Anaya clutched the event registration slip, her fingers tracing the edges absentmindedly. Excitement flickered in her eyes, the kind everyone assumed was for the singing competition. Her college friends saw her as an ambitious participant, eager to perform. Her roommates whispered that she was hiding something behind that enthusiasm.
But none of them knew the real reason.
This wasn't about the competition. This was about a promise.
Her mind drifted back to the past—to him. He had said he would be here. And she had waited. For what felt like an eternity, she had waited.
The first time, she had believed in chance.
The second time, she had searched, convinced fate would guide her.
The third time, she had reached out, only to grasp at emptiness.
The fourth time, she had stood still, watching as destiny played a cruel trick.
Now, the fifth time…
She refused to let this moment slip away.
Just as she took a determined step forward, an all-too-familiar voice cut through the air.
"Anaya."
Ajay stood before her, holding a bouquet of roses, his usual confidence in full display.
She exhaled sharply, irritation flashing through her. Not now. Not again.
"I wanted to tell you something—"
Before he could finish, Anaya yanked the bouquet from his hands and hurled it at his face.
The petals scattered midair as Ajay stood frozen, speechless.
She didn't wait for his reaction. She had no time to waste. This time, she wouldn't let anything or anyone get in the way.
Her gaze locked onto the familiar figure in the distance.
She ran.
And as she reached him, a soft smile graced her lips. And then
-----
Ayaan had never been comfortable around the opposite gender. Conversations with girls always left him stiff, awkward. The only women he could interact with freely were his mother and Isha—whom he saw as an older sister rather than anything else.
But Anaya was different.
She was the first to stir something unfamiliar within him. A feeling he couldn't name.
He remembered the train ride home—the unease settling in his chest, the weight of a memory he couldn't shake. The shadowy figure still haunted him, a presence lurking in the corners of his mind. Yet, amidst that suffocating fear, her voice had pulled him back.
That song. That moment.
The first time, her voice had steadied his breath.
The second time, her song had mesmerized him.
He hadn't dared to approach her. He had only watched from a distance, committing the melody to memory. The only thing that had remained with him—the image of a single tear slipping down her cheek as the train pulled away.
Since then, that question had followed him relentlessly.
Who was she?
The answer had been buried in his hands for six days—the singing competition poster, now slightly crumpled from how often he had unfolded it, staring at the details as if it held the key. He had held onto it, telling himself it was just curiosity, a simple urge to hear her voice again.
But deep down, he knew. It wasn't just about her singing. It was about her.
Now, standing in the competition venue, his eyes searched the crowd, scanning the faces, hoping—needing—to find her.
And then, he saw it.
A bouquet, thrown with startling force, hitting a man square in the face.
Ayaan's eyes followed the motion, and that was when he saw her.
Anaya.
She wasn't looking at the man she had just rejected. She wasn't looking at anyone else.
She was running toward him.
And before he could process anything, she had stopped right in front of him, breathless, eyes shining.
A soft, radiant smile spread across her lips as she said the words that made his heart stutter—
"Finally… we meet again."
-----
Anaya's smile lingered as she looked at Ayaan, waiting for his response.
Before Ayaan could reply, Dev nudged him playfully. "Ayaan, who is this girl making you act all weird?"
But before Ayaan could say anything, a loud voice echoed through the venue.
"Next participant—Anaya!"
Anaya let out a deep sigh, her shoulders dropping slightly. "Another interruption…" she murmured, barely audible.
She turned back to Ayaan, her expression shifting into something more determined. "This time, you're definitely giving me a review of my song."
Without waiting for a reply, she spun on her heels and walked toward the stage, her friends trailing behind her.
One of them giggled. "So, that guy from the train really appeared, huh?"
Another whispered, "Did you see how she ran to him? This is getting interesting."
Anaya ignored their teasing, but a faint blush dusted her cheeks.
Meanwhile, Dev crossed his arms and turned to Ayaan with an amused smirk. "So? Who is she?"
Ayaan didn't answer immediately. His gaze remained fixed on Anaya as she walked toward the stage.
------
Ajay stood frozen, his jaw clenched. The moment replayed in his mind—Anaya throwing the bouquet at his face, running to that unfamiliar man, and speaking to him with a warmth she had never shown him.
For the first time, he felt it—not just rejection, but defeat.
His first personal defeat.
The thought made his fingers curl into fists. His pride, his confidence—everything about his charm had failed against that guy.
As he turned away in frustration, he suddenly heard a voice.
"Mr.Ajay Choudhary, quite the sight to see you here."
Ajay's eyes flickered toward the source. A familiar news reporter stood nearby, an all-too-knowing smile playing on their lips.
The irritation in Ajay's expression faded slightly, replaced by curiosity. "You…"
The reporter adjusted their glasses, voice smooth yet sharp. "I believe we have something to discuss."
Ajay straightened, his pride slowly rebuilding. His anger didn't fade—it merely found a new direction.
Perhaps, his defeat wasn't the end.
Perhaps, it was just the beginning of something else.