Silent Vows

Chapter 37

Meera sat in the library, surrounded by books, but her focus was nowhere near the pages in front of her. Her mind kept wandering back to the whispered conversations she overheard earlier. It was becoming increasingly difficult to concentrate on anything. There was an undeniable tension in the air, something that seemed to follow her wherever she went.

A few girls had been gossiping in the hallway earlier, their voices rising just enough for her to catch snippets of their conversation. "Why is Karan always with her?" one had whispered. "She doesn’t even fit in with our crowd. Why does he waste his time on someone like her?"

The words stung, even though Meera had grown accustomed to being the subject of gossip. But this time, it felt different—more cutting, more personal. She couldn’t shake the feeling that her mere presence was a thorn in their side.

"She doesn’t belong," another girl had muttered. "He can do so much better. Why doesn’t he see that?"

Meera swallowed hard, trying to ignore the growing knot in her stomach. She had learned to live with the whispers, but hearing them directed at Karan, the one person who had been kind to her, made her feel exposed and vulnerable.

Karan had spotted her from across the library, and although he had walked toward her, he hesitated for a moment, sensing her distraction. After a few seconds, he finally approached, leaning against her table.

“You look like you’re planning to escape the world right now,” he said, his tone light and teasing.

Meera blinked, quickly wiping away the frown that had formed on her face. “Just... trying to focus,” she replied, forcing a smile. “Midterms are coming up. You know how it is.”

Karan chuckled, but his smile faded when he saw the fatigue in her eyes. “Hey, you know, I’ve been thinking...” he began, scratching the back of his head. “There’s a party at the dorms tonight. You should come. It’ll be good to get out of here for a bit. Take your mind off all the studying.”

Meera looked at him, hesitant. “I don’t know, Karan,” she said slowly, shaking her head. “The last time I went to a party, it turned into a disaster. I’m not sure I want to risk that again.”

Her words hung in the air between them, and Karan felt a pang of discomfort. He had known that Meera wasn’t exactly the party type, but he had hoped this might be a chance to get her to relax and socialize, even if just for a little while.

“I get it,” Karan said quietly, his tone more serious than before. “But maybe this time it’ll be different. I’ll be there the whole time, I promise. No one will bother you. Just think about it.”

Meera bit her lip, unsure. “I don’t know if I’m ready to put myself in that kind of situation again,” she said, her voice low. “People are always watching, waiting for me to mess up. I just... don’t know if I want to be the center of attention.”

Karan paused, watching her closely. “Meera, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” he said, his voice gentle. “But I think you deserve to have fun, even if it’s just for a little bit. You’re always so serious. Just... come for a little while. If it gets too much, we can leave, okay?”

She studied him for a moment, his sincere expression making her heart ache. She didn’t want to let him down, but she also didn’t want to subject herself to more ridicule. After a long pause, she finally nodded. “Okay, fine. I’ll come. Just for a bit.”

Karan’s face lit up with relief, a genuine smile spreading across his face. “Great! I’ll make sure it’s fun, I swear.” He turned to leave but paused for a moment. “Wear something comfortable, though. It’s not one of those ‘dress to impress’ kinds of nights.”