The next day, everything felt… quieter.
Not the school—of course not. It was still its usual chaos. A teacher yelling about late submissions. Students rushing between periods. The canteen guy already out of samosas before lunch.
But inside Karthik, something had changed.
It was like the storm that had been swirling within him—self-doubt, fear, confusion—had finally passed. The sky was still grey, sure, but there was light breaking through.
Ananya walked beside him through the hallway. They didn't hold hands. They didn't exchange flirty smiles. They didn't need to.
Their silence was comfortable now. Full of knowing.
He glanced sideways and caught her looking at him.
"What?" he asked, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"Nothing," she said, but her cheeks flushed slightly. "You just look… different."
"Like how?"
"Like you're not fighting yourself anymore."
He chuckled. "Is it that obvious?"
"To me? Always."
They stepped into their classroom, and a few heads turned. Some boys whispered. A girl from the front row nudged her friend and pointed—not rudely, just with curiosity.
Karthik could feel it. The stares. The assumptions. The jokes waiting to be made.
Old Karthik would've sunk into his seat, shoulders hunched, eyes fixed on the floor.
But not today.
He walked to his bench calmly and pulled out his notebook. Ananya sat beside him, twirling her pen, unfazed. She didn't hide their closeness. She didn't shrink herself for anyone.
And for once, neither did he.
At lunch, as they sat beneath the neem tree in the corner of the campus, Karthik opened up his lunchbox and offered her a piece of potato fry.
She looked at him, amused. "You're sharing food now?"
"I figured it's step one of being a boyfriend."
She choked a little on her laughter. "Did we say we're officially—?"
He raised an eyebrow. "We confessed our feelings. On the terrace. At sunset. I think that counts."
She rolled her eyes playfully. "Fine. But no pet names."
"Of course, darling," he said in a dramatic tone, earning a slap on the arm.
They burst into laughter—genuine, full, unfiltered.
For a moment, the world blurred.
No pressure.
No pretending.
Just two kids, finding love in the midst of their chaotic teenage lives.
Just as they were packing up, Ananya paused.
"Hey," she said, "thank you for yesterday."
"I should be thanking you."
"No," she said softly. "You needed to say it. But I needed to hear it."
Karthik looked at her and nodded. "Then maybe we both finally heard what we were trying to say all along."
And somewhere deep inside, both of them knew—
This was only the beginning.
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END OF CHAPTER 132