Friday arrived like a breath held too long. The sky hung heavy with grey clouds, the scent of impending rain clinging to the air. School buzzed with quiet anticipation—partly due to the forecast, partly because everyone sensed that something had shifted between Karthik and Ananya.
They didn't walk together. But they smiled again. That small exchange—barely noticeable to others—was enough to spark whispers.
During lunch break, Karthik found Ananya on the library terrace. She stood near the railing, her arms stretched out like she was embracing the wind.
"I thought you hated this spot," he said.
"I used to," she replied, turning toward him. "But I like rediscovering things lately."
Karthik joined her, both resting their elbows on the railing, looking out at the rainclouds swallowing the edges of the city skyline.
"I used to watch the rain from my room," he admitted. "It was the only time I felt calm."
Ananya turned her gaze to him, thoughtful. "Why?"
"Because it made everything else quiet. The world couldn't ask anything of me when it was raining."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then, as if on cue, the clouds released their burden. Rain began to fall—not violently, but in a steady rhythm, like music meant only for the two of them.
Ananya didn't move. She let the drops fall on her face, her hair, her arms.
Karthik hesitated.
"Don't overthink it," she said, taking his hand, pulling him slightly forward into the open.
"I'm literally made of overthinking," he replied, but he followed.
The rain soaked them slowly. Students scurried inside below, but the terrace was theirs.
"You know," Ananya began, her voice barely louder than the rain, "if we were in a movie, this would be the scene where we kiss."
Karthik's heart lurched. "And in real life?"
She smiled. "In real life, we just let ourselves feel."
They stood there, inches apart, breathing the same damp air, hearts pounding in different rhythms slowly syncing.
Karthik raised his hand, hesitating near her cheek, unsure.
Ananya leaned into his touch, her eyes fluttering closed for a moment. Then she stepped back, just slightly. Enough to say—not yet.
And that was okay.
Because some moments didn't need more.
They just needed to be.
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END OF CHAPTER 144