Monday arrived with the dull buzz of fans and the chatter of sleepy classmates. Karthik sat at his desk, head down, but his thoughts swirled restlessly.
Ever since that Saturday at Ananya's house, something had changed.
Not in a dramatic, cinematic way. But in the quiet moments. The way her fingers brushed his when passing a pen. The way her voice softened when talking to him. The way his stomach fluttered for no reason.
But with all of that, came a question. A heavy, unwelcome one.
What are we now?
He hadn't dared ask. It felt too soon, too serious, too terrifying.
And yet, it hovered in every shared glance.
"Are you okay?" Ananya asked during lunch, tilting her head.
He nodded, forcing a smile. "Just… didn't sleep well."
She didn't push. That was the thing about her. She could push, but she didn't. She waited until he was ready.
That evening, he sat alone on the terrace of his apartment. The city lights blinked in the distance, and he clutched his phone like it held the answer to everything.
He opened her chat. Typed: Can I ask you something?
Then deleted it.
Re-typed: What are we doing?
Deleted that too.
Finally, he just typed: You free to talk?
A reply came almost instantly.
Always for you.
His heart kicked.
They met at their usual park. It was already dark, the air damp from afternoon showers. She was sitting on their favorite bench, legs crossed, eyes glowing in the dim streetlight.
"So… what's on your mind?" she asked, swinging her legs slightly.
He sat beside her, nervous. "Do you ever think about us?"
She blinked. "All the time."
"I mean—like… what we are."
She didn't respond immediately. Instead, she looked up at the sky. "You're not the only one wondering, you know."
He turned to her.
"I like you, Karthik," she said softly. "I think I've liked you for a while. But I didn't want to scare you away. You're still figuring things out. And I respect that."
He exhaled. "I like you too. A lot. But I keep feeling like… I'll mess this up. That I'll say the wrong thing. Or… not be enough."
Ananya smiled sadly. "We don't have to label it today. But if we keep walking together… that's enough for me."
Karthik looked at her—really looked. Not as the school model, not as the bold girl who teased him. Just as Ananya. The girl who waited, who saw him, who gave him space to bloom.
He reached out, tentatively.
This time, their fingers intertwined.
The question didn't need an answer anymore. Not yet.
Because sometimes, being there—truly there—was louder than any label.
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End of chapter 104