The morning sun was soft, like it knew the world needed gentleness today.
Karthik stood at the threshold of the school gate, his heart quiet but heavy, as if preparing itself for something unspoken. The past few weeks had changed something within him—not just the way he looked at Ananya, but how he saw himself. The darkness that once clung to him like a second skin had loosened its grip, replaced by the fragile glow of something new… something terrifying.
Love.
But he hadn't said the words yet. Not out loud. Not even to her.
"Waiting for me?" a familiar voice asked behind him.
He turned, and there she was. Ananya. Dressed in the same old school uniform, but with that usual spark in her eyes—though it was softer now, as if she too carried something delicate inside her.
"Yeah," he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Maybe."
She tilted her head. "You're weird in the mornings."
"You bring it out of me."
They walked together, shoulder to shoulder but not touching. The silence wasn't awkward—it never really was anymore—but it pulsed with words neither of them dared to say. Yet.
In class, even the teacher noticed their strange rhythm. When Karthik got something wrong, Ananya would flick his pen. When she struggled with math, he'd pass her quick scribbled tips without looking at her. They had become… something. Not a couple. Not just friends.
Something in-between.
That day, after school, Ananya didn't rush home like usual. She lingered by the steps, watching the other students scatter into the streets.
"You okay?" Karthik asked.
She nodded. "Can we… just sit somewhere? Not talk. Just sit."
Karthik blinked, surprised. But he nodded.
They found a quiet corner of the school terrace. No one came up there during exams. The air was still, warm. Ananya sat, hugging her knees, eyes distant. Karthik sat beside her, knees drawn up too.
They didn't talk.
Not for five minutes. Not for ten.
But in that silence, Karthik felt something stir. It wasn't uncomfortable. It was full. Like the silence between heartbeats—where everything matters, even if nothing is said.
Finally, she whispered, "I'm scared, Karthik."
He looked at her.
"I don't want to lose this. Us. Whatever this is."
Karthik's throat felt tight. "You won't," he said. Then added softly, "Not unless you want to."
She looked at him. Really looked at him.
"I don't," she said.
Neither did he.
And that was enough for now.
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End of Chapter 121