A COLLEGE LOVE STORY

crossroads

The cool evening breeze blew gently around them as they left the café, Atharv’s hand still wrapped around Hania’s. It felt natural, but it was also new territory, and neither of them knew exactly what it meant. They walked in comfortable silence for a while, the sounds of the city night filling the gaps between them.

Hania stole a glance at Atharv, her heart fluttering with uncertainty and excitement. His expression was calm, but his eyes were deep in thought, as if he were still trying to figure out the next step.

Finally, Atharv broke the silence. “So... where do we go from here?”

Hania paused, her thoughts racing. They had acknowledged their feelings, but that didn’t mean everything would magically fall into place. Life was still happening—classes, exams, internships, and the uncertainty of the future hung over them both.

“I’m not sure,” Hania admitted, her voice soft. “I mean, it’s not like we have to decide everything right now, right?”

Atharv nodded, his grip on her hand tightening slightly. “Yeah, you’re right. But... I don’t want to leave things undefined either. I don’t want us to just drift without talking about what we both want.”

Hania stopped walking, turning to face him. “What do you want, Atharv?”

The question hung between them, heavy and full of meaning. Atharv looked at her, his gaze searching, as if the answer was there, just beneath the surface, waiting to be discovered.

“I want you,” he said finally, his voice steady but sincere. “I want to be with you. But... I also don’t want to rush into anything and ruin what we have. I’m afraid of that, Hania.”

Hania’s heart raced at his words. Hearing it out loud made everything feel real, and for a moment, she didn’t know how to respond. She wanted the same, but there was a voice in the back of her mind reminding her of all the challenges they might face. Their schedules were hectic, they were still figuring out their lives, and relationships, even the best ones, were complicated.

“I want you too,” she said, taking a deep breath, “but I’m scared, Atharv. We’re both so busy with our own lives. What if this doesn’t work? What if we hurt each other?”

Atharv took a step closer to her, his eyes never leaving hers. “I’ve thought about that too. But I think we owe it to ourselves to try, don’t we? I mean, we’ve been dancing around this for weeks, maybe longer. And if we don’t try, we’ll never know what this could be.”

Hania nodded, feeling a mix of fear and hope. He was right. They had been circling around their feelings for a long time, and it was time to take a leap—no matter how scary that leap might be.

“Okay,” she said, her voice steady. “Let’s try. But we have to promise each other something.”

“What’s that?” Atharv asked, In a low voice .

“No matter what happens, we don’t let this ruin us. We don’t let it ruin our friendship. If it gets too complicated or too hard, we talk about it. We don’t just ignore it or pretend everything’s fine. We deal with it together.”

Atharv smiled, a small, relieved smile. “Deal. We’ll figure it out as we go. No pressure, no rushing. Just... us.”

Hania smiled back, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders. Maybe they didn’t have all the answers, and maybe the future was uncertain, but for now, this felt right. They could take it one step at a time, together.

They started walking again, their hands still intertwined, the city lights glowing around them. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it was a start. For the first time in weeks, Hania felt like they were on the same page.

As they reached the crossroads where they would part ways, Atharv paused. “You know, this feels different now,” he said, his voice light but thoughtful.

Hania raised an eyebrow. “Different how?”

He shrugged, a playful grin spreading across his face. “It’s like... I don’t want to say goodbye tonight.”

Hania laughed softly, feeling her cheeks flush. “Well, we have to. We’ve got classes tomorrow, remember?”

“Yeah, yeah. I know,” he said, rolling his eyes dramatically. “But still...”

She shook her head, smiling. “We’ll see each other tomorrow.”

“I’m holding you to that.”

With that, they exchanged a quick goodbye, their hands reluctantly letting go. As Hania walked away, she couldn’t help but glance back at him one last time, her heart light and hopeful. Atharv waved, that familiar smile on his face, and she smiled back before turning the corner.

The Next Morning

The next day, things felt different in small but meaningful ways. Atharv sent her a good morning text before she even had a chance to say hello. In the library, when they ran into each other, there was a new energy between them—something unspoken but understood. They shared smiles, inside jokes, and moments that now carried more weight than before.

As the day went on, Hania found herself daydreaming about the possibilities ahead of them. There would be challenges, sure, but wasn’t that part of what made life interesting?

That evening, as Hania sat in her dorm room, her phone buzzed again.

Atharv: “Hey, you busy? Want to go grab dinner later?”

Hania smiled as she replied, feeling a flutter of excitement. Maybe the future was uncertain, but right now, it felt like everything was falling into place.

And for now, that was enough.