Will You Still Love Me?

CHAPTER 3

Samarth's POV:

I pulled up to the entrance of the coaching institute, my hand gripping the steering wheel a little tighter than usual. The hum of the engine faded as I killed the ignition, and for a moment, I just sat there, staring at the building in front of me. I had been here before. Not to this exact place, but to similar institutes, schools, and auditoriums. They all had the same air of quiet ambition, of students bustling with hope and dreams. But this was different. This was home.

Leaning against the hood of my car, I scanned the crowd that filled the entrance, trying to shake off the sense of nostalgia that was creeping in. I had spent years working toward this moment, every decision, every sacrifice leading me here. Becoming the District Magistrate of this city was more than just a professional achievement; it was personal. Yet, as I stood there, I couldn't help but feel a tug in the pit of my stomach, something I couldn't quite place.

The students walked past me, chatting amongst themselves, unaware of the man watching them. I adjusted my jacket, feeling the weight of the title I now carried. District Magistrate. It sounded impressive, and it was, but somehow, it didn't quite feel real yet. I had worked so hard to get here, pushing myself to prove to everyone, to myself, that I was capable. That I was more than the boy people thought I was in this city. And now, I was back, standing at the threshold of the future I had built for myself.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw her.

Shridha.

My breath caught in my throat. It had been years, but the sight of her was as familiar as if no time had passed at all. She moved through the crowd with a certain grace, her head held high, her steps measured and purposeful. I recognized that determined look on her face, the same one she had when we were in high school, when she talked about her dreams and the things she wanted to accomplish. Only now, there was something else. A distance. A poise that seemed too careful, too practiced.

For a moment, she didn't notice me, and I found myself studying her, taking in the subtle changes that time had brought. Her hair was a little shorter, her posture a little more rigid, but she was still Shridha. The same girl who used to sit with me on the steps of our school, talking about the future, making plans that seemed so certain back then.

My heart raced as a wave of memories hit me all at once. But then she looked up, her eyes landing on me, and everything froze. I saw the recognition in her eyes, the brief flicker of something-surprise, confusion, maybe even disbelief. But just as quickly, she masked it, her expression hardening as if she had prepared herself for this moment.

I felt myself grow a little more self-conscious under her gaze. What was she thinking? Did she still think of me the way I thought of her? Did she wonder about me, like I had about her?

I couldn't stop myself. I smiled. A small, tentative smile, as if I could bridge the gap that had grown between us over the years. But she didn't smile back. Instead, she stiffened, her body going rigid as if my presence was a jolt to her system. For a second, I thought she might walk away, but she didn't. She just stood there, frozen, her eyes locked on mine.

The tension between us was palpable, a strange mix of familiarity and distance that neither of us seemed ready to confront. My heart pounded in my chest, and I wanted to say something, anything, to break the silence, to pull her back into the space we once shared. But before I could speak, a voice called my name from behind.

I turned, breaking the spell. The institute director approached, signaling that it was time for me to come inside. I was scheduled to give a speech-a formal introduction to the city, to the students of this institute where the future officers of the nation were being groomed. I glanced back at Shridha one last time, hoping to catch a glimpse of something, but she had already turned away, disappearing into the crowd.