Karthik let go of Ananya's wrist.
Not because he wanted to—
But because his brain had just short-circuited.
For the first time, he wasn't just questioning her feelings.
He was questioning his own.
Did he… like Ananya?
No, that was ridiculous.
They had been best friends for years.
This was just weird because she was acting strange.
…Right?
---
Denial is a Beautiful Lie
Karthik shook his head, trying to brush it off.
"Fine. Don't tell me what's wrong." He stuffed his hands into his pockets. "But you can't avoid me forever."
Ananya still refused to meet his eyes. "I—yeah. Whatever."
Then she rushed past him and disappeared into the classroom.
Karthik stared after her, his chest feeling weirdly heavy.
He needed to stop thinking about this.
Except, he couldn't.
---
Every Little Thing Stood Out Now
For the rest of the day, Karthik found himself noticing things.
The way Ananya twirled her pen when she was nervous.
The way her nose crinkled when she concentrated.
The way her earrings swayed when she shook her head.
Had she always been this… noticeable?
And worse—had he always cared?
Damn it.
---
The Stupidest Test Ever
That evening, Karthik sat in his room, staring at his phone.
He had an idea. A dumb one.
He opened his chat with Ananya and typed:
"Imagine you're stuck on a deserted island with only one person. Who would you pick?"
Then he deleted it.
What was he, a schoolgirl?
This was stupid.
But before he could overthink more—
Ananya messaged him first.
Ananya: "I just realized I forgot my English notebook at school. Kill me now."
Karthik: "Nah, too much effort."
Ananya: "Wow. Friendship goals."
Karthik: "Obviously."
…And just like that, things felt normal again.
Almost.
Because now, even their stupid, casual texts made him feel—
Something.
And he had no idea what to do about it.
---
End of Chapter 23