Ananya sat on the school terrace, legs pulled up to her chest, eyes on the restless clouds overhead. The breeze tugged at her braid, but she didn't care. Downstairs, the school buzzed with activity—clubs, laughter, announcements—but she needed this moment of quiet.
Something had been bothering her. And no one, not even Karthik, knew.
She glanced at her phone. No messages. She had ignored the one from her mother an hour ago, the one filled with passive-aggressive lines about "priorities" and "image."
Image.
That word had started to suffocate her.
Being the "perfect girl" everyone expected—good marks, pretty smile, disciplined, respectful. But no one really asked her what she wanted. Not her parents, not her classmates, not even the teachers who used her as a shining example. They just assumed.
And she was tired.
She heard soft footsteps behind her, and she knew instantly.
Karthik.
He didn't say anything. Just sat down beside her, his presence calm and grounding.
"You okay?" he asked after a moment.
She didn't answer immediately. Then she said, "Do you ever feel like you're performing a version of yourself… just to keep people happy?"
He blinked. That wasn't what he expected. But then again, this was Ananya. She always went deeper.
"Every day," he admitted. "But I'm lucky. Most people expect me to fail."
She let out a dry laugh. "And most people expect me to never slip."
Silence again. The wind whistled past, lifting a loose strand of her hair. He reached over and gently tucked it behind her ear. She didn't flinch.
"I wrote something," he said quietly. "A poem. About you."
Her eyes widened slightly, and she turned toward him.
"I'm not giving it to you," he added quickly. "At least… not yet."
"Why?"
"Because it's not just about you. It's also about me. About how I see you."
That made her smile. But this smile was different—more fragile, more real.
"Will you read it to me someday?" she asked.
He nodded. "When I'm brave enough."
They sat in silence after that, but it wasn't awkward. The sky above them shifted shades, hints of sunlight trying to break through the clouds.
And in that quiet, Ananya rested her head on his shoulder.
For a long moment, neither of them moved.
Two souls who carried darkness in different ways.
Finding light in each other.
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End of chapter 99