Until I Find My Star

Chapter 39

Anu's Pov:

There are days when life feels almost normal and these past five months I wouldn't say it was perfect but it was breathable... not completely but somewhat peaceful I guess... and... and manageable.

That morning was one of those days.

I was sitting in the classroom, a little early as usual. Most of the students hadn't arrived yet.

The room carried that chaos... chairs slightly out of place, sunlight slipping in through the tall windows, dust particles floating lazily in the air. I had my laptop open, scrolling through some notes, trying to distract myself before the professor walked in.

Nisha had messaged me that she'd be late. Roger and Arav must be in their classes or probably still in the canteen, making me smile just thinking about the duo, wherever they are they just make the place alive.

And this feeling is so weird and so for once... I was not alone anymore. I have my friends though we were not that close but yeah still. After all these months people from my class also started having a conversation with me.

I didn't like being alone, but I told myself it was fine. It was just my fate.

But now I feel free.

I shook my head and tried to concentrate by keeping my eyes on the screen, trying to focus on something... anything... but these thoughts keep on nagging at me- when suddenly...

"Excuse me?" My fingers froze over the keyboard.

A voice. Male. Close.

My heart skipped, a sharp, instinctive reaction I couldn't control.

"Hi" slowly, I looked up.

There was a guy standing in front of me. Tall, casually dressed, leaning slightly forward as if he had been trying to get my attention for a while.

His expression was... open. Almost too open. b

Before I could reply he beat me to it, "Is this seat taken? Can I sit here?" I opened my mouth to answer and just like before he interrupted me again by just sitting on the seat next to me. My mouth was still half open at his audacity, slightly turning towards him "Why ask when you have already decided to sit here?" and my damn mouth didn't have any filter.

The guy chuckled making me glare at him, "Fine princess, I'm sorry" making me frown at the nickname.

Princess? Ok now he's creeping me out.

"I'm Kian" he held out his hand for a shake, "Kian Mercer" I stared at it.

For a second, I couldn't move. My body had already gone into that familiar defensive state-alert, cautious, distant. My mind was screaming the same thing it always did around unfamiliar men.

Stay away.

"Hello," he said, waving his hand in front of my face still smiling like we already knew each other. "Anu, earth please?"

I blinked my heart had started beating rapidly.

Ok. How did he-

"I've seen you around," he continued, not waiting for my response. "Actually I've known you for so long. I mean we were in the same school, same college and same class. You have never noticed me before. I mean not that you had a chance I kinda understand you were quite occupied" he kept on blabbering and I... I just stared at him not knowing how to respond at his forwardness.