Karan’s eyes lingered on his phone screen, watching the notification blink on his lock screen. Anika had sent him a message—again. He wasn’t ignoring her; he never ignored people unless he was seriously pissed off. But after the last few weeks of trying to juggle his growing fascination with Meera and his usual playboy antics, he found himself avoiding Anika’s attempts to hang out. Not because he didn’t enjoy her company, but because his mind was somewhere else. Somewhere far, far away.
"Do you need another coffee, or are you done with that?” Sameer’s voice broke through his thoughts as he stood beside Karan at the café, watching him tap the screen of his phone repeatedly.
Karan looked up, giving Sameer a small grin. “Nah, I’m good. Just trying to figure out why I can’t seem to get over this weird thing with Meera.”
Sameer raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “You’re still thinking about her? What did I tell you?”
“I know, I know. But it’s different this time,” Karan said, his tone betraying a level of frustration he hadn’t intended. “I can’t just shake it off, man.”
Sameer sat down across from him, looking at Karan with an almost amused understanding. “Isn’t that the whole point? You’ve never had to try this hard for a girl, have you?”
Karan scoffed, rolling his eyes. “It’s not like that. She’s just… different. I don’t know why, but she’s constantly on my mind.”
“You’re clearly not used to that feeling, huh?” Sameer said with a smile, but there was a certain seriousness in his voice. “Listen, I get it. But don’t drive yourself crazy over it. If she’s not into you, maybe it’s best to focus on other things. Like Anika, for example.”
The mention of Anika caught Karan’s attention. He had been trying to hang out with her more recently, hoping that if he threw himself into another distraction, maybe it would help clear his mind. But despite his best efforts, the thought of Meera always lingered in the background.
“Yeah, well, I’ve been trying that,” Karan replied with a sigh. “But it’s like, every time I’m with Anika, I just can’t stop thinking about… her.”
Sameer tilted his head, considering his words carefully. “You’re not doing yourself any favors, man. If you’re not really interested in Anika, then stop leading her on. You’re just going to make things worse for everyone, including yourself.”
Karan didn’t respond immediately, instead staring at the swirling patterns in his coffee cup. “I didn’t mean to lead her on, Sameer. I just thought maybe it’d help. You know, give me something else to think about.”
“I get it,” Sameer said, his voice softening. “But you can’t force yourself to forget someone. That’s just going to make it worse. If Meera’s got you this messed up, then maybe it’s time to actually do something about it. But don’t do it because you want to prove something to yourself. Do it because you’re genuinely trying to connect.”
Karan leaned back, his mind racing with thoughts of what Sameer had said. Could he actually be right? Maybe he was just playing games with himself, convincing himself that he was chasing Meera because he couldn’t have her. But what if he really did want to know her better? Maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t the problem. Maybe it was his own inability to deal with his feelings.
Before Karan could voice his thoughts, his phone buzzed again, a new message from Anika.
“Hey, I was thinking we could grab dinner tonight? You free?”
Karan glanced at the message. His first instinct was to say yes—to just go along with it, to distract himself and push Meera out of his mind for just a few hours. But as he tapped out a response, he found himself hesitating.
“Sorry, I’m swamped with work tonight. Maybe another time?” he sent, before locking his phone and placing it on the table with a frustrated sigh.
Sameer, who had been watching him closely, raised his eyebrows. “You sure you want to pass up a dinner date with Anika?”
“I’m just not in the mood, man,” Karan muttered, rubbing his temples. “I can’t focus on anyone else right now.”
Sameer leaned back in his chair, clearly not buying it. “Alright, man. Do what you gotta do. But don’t forget, you’ve got options.”
Karan didn’t answer. He just stared out the window, watching the steady stream of students pass by. Everyone seemed so carefree, so focused on their own lives. Meanwhile, he felt like he was stuck in a constant loop—thinking about Meera, trying to keep his distance, but always finding himself pulled back in.
Later that night, as Karan walked through the quiet campus, his mind drifted back to the library. The way Meera had looked at him when they’d last worked together, the way she seemed to shut him out without even trying. There was a certain finality to her indifference that frustrated him. And yet, it made him want to push harder, to figure her out.
But was he really trying to understand her, or was he just trying to prove something to himself?
Karan couldn’t answer that. All he knew was that he couldn’t let it go. Not yet, anyway.
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...
