Ananya wasn't stupid.
She knew Karthik better than anyone.
She could tell when he was lying.
And right now?
He was lying to her face.
---
Something Is Definitely Wrong
For the past two days, Karthik had been acting weird.
At first, she thought he was annoyed at her.
Then she wondered if she had done something to upset him.
But now, after their conversation?
It wasn't that.
It was something else.
Something he wasn't saying.
And it was driving her crazy.
---
Step 1: Confront Him (And Fail Miserably)
At lunch, Ananya slammed her hands on Karthik's desk.
"Okay, spill it."
Karthik, who had been peacefully eating his curd rice, nearly dropped his spoon. "Spill what?!"
"You're acting weird. What's wrong?"
"I'm not acting weird."
"LIE."
Vikram and Shruthi, sitting nearby, started laughing.
"Oh god, he's so doomed," Vikram whispered.
Shruthi smirked. "Just wait for it."
Karthik glared at them. "Stop enjoying this!"
Ananya grabbed his wrist. "You're avoiding me, you're stuttering like an idiot, and you're flinching every time I touch you. Just tell me—what's going on?!"
Karthik panicked.
Because the answer was too dangerous.
Because I like you.
Because every time I look at you, my brain stops working.
Because I don't know how to deal with this.
But he couldn't say that.
So instead, he forced a smirk.
"What, you miss me that much?"
Ananya froze.
And then—to his horror—her face turned red.
Wait. What?!
---
Step 2: Realization (What the Hell Was That?!)
Ananya quickly pulled her hand away.
"Wha—SHUT UP!"
Karthik blinked.
Hold on.
Did she just—
Did she just blush?!
Why was she blushing?!
His brain completely short-circuited.
Does that mean—
No. Impossible.
Ananya couldn't like him back… right?
But now that he was looking at her—
At her flushed cheeks, at the way she was avoiding his eyes—
For the first time, he wasn't so sure.
---
Step 3: Run Away Before It Gets Worse
Karthik panicked.
He grabbed his water bottle, muttered, "I need to go drink water," and ran out of the classroom.
Ananya stared after him. "…Did he just run away?"
Shruthi burst out laughing. "Oh my god. This is amazing."
Vikram wiped fake tears. "I'm so proud. Our boy is in love."
Ananya groaned. "SHUT UP!"
But deep inside, her heart was pounding.
Because Karthik had just done something he never did before.
He got flustered.
And that meant only one thing.
Whatever this was—it wasn't one-sided anymore.
---
End of Chapter 26