Say you love me! ✨️

Chapter 18: The Unlikely Equation

The afternoon sun filtered through the classroom windows, casting long shadows on the desks. It was one of those rare moments when the entire class had settled into a peaceful quiet, each student focused on their own work. The math teacher had assigned practice problems to help prepare for the upcoming tests, and the room buzzed with the sound of pages turning and pens scratching against paper.

Ananya sat at her usual seat near the window, her notebook open to a particularly tricky math problem. Despite her best efforts, the equation wasn’t making sense today. She tapped her pencil against the desk, staring at the jumble of numbers and symbols that seemed to taunt her.

As much as she hated to admit it, she needed help.

Her eyes wandered across the classroom. Arohi and Simran were deep in their own work, and most of the other students seemed preoccupied as well. But there, a few rows ahead, sat Aarav, surrounded by his friends as usual. He was scribbling something in his notebook, completely absorbed in his work.

Ananya hesitated. She had never asked Aarav for help with anything, let alone math. Their dynamic had always been more about playful banter and teasing than actual collaboration. But Aarav was good at math—surprisingly good. It was one of the few subjects where he excelled, and she knew he could solve this problem in minutes if she asked.

With a deep breath, Ananya steeled herself. She could feel her heart racing as she stood up, clutching her notebook tightly. It’s just for the problem, she told herself, nothing more. Slowly, she made her way over to Aarav’s desk.

Aarav looked up from his notes as she approached, one eyebrow quirked in amusement. “Well, well,” he said with a smirk, leaning back in his chair. “To what do I owe the honor of being graced by Sunshine Academy’s top student?”

Ananya rolled her eyes, refusing to let him get under her skin. “Don’t get too excited, Aarav. I just need help with a math problem.”

His smirk widened. “Oh, you? Need help? Now, this is interesting.”

“Can you just stop teasing for once?” she said, though her tone remained light. She placed her notebook on his desk, pointing to the problem that had stumped her. “I’ve been stuck on this one for ages. Can you take a look?”

Aarav glanced down at the problem and then back at her, the playful look in his eyes replaced by one of mild surprise. “You’re serious?”

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

Aarav chuckled softly, shaking his head. “Alright, alright. Let me see.” He leaned forward, studying the equation with a focused expression. For a moment, there was only silence between them, the usual banter replaced by the quiet hum of concentration.

After a few moments, Aarav picked up his pen and started writing down some steps. “You missed a simple rearrangement here,” he explained, pointing to the line where Ananya had gone wrong. “It’s why the whole thing didn’t work out. See, you just need to divide this by that, and it simplifies.”

Ananya watched as he explained the solution, her mind processing his words. As much as she hated to admit it, Aarav was right. The problem made perfect sense now that he had pointed out the mistake. She felt a strange mixture of relief and frustration—relief because the problem was solved, and frustration because Aarav had been the one to solve it.

“There,” Aarav said, pushing the notebook back toward her. “That should do it.”

Ananya looked at the solution and nodded. “Thanks,” she muttered, genuinely grateful despite herself.

Aarav grinned, leaning back in his chair again. “Anytime, topper.”

She rolled her eyes, but there was no heat behind it. “I still don’t get how you’re so good at math. You’re not exactly known for being studious.”

Aarav shrugged. “I’ve always liked math. It just… makes sense to me, I guess. Numbers don’t lie, you know? It’s all about finding the right balance.”

His words caught Ananya off guard. It wasn’t the typical playful Aarav she was used to hearing. For a moment, she saw a glimpse of the boy behind all the teasing and jokes—a boy who was sharper than most people gave him credit for.

“I didn’t know that,” she said quietly.

Aarav flashed her a lopsided grin. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Ananya.”

Her heart gave a small flutter, but she quickly pushed the feeling aside. This was still Aarav—the same boy who had been teasing her since they were kids. She wasn’t going to let herself get caught up in some fleeting moment of vulnerability.

“Well, thanks again,” Ananya said, picking up her notebook and turning to leave before the conversation could get any more awkward.

But as she walked back to her seat, she couldn’t shake the strange feeling that had settled over her. Aarav wasn’t the simple, mischievous boy she had always known. There was more to him than that, and for the first time, she was starting to see it.

Still, she reminded herself, she had to stay focused. No matter what was going on with Aarav or how her feelings might be shifting, she couldn’t let it distract her. She had her studies to think about, and that was the most important thing.

But even as she sat down and returned to her work, the thought of Aarav lingered in the back of her mind.