The atmosphere in the group had changed. It wasn't something anyone said outright, but it was there—lingering in the way people looked at each other, in the moments of silence between conversations.
Shumaila could feel it.
After her encounter with Hamza, her heart had been in a constant state of confusion. She hadn't expected him to hold her so tightly, hadn't expected to feel… safe. And yet, she had run. Again. And now, she was stuck in the same cycle of pretending nothing had happened.
The only problem? Hamza wasn't pretending.
He wasn't avoiding her like before, but he wasn't pushing either. He simply observed, waiting for her to make a move. And that unsettled her more than anything.
It was Sneha who brought up the idea first.
"We should go somewhere this weekend," she announced, leaning forward with excitement as they all sat together in the cafeteria. "A getaway before this semester's deadlines kill us."
"Ooooh, yes!" Komal clapped her hands. "We need this."
"I don't know," Akansha shrugged, pretending to be uninterested. "What's the point? We see each other all the time."
"But not outside of university life!" Rudra countered. "Come on, let's actually have fun for once. No assignments. No projects. Just us."
"I'm in," Siddarth smirked, looking at Komal. "You need a vacation from fake dating me, right?"
Komal narrowed her eyes. "Oh, please. If anything, you need a vacation from trying too hard."
Aarav chuckled. "Alright, so where are we going?"
"There's a resort a few hours away," Sneha explained, pulling up her phone. "We can book a couple of rooms and just chill."
Everyone nodded in agreement—except for Shumaila and Hamza, who had stayed unusually silent.
Komal noticed immediately.
She turned to Shumaila with a mischievous grin. "What, scared to be stuck with Hamza for a whole weekend?"
Shumaila's eyes snapped toward her. "Excuse me?"
The entire table broke into laughter.
"I will literally push you into a lake," Shumaila grumbled, crossing her arms.
"We are going near a lake, actually," Rudra pointed out helpfully.
"Perfect. You're first."
The laughter continued, but Hamza stayed quiet, watching Shumaila's reaction. He wasn't sure if she truly didn't want to go or if she was just trying to avoid being near him. Either way, the idea of spending an entire weekend in the same place as her was enough to make his pulse quicken.
"I'm in," Shumaila finally said, rolling her eyes. "Not because of you idiots. I just need a break."
Hamza's lips twitched. "Same here."
And just like that, the weekend plans were set.
Hamza's POV
Hamza had spent time by watching Shumaila from a distance. Not because he wanted to, but because it was the only thing he could do.
She had admitted she cared about him. That alone should have been enough. But something in her eyes told him she wasn't ready to say more, and as much as he wanted to push, he couldn't. Not if it meant losing whatever fragile progress they had made.
But now? A weekend trip? Being around her for two whole days?
He had no idea if it would make things better or worse.
He stole a glance at her, only to find that she was already looking at him.
She quickly looked away, but not before he caught the uncertainty in her eyes. And for some reason, that made his heart clench.
As the discussion continued, the group turned their attention to Akansha and Aarav.
"So… how's the courting going?" Sneha teased, raising an eyebrow.
Aarav smirked. "Smoothly."
"Really?" Rudra leaned forward. "Akansha, did Aarav finally get promoted from 'courting' to 'boyfriend' yet?"
Akansha scoffed. "He's still on probation."
The entire table erupted into laughter.
Aarav placed a hand over his heart dramatically. "So cruel."
"He's enjoying the challenge," Komal pointed out. "Look at him. He lives for this."
Aarav grinned. "She's not wrong."
Akansha rolled her eyes but didn't deny it. She knew Aarav wasn't going anywhere. And maybe, just maybe, she liked that.
As everyone discussed logistics, a small moment passed between Siddarth and Komal.
A guy from another table had approached them earlier, casually trying to flirt with Komal. Siddarth had shut it down instantly.
"Hey, I was just being friendly," the guy had said, smirking at Komal.
"Yeah? Well, don't," Siddarth had replied coolly, standing between them.
Komal had raised an eyebrow at him once the guy left. "Relax, Siddarth. Are you my fake boyfriend or a real one?"
Siddarth didn't answer. He just glared after the guy, jaw clenched.
And for the first time, Komal wasn't sure if their arrangement was fake anymore.
After the plans were finalised, the group left the cafeteria. But as Shumaila walked toward her dorm, she suddenly felt someone behind her.
She turned, and there he was.
Hamza.
They stood in silence for a moment, the weight of everything unsaid between them pressing down.
"Are you actually coming on this trip?" Hamza finally asked, his voice low.
Shumaila crossed her arms. "Why? You scared to be stuck with me for a weekend?"
A flicker of amusement crossed his face. "Not at all. I just hope you can handle it."
Shumaila raised an eyebrow, a slow smirk playing on her lips. "We'll see."
For a moment, neither moved. Neither spoke. Just quiet tension in the space between them.
And then, as if realizing they were lingering too long, Shumaila turned and walked away.
Hamza watched her until she disappeared, his heart pounding in his chest.
This weekend was going to change everything.