Say you love me! ✨️

Chapter 26: Unspoken Changes

The days following Tanya’s revelation were a blur for Ananya. She tried to go about her usual routine—classes, homework, studying—but something had shifted within her. She couldn’t quite place it, but the idea that Aarav once had feelings for someone else gnawed at her. No matter how hard she tried to push it aside, it kept creeping back, invading her thoughts.

Arohi and Simran hadn’t asked her much since that day in the cafeteria. It seemed like they could sense something was off, but Ananya wasn’t ready to talk about it yet. She wasn’t even sure what she’d say. How could she explain her feelings when she barely understood them herself?

In class, Aarav continued to tease her as usual. Their playful banter was something she had grown used to over the years, but now, there was a strange tension lurking beneath the surface—at least on Ananya’s side. She was more aware of him than ever, noticing the small details about him she had overlooked before. The way his eyes lit up when he was joking with his friends, or the subtle grin he gave when he was about to tease her.

One afternoon, as they were all sitting in class waiting for the teacher, Aarav leaned back in his chair, casually tossing a crumpled piece of paper at Ananya’s desk.

“Hey, topper,” he called out, “got any brain cells left for a friendly game of ‘Who’s Smarter?’ Or have you burned them all out with your studying?”

Ananya rolled her eyes, feigning annoyance. “Nice try, Aarav, but I don’t waste my time on pointless challenges.”

“Ah, avoiding defeat, I see,” Aarav grinned, not missing a beat. “No worries. I’ll let you have this one—for now.”

Ananya felt her lips curl into a reluctant smile, but she quickly looked away, trying to focus on her textbook. As she turned the pages, she couldn’t help but glance at him from the corner of her eye. Aarav was still joking with Ishaan and Kabir, completely unaware of the effect his teasing had on her these days.

Her mind drifted back to Tanya’s words. She wondered if Aarav had ever been like this with Meera—the playful teasing, the easy laughter. The thought made her stomach twist in a way that felt all too familiar now. It wasn’t just jealousy—it was something more, something that scared her because it felt so real.

She tried to shake it off, telling herself it didn’t matter. Aarav was just being his usual self, and there was no reason to read too much into it. But no matter how hard she tried, her heart betrayed her.

Later that day, after the final bell rang, Ananya found herself walking alone in the school corridors. She had stayed behind to collect some notes from a teacher, and now the halls were mostly empty. She relished the quiet, hoping it would help her clear her head.

As she walked, her phone buzzed. It was a message from Simran.

Simran: Hey, we’re all meeting at the café after school. Are you coming?

Ananya hesitated. Normally, she would have said yes without a second thought, but today she wasn’t sure. She needed some time to herself, to process everything that had been swirling around in her head lately.

Before she could reply, she heard footsteps approaching behind her. She turned to see Aarav walking down the corridor, alone for once. He spotted her and gave her his usual mischievous grin.

“Hey, Ananya,” he said casually, falling into step beside her. “What’s up?”

Ananya’s heart skipped a beat. It was rare for Aarav to approach her without the buffer of his friends around, and she wasn’t sure how to react.

“Nothing much,” she replied, trying to sound normal. “Just heading home.”

Aarav glanced at her, his usual teasing tone absent for once. “You okay? You’ve been kinda quiet lately.”

Ananya froze, caught off guard by the question. She hadn’t expected him to notice, let alone ask.

“I’m fine,” she said quickly, not wanting to reveal too much. “Just… a lot on my mind.”

Aarav nodded, not pressing further. “Yeah, I get that. Life’s been kinda crazy, huh?”

Ananya nodded, unsure of what to say. There was a strange tension between them—different from their usual banter. It was almost as if something unspoken was lingering in the air, but neither of them knew how to address it.

They walked in silence for a few moments, and Ananya found herself glancing at him again. She wanted to ask him about Meera, about the crush Tanya had mentioned, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, she said something else, something that had been on her mind for a while.

“Why do you always tease me, Aarav?”

Aarav looked at her, surprised by the sudden question. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, ever since we were kids,” Ananya continued, her voice quieter now. “You’ve always teased me. Why?”

Aarav shrugged, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes that Ananya couldn’t quite read. “I don’t know. It’s just fun, I guess. You’re an easy target.”

Ananya frowned, feeling a strange pang of disappointment at his casual response. She had hoped for something deeper, something that would give her some kind of clue about what was going on in his mind. But Aarav, as usual, was keeping things light and playful.

“Well, maybe you should find a new target,” she said, her tone half-joking, half-serious.

Aarav chuckled, the familiar grin returning to his face. “Nah, I think I’ll stick with you, topper. You’re too fun to mess with.”

Ananya rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at her lips. As frustrating as Aarav could be, there was something comforting about their dynamic—something that, despite everything, she didn’t want to lose.

They reached the school gate, and Aarav paused, turning to her.

“See you tomorrow, Ananya.”

“Yeah,” Ananya replied, her heart feeling a little lighter than before. “See you tomorrow, Aarav.”

As she watched him walk away, Ananya realized that, despite all the confusion and uncertainty, there was one thing she was sure of: her feelings for Aarav were changing, whether she liked it or not.

And she wasn’t sure how long she could keep pretending otherwise.