The echoes of the performance still hummed in Karthik's ears as he walked beside Ananya through the school corridor. The culturals had ended, but the adrenaline refused to leave his system.
"People actually clapped for me," he said, still in disbelief.
"They didn't just clap," Ananya replied, bumping his shoulder playfully. "They stood up."
He glanced at her sideways. "You always believed I could do it."
"Of course. I've seen the real Karthik. Not the one who hides behind books and sarcasm."
He looked away, a small smile playing on his lips.
They stopped near the open terrace. The late evening sky was painted in orange and pink, the kind of hue that made you feel like anything was possible.
Karthik leaned against the wall, watching the sky. "You know what scared me most?"
She shook her head.
"That once the spotlight hit me, people would see someone broken. Someone who didn't belong on a stage."
Ananya stepped closer, voice soft. "But what they saw… was someone brave enough to step into the light. That's strength, not weakness."
Karthik turned to her slowly. "And what about you? You always shine… but I know there's stuff you don't say."
She hesitated, then looked at him honestly. "Sometimes, I'm scared I'll be forgotten the moment I stop being interesting. That people only care about the 'pretty face' or the performer—not the girl behind it."
Karthik's heart squeezed. "I care. About all of you."
Their eyes met. The air thickened between them.
"I've never been more myself than when I'm with you," he admitted.
Her eyes softened, and she smiled—the real kind, not the one she wore for the world. "Me too."
And just as the sun dipped beyond the school walls, casting them in twilight shadows, she reached for his hand and didn't let go.
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End of Chapter 75