cry.
"And this guy," Anna continued, "he may be confused now. Maybe he regrets it. Maybe he doesn't. But you don't owe him anything—especially not your peace."
Anaya nodded slowly, a lump forming in her throat.
"But if you do choose to talk to him," Anna added, softer now, "make sure it's for closure. Not for hope."
That hit deep.
Anaya sat back, letting the silence settle. For the first time that night, her breathing felt a little steadier.
"Thanks," she whispered.
Anna smiled, nudging her shoulder. "You've always been strong, Anaya. Don't forget that."
Back at Aarav's party…
The seniors clinked soda cans and cracked jokes, music playing softly in the background. But Aarav sat quietly in the corner, his phone in hand, thumb hovering over Anaya's contact.
He had typed out a message. Deleted it. Re-typed it again.
"Hey… can we talk?"
He stared at it, unsure if he should hit send.
Before he could decide, Nitya appeared beside him, holding two drinks.
"Here," she said sweetly, sitting down next to him. "Let's toast to new beginnings."
Aarav forced a smile and took the drink. Nitya leaned in slightly, her voice quieter now.
"So… who's the girl on your mind, Aarav?"
He stiffened slightly. "No one. Just tired."
But Nitya didn't miss the hesitation. She knew a lie when she heard one.
She smiled again—but this time, it didn't quite reach her eye's.
Later that night…
In her room, Nitya sat cross-legged on her bed, scrolling through Aarav's old social media posts. Photo after photo, year after year—until finally, she paused.
A group picture from high school.
Anaya—standing beside Aarav, smiling. The same soft smile she wore earlier at the fest.
Nitya zoomed in slowly.
"So this is her…" she muttered, her lips curling into a tight smile. "The girl with the haunting eyes."
Her grip tightened on the phone, and in a flash of frustration, she tossed it onto the bed with a thud.
"Whatever," she muttered under her breath, standing up.
She looked at her reflection in the mirror, eyes sharp, voice firm.
"I'm not giving up."
She walked over to the window, pulling the curtain aside to stare at the quiet campus outside.
"I will win him…"
Her voice lowered, but the intensity didn't.
"…no matter what it costs."
And in that moment, the gentle, charming Nitya faded—replaced by something colder, determined, and dangerous.