The rest of the afternoon passed without asking anything from them.
No dramatic conversation followed.
No sudden change in the way they walked.
No awkward attempt to figure out what they were supposed to do with everything that had just been said.
They simply continued with the day.
And somehow, that made it feel more significant.
Aanya went to her next lecture.
Sagnik went with her.
They sat together.
They took notes.
They complained quietly about the professor.
At one point, Aanya nudged his notebook toward herself and copied something he'd written.
At another, Sagnik took her pen without asking.
Neither of them mentioned what had happened earlier.
There was nothing left to explain.
By the time the final lecture ended, the sunlight outside had already begun to soften.
Students poured into the corridor, conversations overlapping as everyone made their way toward the hostels, the library, the mess.
Aanya adjusted her bag over her shoulder.
Sagnik walked beside her.
For a while, neither spoke.
It wasn't uncomfortable.
It simply didn't need words.
They reached the staircase.
Aanya started down.
Then heard him behind her.
"Aanya."
She turned.
He had stopped one step above her.
"What?"
He looked at her for a moment.
Then, almost casually—
"Are you going back to your room?"
She frowned slightly.
"I was planning to."
A pause.
"Why?"
He shrugged.
"No reason."
Aanya gave him a look.
"You don't ask questions without a reason."
"I do."
"You don't."
"I just did."
She almost laughed.
Then started walking again.
Sagnik followed.
They made it to the ground floor.
The evening air was cooler now.
They stepped outside.
Aanya adjusted her bag again.
"So?"
"So what?"
"You asked if I'm going back."
"Yeah."
"And?"
He looked ahead for a moment.
Then said, simply—
"Come over."
Aanya slowed slightly.
Not because the request surprised her.
Because of how naturally it had been said.
No excuse attached to it.
No assignment.
No Ludo game.
No particular reason.
Just—
come over.
She looked at him.
"For what?"
Sagnik glanced sideways at her.
"I don't know."
Aanya's eyebrows lifted.
"That's your reason?"
"It's the truth."
She studied his face for another second.
There was no nervousness there.
No attempt to disguise the request.
He genuinely just wanted her there.
And somehow, that made it harder to tease him about it.
A small smile appeared on her lips.
"You're terrible at invitations."
"You're still considering it."
"Maybe."
They continued walking.
After a few steps, Aanya said,
"Fine."
Sagnik looked at her.
"Fine?"
"I'll come."
Something in his expression softened.
"Okay."
That was all.
No celebration.
No teasing.
They simply kept walking.
And Aanya found herself smiling again.
The route to his place was familiar.
Familiar enough that she barely noticed when they turned onto the quieter path.
The campus was beginning to empty.
The sounds of the day slowly thinning into the background.
For a while, they walked without speaking.
Aanya looked ahead.
Then sideways.
Sagnik was looking straight ahead, hands in his pockets.
He seemed relaxed.
Almost peaceful.
She wondered if he felt it too.
That strange absence of tension.
Nothing had been solved.
Nothing had been officially named.
And yet—
something had settled.
She didn't know exactly what to call it.
Maybe she didn't need to.
When they reached his place, Sagnik unlocked the door and stepped aside.
Aanya walked in without waiting for an invitation.
She had done that before.
But tonight, neither of them thought about it.
She dropped her bag near the usual place.
Sagnik noticed.
"You know that's becoming permanent."
Aanya glanced at it.
"What is?"
"That."
She looked back at the bag.
"Maybe I like the floor."
"Of course."
She smiled.
"Maybe your floor is very welcoming."
"Glad to hear it."
He walked further inside.
Aanya followed.
The evening settled around them slowly.
Nothing particularly interesting happened.
And perhaps that was the point.
He made something to eat.
She complained that he was using too much salt.
He told her she had no authority over his kitchen.
She stole food from his plate anyway.
He took it back.
She stole it again.
They argued over what to watch.
Neither actually watched much of it.
At some point, Aanya ended up sitting on the floor with her notebook open across her lap.
Sagnik sat nearby, doing his own work.
The room was quiet again.
Aanya looked down at the page.
Then at him.
Then back at the page.
She couldn't concentrate.
Not because anything was wrong.
Because everything felt strangely right.
She hadn't expected that.
After everything they had said.
After everything they hadn't.
She had expected some kind of shift.
A visible line between yesterday and today.
But there wasn't one.
There was no before and after.
Just this.
Him beside her.
Her being here.
The familiar comfort of his presence.
The occasional sound of a page turning.
A pen tapping against paper.
The fan above them.
The world outside continuing without either of them caring very much about it.
Aanya lowered her eyes again.
A small smile appeared without permission.
She didn't notice it.
Sagnik did.
He didn't say anything.
He simply looked back down at his work.
And somehow, that was enough.
Nothing was different.
Except that now—
they both knew.