Aarav's POV
He didn't stop her in the corridor.
He just watched.
The way she walked — composed but guarded. Like she was carrying something the world couldn't see.
He could've spoken.
He almost did.
But then, just as she turned the corner, her friend's voice rang out:
"Anaya, wait!"
And that was it.
Anaya.
The name settled into his chest like a missing piece he hadn't even known was gone.
He whispered it once to himself.
Anaya.
It suited her. Quiet. Mysterious. Gentle.
But now he didn't just want to know her name.
He wanted to know what she was hiding behind those eyes.
Aanya's POV – Later That Day
Meher was panicking as usual.
"I didn't finish my assignment," she whispered. "I'm sitting at the back. Don't want eye contact with that man today!"
Aanya smiled softly. "Okay, I'll take our usual seat."
Meher dashed off before the professor entered.
Aanya settled into her seat, third row by the window — quiet, distant from the chaos. She opened her notebook and tried to breathe normally.
But her chest still held the weight of that corridor moment. His eyes. The silence between them.
Then—
A shadow beside her.
"Hey…"
She looked up.
It was him.
The boy with the storm in his eyes and confidence in his walk.
"All seats taken. Mind if I sit here?" he asked, as if this was all normal. Casual.
She nodded. "Yeah… sure."
He smiled lightly and took the seat beside her.
But from the moment he sat down…
She could feel it.
That strange electric pull. The way the air around her felt heavier now, quieter.
He didn't say another word.
But their arms were inches apart.
She could sense him breathing.
He could feel her presence too — delicate, still, but powerful.
Neither of them looked at each other.
But both of them knew something was happening.
Something wordless. Something not normal.
It wasn't attraction. It was connection.
Old. Silent. Deep
Aarav's POV (brief)
He pretended to take notes.
But he could barely focus.
The space between them felt… alive.
She hadn't said more than two words.
And still, she was all he could hear.
Something about her calmed him. But confused him too.
It was like sitting next to a part of him he hadn't known was missing.