“Alright, so, what do you think of this draft?” Meera’s voice broke through Karan’s thoughts as she slid her laptop over to him. They were sitting side-by-side at the library, but she hadn’t looked at him since she’d arrived. For her, it was all business, all efficiency.
Karan took a look at her screen, scanning the well-organized document with bulleted sections and references neatly outlined. He was halfway through reading before he glanced at her, amused. “Is this what you do for fun? Organized note-taking?”
Meera rolled her eyes, though a small smirk broke through her usual calm. “If it helps us finish, I don’t see why it matters.”
“It matters because it’s painfully neat. There are people out there who might find this level of organization intimidating,” he teased, lightly nudging her elbow.
She gave him a look that suggested she wasn’t falling for his banter. “Noted. But you might want to try a little organization yourself.”
He laughed, half-impressed by her quick comeback. “Fine, fine. Let’s get through your impressive, intimidating outline.” He studied her expression, catching the faintest hint of pride she tried to hide as she pretended to focus on something in her bag. “You must really enjoy this, don’t you?”
Her response was characteristically neutral, but this time her gaze softened a little. “It’s not about enjoying it. I just prefer things to be…manageable.”
Karan didn’t miss the slight hesitation in her words, the trace of something more personal beneath her guarded tone. “Manageable, huh? So, you’re telling me that under all this structure, there’s a wild side waiting to be set free?”
She gave him a look that said, Absolutely not, but he caught the faintest flicker of amusement. “Let’s just get through the outline,” she replied, turning back to her laptop.
“Fine. We’ll talk about your wild side later,” he said with a smirk, leaning over to study her notes in silence, though he found himself even more intrigued than before.
Karan scanned her outline, genuinely impressed at how much detail she’d put in. “Alright, this is thorough. But don’t you think we need to shake it up a bit?” he suggested, jotting a quick note in the margin. “It feels a bit… too predictable.”
Meera raised an eyebrow, her tone dry. “Predictable or organized?”
Karan chuckled. “Fine, organized. But sometimes you need to leave a little room for creativity, you know?”
She crossed her arms, eyeing him skeptically. “And your version of creativity is what, exactly?”
“Let’s just say, maybe we can explore different perspectives on the topic,” he said, leaning forward. “Take a different angle here, maybe pull in a few unconventional sources. It could give our work some depth.”
Meera tilted her head, considering it for a moment. “That’s… actually a good point,” she admitted, glancing back at her screen. “Fine, I’ll add a section for that.”
Karan leaned back, a satisfied grin on his face. “See? Teamwork.”
She didn’t look at him but nodded slightly, her fingers moving deftly over the keyboard to make notes on his suggestions. He noticed the way her gaze stayed focused, unruffled, even as he teased her, and he couldn’t help feeling… challenged. She wasn’t like anyone he’d met, and her resistance to his usual charm felt like a wall he was determined to climb, piece by piece.
“So, where’d you learn to be so… focused?” he asked after a pause, hoping to slip in a question she might actually answer.
Meera gave a half-shrug, barely looking up. “Guess I’m just used to doing things myself.”
Karan picked up on the hint of something deeper, but he could tell she wasn’t going to volunteer any more. “Independent type, huh? Makes sense.”
Meera closed her laptop and started stacking her notes. “If that’s it for today, I’ll update you when I’ve integrated your ideas.”
Karan watched as she prepared to leave, already feeling the distance she so easily set between them. Her expression was neutral, like they’d never even shared a laugh just minutes before.
“Hey, Meera,” he called as she started to turn. She looked back, just barely, as if half-listening. “Maybe next time, you can trust me to handle some of the work myself.”
For the first time, he thought he saw a flicker of hesitation in her otherwise calm expression. But she recovered just as quickly.
“Maybe,” she said. Then, with a slight nod, she walked out, leaving him behind at the table.
Karan leaned forward, absently tapping his pen against the table. Meera’s steady, guarded attitude had only made him more curious, and he wasn’t the type to back down easily. Watching her walk away, he realized that every interaction with her seemed to leave him with more questions than answers.
He closed his notebook and packed up, heading out of the library and into the lively campus courtyard. Just as he rounded the corner, he saw Arav waiting by the main entrance, casually scrolling through his phone. Karan wasn’t entirely sure when he’d started noticing Meera’s friend around, but it felt like Arav was always nearby, always a step ahead when it came to Meera.
Arav looked up and grinned as he caught sight of Karan approaching. “You done with the brainstorming session?”
Karan shrugged, trying to sound casual. “Yeah. It’s all notes and outlines for her—Meera’s super precise about everything.”
Arav chuckled. “Sounds like her.” He pocketed his phone and crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. “Honestly, I’m glad she’s got someone working with her who actually seems to have ideas.”
Karan glanced at Arav, trying to keep his tone casual. “So, you and Meera—you two are pretty close?”
Arav raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smirk on his face. “Close? Depends on what you mean by that,” he replied playfully, not offering any clarification. He leaned back against the wall, watching Karan’s reaction with a trace of amusement.
Karan forced a chuckle, though the vague answer rubbed him the wrong way. “I mean… you’re always around her, right?”
Arav shrugged nonchalantly. “Maybe I am,” he said, his tone light, giving Karan a look that made it clear he wasn’t planning to elaborate. “She’s… important to me. Let’s leave it at that.”
Karan clenched his jaw, realizing Arav was intentionally dodging the question. “Good to know,” he replied, feigning indifference.
Arav’s smirk widened, clearly enjoying Karan’s irritation. He gave Karan a friendly pat on the back. “Anyway, good luck with the project, partner,” he said with a wink before turning to leave, leaving Karan standing there with more questions than answers.
As Arav walked away, Karan couldn’t help feeling even more curious—and irritated.
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...
