The morning after the festival was calm. The echoes of laughter had faded, leaving behind only memories and a strange silence.
Meera sat at her desk, pretending to study but unable to focus.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Aarav's face under the lantern light—his words, his voice, that quiet vulnerability she'd never seen before.
She didn't know if it was forgiveness or something else, but her heart was restless.
---
At the university, she found him sitting alone on the campus steps, headphones in, staring at nothing. For a moment, she just watched him — the boy who looked strong on the outside but carried storms inside.
Gathering courage, she walked over.
Meera: "Mind if I sit?"
Aarav (looking up): "You already are."
She smiled faintly. "Still grumpy?"
He sighed, taking off his headphones. "Still confusing."
There was a pause — gentle, almost peaceful.
The kind of silence that didn't need to be filled.
Meera: "You said last night you're bad at explaining yourself."
Aarav: "Because it never mattered before."
Meera: "And now?"
Aarav (after a long pause): "Now it does."Her heart fluttered at the honesty in his voice.
---
They spent the rest of the afternoon working quietly on their project. But as the hours passed, Meera noticed something — the way Aarav hesitated before speaking, the way he kept glancing at her like he wanted to say more.
Finally, she asked softly, "Aarav, what happened to you… before we met?"
He looked up sharply, then exhaled. "You wouldn't want to know."
"Try me."
He was silent for a moment, then began, his voice low.
"I used to trust people too easily. One of them—someone I cared about—used me for what I could give. Money. Influence. When I found out, it was too late. Since then… I stopped letting anyone close."
His words hung in the air, heavy but honest.
Meera felt a sting in her chest. Not pity — empathy.Meera: "You know, not everyone wants to hurt you. Some people just want to stay."
Aarav (softly): "And if I don't know how to let them?"
Meera: "Then maybe… let them teach you."
He looked at her for a long moment — really looked at her — and for the first time, his eyes weren't guarded. They were warm, searching, alive.
Aarav: "You make it sound easy."
Meera (smiling): "It's not. But it's worth it."
---That evening, when Meera walked home, she felt something new — not just curiosity or attraction, but connection.
And somewhere, Aarav sat in his car, watching her from a distance, whispering under his breath,
"Maybe I can try… for her."