The auditorium lights dimmed slightly as the cultural team gathered for a full rehearsal. The sound crew was setting up microphones, the drama club was testing props, and someone was tuning a veena near the stage wings. Amidst the bustle, Karthik stood near the edge of the seating area, holding a clipboard and chewing the inside of his cheek.
He wasn't used to being part of something this big. But Ananya was on stage, confidently coordinating the event flow, her voice clear and commanding.
"This is your cue, not your coffee break!" she shouted at one of the dancers, who sheepishly returned to his place.
Karthik grinned. She was a force.
"Still doubting whether you belong here?" came a voice beside him.
It was Jeeva, one of the seniors in the committee. Karthik shrugged.
"Less than before."
Jeeva nodded approvingly. "You've changed, man. People are noticing."
Karthik glanced toward the stage. "It's mostly because of her."
Jeeva smirked. "Yeah. It shows."
As the rehearsals wrapped up, Ananya hopped down the stage steps and walked straight toward him, clipboard in hand.
"Okay, we're locked in. You ready for tomorrow?"
"Only if you are," Karthik replied, handing over the updated script he'd been editing.
She skimmed it, raised an eyebrow. "You rewrote the welcome speech?"
"It was… a little too robotic," he said. "I thought it could use some heart."
Ananya read the new version aloud softly, her expression shifting. When she looked up, her voice was gentler.
"It's good. Really good."
Karthik didn't reply, but her smile said everything.
They stood there for a few seconds, surrounded by the echo of fading footsteps and stage light hums. In that moment, the spotlight didn't matter. The crowd didn't matter.
Just the two of them. A quiet understanding. An unspoken closeness.
And maybe, just maybe, something more waiting in the wings.
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End of Chapter 80