Exploring Love...the shade of PINK

The Code Between Us Chapter 2

For Aarav Rathore, observation had always been effortless.Patterns revealed themselves naturally to him.A shift in posture.A hesitation in speech.A subtle glance toward a door before someone decided to leave.

Human behavior always followed a rhythm.And once Aarav learned the rhythm—Prediction became inevitable.Except now... there was Meera Sharma.

A disruption.

An inconsistency.A variable that refused to settle neatly into the structure of his mind.Which meant only one thing.She required closer study.Much closer.

The campus café was crowded that afternoon.

Students filled nearly every table, their conversations blending with the low hum of espresso machines and clinking cups.Meera stood near the counter, waiting for her order.She tapped her phone absentmindedly against the wooden surface while scanning the room.

Then she froze.

Of course.

There he was.

Aarav Rathore sat at a corner table near the window, long legs stretched comfortably under the chair, one hand resting lazily around a coffee mug.

Watching her.

Not even pretending otherwise.

Meera exhaled slowly.

"Unbelievable."She grabbed her coffee and walked straight toward him.

Aarav didn't move as she approached.His gaze followed every step she took.When she reached the table, she set her cup down with deliberate force.

"Let me guess," she said dryly.

"You just happened to be here."Aarav's voice was calm.

"No."Her eyebrow lifted.

"I came here because you would."She stared at him.

"You're kidding."

"You drink coffee around this time every day."His tone remained annoyingly composed.

"You checked your phone twice during the lecture yesterday when notifications appeared at exactly 3:15 p.m."He leaned back slightly in the chair.

"Which suggested a routine break around this hour."Meera crossed her arms slowly.

"You've been watching me."

"Yes."

The blunt honesty startled her slightly.

"That's not creepy at all," she muttered.

"It's research."

She slid into the chair opposite him.

"Right."

For a moment they simply stared at each other.

Then Meera took a sip of coffee.

"So what's your brilliant prediction today, Mr. Analyst?"

Aarav studied her quietly.

"You're pretending to be irritated."Her eyes narrowed.

"Pretending?"

"Yes."

"And why would I pretend?"

"Because you're curious."

A faint smile touched the corner of his mouth.

"You came to this table instead of walking away."

Meera paused.