The school buzzed with excitement as the annual Margazhi Utsavam approached—a cultural celebration filled with music, dance, and drama. Posters were plastered across the walls, auditions underway, and students huddled in corners practicing Bharatanatyam steps or Carnatic notes.
Karthik, of course, wanted nothing to do with it.
He watched from the corridor as classmates bustled with energy. Ananya, meanwhile, was right at the center—naturally. She was co-directing a short play for the event, juggling scripts, costumes, and chaos with that dazzling ease only she possessed.
Karthik stood by the classroom door, debating if he should slip away quietly before someone dragged him into this frenzy.
Too late.
Ananya spotted him and jogged over. "Hey, dark knight," she said, eyes twinkling. "I need a favor."
"No," he said flatly.
"You haven't even heard it yet."
"I don't need to. If it involves standing on stage, wearing makeup, or singing—"
"It doesn't," she interrupted with a sly smile. "I need someone to help with the backstage—props, lights, last-minute chaos control. And I trust you."
Karthik hesitated. "Why me?"
"Because," she said, "you're calm in chaos. You don't panic. And also…" Her voice dropped a bit. "I just like having you there."
That caught him off guard.
She gently placed a folded paper in his hand. "It's the rehearsal schedule. Think about it."
And just like that, she was gone, swept away by a crowd of students waving costume sketches.
---
That night, Karthik stared at the schedule.
It wasn't just about the event.
This was her world—vibrant, messy, alive.
He didn't belong in it.
And yet, she kept reaching out, offering a space for him.
---
The next day, he showed up outside the auditorium, clutching the schedule awkwardly. Ananya spotted him and grinned, half-relieved, half-smug.
"So you do like me," she teased.
"I'm here to keep you from setting the school on fire," he mumbled.
She laughed and handed him a clipboard.
"Welcome to the chaos."
---
End of Chapter 68