Elina didn't sleep that night.
Abhinav's voice kept replaying in her head.
"I think I like her…"
And Bhagyavir's message—
"What are you going to do about it?"
Everything felt like it was closing in on her.
The next morning at school felt… wrong.
Abhinav avoided her completely.
Bhagyavir acted normal—too normal.
And Meet…
Meet was watching.
Elina finally found him alone near the staircase, sitting quietly, scrolling through his phone like nothing had happened.
"Meet," she called softly.
He looked up, calm as ever. "You didn't sleep, did you?"
She frowned. "How do you always know?"
He gave a small smile. "You're easy to read… if you pay attention."
Elina hesitated before sitting beside him. "Everything feels weird now."
Meet nodded slightly. "That's because it is."
She looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"
There was a pause.
Then he said something that made her heart stop—
"I knew."
Elina blinked. "Knew… what?"
"That Abhinav liked you."
Silence.
The world around her seemed to fade.
"You—what?" she whispered.
Meet leaned back slightly, still calm. "It wasn't hard to see. The way he talks to you, the way he reacts when someone else gets your attention… it was obvious."
Elina's chest tightened. "Then why didn't you tell me?"
Meet looked at her, his expression soft but serious. "Because it wasn't my place."
She shook her head, overwhelmed. "But I could've been prepared… I wouldn't feel like this right now."
"Would it have changed anything?" he asked quietly.
Elina froze.
No answer came.
Meet looked away for a moment, then back at her.
"And I'm pretty sure… Bhagyavir knew too."
Elina's eyes widened. "What?"
"He notices everything," Meet said. "You've seen that."
Her mind raced.
So Bhagyavir knew… and still said nothing?
Still pushed things?
"But there's something else you don't know," Meet added.
Elina felt her heartbeat quicken again. "What?"
Meet hesitated.
For the first time since she had known him—
He didn't look completely calm.
"I didn't just know about Abhinav," he said slowly.
Elina's breath caught.
"Then… what else?"
Meet met her eyes.
And in that moment, something shifted—something deeper, something she hadn't noticed before.
"I knew this would happen," he said quietly.
Her voice trembled. "What do you mean?"
He exhaled softly.
"Because feelings don't stay hidden forever, Elina. Not in something like this… not in us."
Elina stared at him, her thoughts spinning again.
This wasn't just about Abhinav anymore.
Or Bhagyavir.
Even Meet—
the calmest, quietest one—
Was part of something much bigger than she realized.
And for the first time…
Elina wondered—
What is Meet really hiding?