The lecture hall buzzed with the usual chatter of students settling into their seats. It was the first day of the new semester, and excitement mixed with the usual nervous energy that came with starting fresh. Karan Sharma leaned back in his chair at the back of the room, scrolling through his phone. A few of his friends were whispering jokes beside him, and he was happy to tune them out as he absentmindedly checked his messages.
As the professor cleared his throat to begin, the room gradually quieted down, and Karan finally looked up. Professor Kapoor, a middle-aged man with a perpetually distracted expression, began reading off the names of students who would be partnering up for the semester’s project.
"Aarav Gupta and Priya Mehta… Sunil Kumar and Riya Malhotra…”
Karan glanced at his friend, Sameer, who smirked.
“Bet you five bucks I get paired with Neha this semester. She practically volunteered to do all the work last time,” Sameer whispered, nudging Karan with his elbow.
Karan smirked, unfazed. “I’ll take that bet. You’re on.”
The professor continued reading through the list without pause, oblivious to the whispering. Then, his voice rose just enough to be heard clearly.
“Karan Sharma and… Meera Ranganathan.”
Karan’s head snapped up, but for a moment, he couldn’t place the name. Meera Ranganathan. It sounded vaguely familiar, but he hadn’t noticed her around much. His gaze scanned the room, and eventually, he spotted her.
She sat in the second row, her back straight as she bent over a notebook, the ends of her black braid hanging over her shoulder. She looked absorbed in whatever she was scribbling, her expression guarded, her posture formal. Karan tilted his head, studying her with mild interest. Compared to the girls he usually noticed, she was plain, really. Simple clothes, no flashy makeup, not a hint of anything designed to catch his eye.
“Looks like you’ve got a quiet one this time,” Sameer muttered, picking up on Karan’s scrutiny.
Karan shrugged, his interest fading as quickly as it had sparked. “Probably just playing hard to get,” he said dismissively, leaning back in his chair. The last thing he wanted was to waste time trying to win over someone who wasn’t interested from the start. She’d probably just brush him off like she had something to prove.
When Professor Kapoor dismissed the class, Karan made his way toward her, despite his disinterest. She looked up as he approached, her expression polite but distant, and he mustered a casual smile.
“Hey, Meera, right? Looks like we’re partners for the project.”
She nodded, her tone polite but detached. “Yes. Karan, correct?”
“Got it in one,” he replied with his usual confidence. “So, I was thinking we could meet up sometime this week, maybe go over some ideas?”
Her gaze didn’t change, her tone efficient and firm. “I’ll email you an outline tonight,” she said simply, as though she were checking an item off a list. “We can work from there.”
Karan blinked, thrown off by her straightforwardness. “Efficient. I like it,” he replied, hiding his surprise. “But maybe we could meet up in person? You know, discuss ideas over coffee or something?”
She barely reacted. “I prefer to work alone,” she said coolly, looking back at her notes. “But if you have ideas, you can add them to the document.”
Karan felt the faint sting of rejection, but he brushed it off. Girls had played coy with him before. “Alright,” he said with a chuckle. “I’ll keep it professional. No problem.” He hesitated, then added with a playful smirk, “But you know, working together could actually be fun. A little teamwork never hurt anyone.”
Her lips twitched briefly, more like she was humoring him than actually engaged. “Maybe,” she said, standing up and collecting her things. “I’ll email you. I’ve got to go.”
She didn’t look back as she walked away, her movements steady and unfazed. Karan watched her, more irritated than intrigued. He chalked it up to her putting on an act, probably thinking he’d go out of his way to impress her. But she wasn’t the type he was interested in. She didn’t try to stand out, didn’t have that instant charm he was used to seeing.
Later that evening, as he scrolled through his messages, he briefly glanced at her name in his phone: Meera Ranganathan.
Whatever. He’d get the project done and forget about her. He wasn’t in the mood to chase anyone playing hard to get—especially someone so unremarkable. His thoughts drifted back to something more important: finding the girl who had helped him the night of his accident. He could barely remember her face, but he remembered the softness in her voice, the way she’d comforted him as he waited for help to arrive. He was desperate to thank her, though his efforts had turned up nothing so far.
With a small sigh, he sent Meera a quick message:
Karan: "Looking forward to that outline. Maybe we can grab coffee this weekend to brainstorm?"
He hit send, barely expecting a response. This semester might drag if she kept up this aloof act. Still, he was up for a challenge if he needed to get through the project.
YOU ARE READING
Silent Vows
RomanceKaran Kapoor has always lived life on his own terms-charming, confident, and a notorious playboy who never took anything too seriously. Relationships were just a game to him, and emotions were something he could easily brush aside. That is, until a...
