Say you love me! ✨️

Chapter 25: A Wound She Didn't Expect

The week after Aarav’s teasing continued as usual, with Ananya trying her best to focus on her studies and ignore the growing feelings swirling within her. She reminded herself daily that this was the same Aarav who had been playfully mocking her since childhood, nothing more. But deep down, she knew things weren’t that simple anymore.

One afternoon, Ananya sat with Simran and Arohi in the cafeteria, sipping on cold coffee, surrounded by the usual chatter of students. The conversation was light, about their upcoming assignments, the latest gossip, and random stories from their friend groups.

That’s when a common friend from Aarav’s circle, Tanya Bhatt, sauntered over to their table. With her usual confidence, she dropped into the seat beside Simran, smiling at the girls.

“Guess what?” Tanya said, her eyes twinkling mischievously. “I heard something interesting about Aarav today.”

Ananya, who had been distractedly stirring her coffee, immediately perked up. Her eyes narrowed with curiosity, though she tried not to show it.

“What about Aarav?” Arohi asked, leaning in.

Tanya chuckled. “Oh, nothing too big. Just that, apparently, Aarav had a little crush on his neighbor last year.”

The words hit Ananya like a punch in the stomach. Her hand froze mid-stir, and she felt a sinking feeling in her chest that she couldn’t explain. She swallowed hard, trying to maintain her composure, but her heart was racing.

“His neighbor?” Simran raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Who?”

Tanya waved a hand dismissively. “Just some girl who lived a few houses down. I think her name was Meera. Aarav’s family used to talk about her, apparently. She was smart, pretty, and Aarav would talk to her sometimes when they crossed paths. It was just a mild crush, though, nothing serious.”

Ananya forced herself to smile, pretending not to care. “Oh, I see. That’s… interesting.” She hoped her voice didn’t betray the sudden wave of jealousy that had washed over her.

Tanya continued chatting with Simran and Arohi, but Ananya barely heard a word. Her mind was spinning, and all she could think about was Aarav’s supposed crush. It shouldn’t matter—it was in the past, and it was probably nothing—but it did matter. It mattered more than she wanted to admit.

Why was she feeling so hurt over something as trivial as this? Aarav wasn’t even hers to be upset over. They barely even had a proper friendship, let alone anything more. And yet, the thought of him liking someone else—even if it was in the past—burned her in a way she didn’t understand.

Tanya’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. “Anyway, it’s old news now. Meera moved away a while back, and Aarav doesn’t seem to care anymore.”

Ananya nodded absently, her mind still far away. She couldn’t shake the feeling of unease, and suddenly, the cafeteria felt too crowded, too loud.

“I, uh, need to go to the library,” Ananya muttered, standing up abruptly. “I’ll catch up with you guys later.”

“Are you okay?” Arohi asked, looking concerned.

“Yeah, just a lot of work to catch up on,” Ananya replied with a tight smile before hurrying out of the cafeteria.

She made her way through the school halls, her thoughts racing. Why did it hurt so much? Why did it matter to her that Aarav had liked someone else? He wasn’t even aware of her feelings—not that she had fully admitted them to herself. But this—this revelation had opened a wound she didn’t even know existed.

As she entered the quiet of the library, she found a corner table and sat down, trying to calm herself. It was just a crush, she repeated to herself. A harmless, old crush that meant nothing now. So why did it feel like her heart was being crushed?

She leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes. Maybe she had been deluding herself all along. Maybe she had thought, deep down, that she and Aarav had some kind of special connection—something that no one else had. But this revelation made her question everything.

What if Aarav still thought about this Meera girl? What if his feelings for her hadn’t faded as much as Tanya made it sound? And even if he had moved on, what did that mean for Ananya? She was just the girl he teased, the school topper he enjoyed provoking for fun. Nothing more.

Ananya sighed, her heart heavy with a mixture of emotions—jealousy, frustration, and sadness. She had never imagined that liking someone could feel this complicated, especially when that someone hadn’t even shown the slightest hint of returning her feelings.

She opened her eyes, staring blankly at the bookshelves in front of her. Maybe she needed to distance herself from Aarav for a while, refocus on her studies, and remind herself of who she was. She couldn’t let her feelings for him consume her like this—especially when she wasn’t even sure where they stood.

But no matter how hard she tried to push it away, the image of Aarav with someone else lingered in her mind, and it hurt far more than she was willing to admit.

For the first time, Ananya realized just how deeply her feelings for Aarav had grown—and how much they were starting to affect her.