The cultural event had ended, but the energy lingered like afterglow. Monday morning brought sleepy students and reluctant yawns, but for Karthik, everything felt... lighter.
He walked through the corridor, books in hand, his steps a little less hesitant. The usual grey walls didn't feel as cold anymore. It wasn't just the after-effect of the stage, it was something deeper. Something Ananya had stirred in him.
He spotted her at the water cooler, laughing with her friends. When she noticed him, she raised an eyebrow—just slightly—and tilted her head, a silent question: "Are you okay?"
Karthik smiled and nodded. That simple exchange said more than words.
Later, during lunch, she found him near the staircase, munching quietly on curd rice from home.
"You've been popular today," she teased, sitting beside him, her lunchbox unopened. "Girls were asking about you in the washroom, you know?"
He almost choked. "What? Why?"
"Well," she said casually, "apparently the shy boy who anchored confidently and smiled a lot caught some hearts."
He looked flustered. "You're joking."
She leaned a little closer. "Maybe. Maybe not."
Their shoulders brushed, and for a moment, the world narrowed to just them.
"I don't want anyone else," he whispered, barely audible.
She blinked. "What?"
"I mean… I just want to stay like this. With you. Around you."
Her voice softened. "Karthik…"
"I'm not ready to call it love yet. But I know it's something real. And it's yours."
There it was. Raw. Honest. Undeniably him.
She didn't answer with words. Instead, she took his lunchbox, scooped a spoon of curd rice, and fed him with a smirk.
"Then I'll keep it safe. Until you're ready."
Their laughter mingled with the noisy corridor, but in their little bubble of quiet affection, something beautiful was beginning to bloom.
---
End of Chapter 82