The following week passed in a blur of schoolwork, group projects, and extracurricular activities. Winter still held its icy grip over the city, but the familiar routine of school had returned. For Ananya, things felt oddly normal and yet different all at once. Her interactions with Aarav remained limited to their usual banter. He teased, she retorted, and they’d go their separate ways. But now, there was a flicker of something in the air between them—an unspoken tension that Ananya couldn’t quite place.
She found herself watching him more, noticing little things she hadn’t before. The way his hair always fell into his eyes when he concentrated on something. The way he casually leaned against his desk, talking with his friends, seemingly without a care in the world. Every time he laughed, it stirred something inside her—a feeling she couldn’t suppress, no matter how hard she tried.
But, true to her nature, Ananya buried herself in her studies. No matter how distracted she felt, no matter how often her mind wandered to Aarav, she refused to let it affect her academic performance. She was still the topper, and that’s where she thrived.
On a cold Thursday afternoon, during lunch break, Ananya, Simran, and Arohi found themselves seated outside on one of the benches. The sun peeked through the clouds, offering some warmth amidst the chill. Ananya absentmindedly sipped on her juice box, her thoughts drifting to the math problem she had struggled with earlier.
Her mind snapped back to reality when she noticed Aarav and his group approaching the outdoor seating area. They were laughing loudly, as usual, probably cracking another one of Ishaan’s jokes. Aarav didn’t even look her way, and Ananya wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disappointed.
“Hey, Ananya,” Arohi’s voice interrupted her thoughts, “what’s going on with you lately?”
Ananya blinked. “Huh? What do you mean?”
Simran exchanged a knowing look with Arohi before turning to Ananya. “You’ve been a little… off. Even now, you’re spacing out. Let me guess… Aarav?”
Ananya felt her face heat up. “What? No! I’m just… thinking about math. You know, the usual.”
Arohi laughed. “Math, huh? Since when did math make you blush?”
“I’m not blushing,” Ananya shot back, but she could feel her cheeks burning.
Simran raised an eyebrow. “Come on, Ananya. We’re your best friends. You can’t fool us. Something’s changed between you and Aarav, hasn’t it?”
Ananya’s heart raced, and for a moment, she considered denying it. But she knew better than to lie to her friends. She sighed, dropping her guard. “It’s not that anything has really changed… it’s just… I don’t know. I feel different when I’m around him.”
“Different how?” Arohi asked, leaning in with interest.
“I don’t know!” Ananya said, frustrated more with herself than anyone else. “It’s like, he’s still teasing me like always, but now… I don’t mind it as much. And I hate that I don’t mind it. I don’t know why, but I think about him more often. It’s weird.”
Simran and Arohi exchanged another look, this time with small smiles tugging at their lips.
“Okay,” Simran said, “so you do like him.”
Ananya groaned, burying her face in her hands. “I don’t know if I like him! I just… I think about him a lot. But he’s Aarav. He’s always been this playful, annoying guy, and I’m… me.”
Arohi tilted her head. “What’s so wrong with that? Sometimes feelings change.”
“But what if they don’t?” Ananya mumbled, peeking through her fingers. “What if it’s just him being his usual self, and I’m the one overthinking everything?”
“Then you’ll deal with it,” Simran said simply. “But the fact that you’re thinking about him means there’s something there, even if it’s small.”
Ananya sat back, staring up at the sky. She knew they were right, but it didn’t make the situation any less confusing. How could she go from seeing Aarav as just this annoying classmate to suddenly feeling like her heart skipped a beat every time he laughed?
As if on cue, she heard Aarav’s voice behind her, louder than the others.
“Hey, Ananya!”
Her heart leapt in her chest, and she quickly turned to see Aarav standing near his group, a teasing smirk on his face.
“Got any extra math notes for me? I’m falling behind with all the practice for the play.”
Ananya rolled her eyes, trying to play it cool. “Maybe if you focused more on studying and less on annoying me, you wouldn’t need my notes.”
His grin widened, but he didn’t respond. Instead, he gave her a playful salute and rejoined his friends, who were already giving him knowing looks.
Arohi nudged Ananya with her elbow. “See? He’s noticing you.”
Ananya bit her lip, her heart still racing. Maybe they were right. Maybe something was changing between her and Aarav. But she wasn’t ready to admit it, not yet.
For now, she would keep pretending everything was the same. But deep down, she knew that it wasn’t. And maybe that was okay.
YOU ARE READING
Say you love me! ✨️
RomanceAnanya has always been the calm, quiet topper of her class at Sunshine Academy, a prestigious co-ed school, where she's studied since kindergarten. Being the daughter of the school's senior mathematics teacher meant she was always under scrutiny-esp...
