It had been a month since college started, and the first-year students were beginning to explore the library. Fiza stood in a group with some girls and a couple of boys, chatting animatedly.
Alan watched her out of the corner of his eyes; something about her kept catching his attention and he didn't know what it was.
"Okay," said Suresh, one of the backbenchers, who Alan hung out with in class. "You get her number, and we'll buy you lunch." The other boys with him snickered.
Alan shrugged and approached Fiza. "I'm only doing this for the free lunch."
"Excuse me," Alan said, tapping Fiza's shoulder.
She turned around, her face breaking into a smile that made Alan's heart race.
"Can I have your number?" he asked. He heard wolf whistles from his friends and disapproving sounds from the others, but he focused on her eyes; dark brown with flecks of gold. For a moment, they pulled him in and everything else went silent. She was still smiling and saying something.
"What?" he asked, confused.
"So, do you want to do it with me?" He heard her say.
He let his eyes wander to her lips, her neck, her curves. Of course he wanted to do it with her, but he wanted to make it clear that he wasn't looking for a relationship. "No strings," he replied curtly.
A slight crease formed between her brows.
"Well, meet me at the jam room at 6:30, and we'll see whether we need strings or just the piano," she responded. "I have your number. I'm sending you a text."
That had been easier than expected, but Alan couldn't shake off a hint of disappointment. He was getting the girl, but why did he wish she had been different? In his mind, everyone wanted just one thing from him.
Around 6 p.m., he received a text from Fiza: "Don't forget the guitar." Alan wondered if it was an attempt at humor.
He spent some time shooting hoops at the basketball court before heading to the jam room. Although it was only 6:20 pm, Fiza was already inside.
"Hey," she greeted him with another bright smile.
Alan looked around, feeling confused. The small room was filled with musical instruments, a recliner in one corner, and a few stools to sit on.
"You didn't bring your guitar!" Fiza exclaimed.
Alan started to realize that he might have misunderstood something. "What are we doing here?" he asked gruffly.
"I heard that you sing and play the guitar," she reminded him, raising her eyebrows.
Alan nodded.
"The only category open for auditions is duets, so I thought maybe we could try out together," she explained, emphasizing the word 'duets.' "It's for Spandan at JIPMER," she added, looking at him as if explaining to an idiot.
Spandan was an inter-college cultural and sports festival hosted by a medical college in Pondicherry.
Alan shrugged. He wasn't a 'duet' kind of person, and the songs she listed on the paper she passed him didn't exactly align with his musical preferences. However, he loved music, and learning a song for a competition would give him something to look forward to.
He looked up at Fiza, her eyes captivating him again. He realized he was actually looking forward to spending time with her, even if it meant singing sappy love songs.
"Okay, here's a classic," Fiza said, snapping him out of his thoughts as she played 'Truly Madly Deeply' on her phone.
Alan laughed loudly and then sang along.
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Любовные романыFiza woke up smiling. Last night had been everything she had dreamt it would be. She had lost her virginity to her best friend. Now her boyfriend, hopefully? She had to talk to him. She walked up to the bathroom and found him shaving. She smiled at...
