Tara's POV
The next day, Tara’s house felt louder than usual.
Kids sat on the floor with their notebooks open, some whispering to each other, some already bored. Tara stood near the table, explaining a question slowly, making sure everyone was following.
Arnav sat in the front, focused like always.
She finished explaining and said,
“Ab next question dekho.”
Pages turned. Pencils moved.
For a few minutes, everything was normal.
Then Arnav suddenly looked up at her and spoke without thinking,
“Didi, kal bhai aapke baare mein—”
The room went silent.
Tara froze.
The other kids looked at Arnav, confused.
Arnav realised what he had said. His eyes widened. He quickly shook his head.
“Matlab… bhai pooch rahe the ki tuition theek chal rahi hai ya nahi,” he said fast.
“Bas padhai ke baare mein.”
He bent over his notebook, avoiding everyone’s eyes.
Tara felt her heartbeat slow painfully.
She didn’t ask questions.
She didn’t react.
She just nodded once and said calmly,
“Theek hai. Question solve karo.”
The kids went back to their work, whispering again like nothing had happened.
But Tara knew.
She continued teaching. She corrected answers. She moved from one child to another. Her voice stayed steady, her expressions normal.
Inside, her thoughts weren’t.
She finished the class on time and started closing her notebook.
Before the kids left, she said,
“Kal time se aana. Test ke liye revise karke aana.”
Arnav stayed back for a second while the others got ready to leave.
He looked up at her, nervous.
“Sorry, didi.”
She smiled softly.
“Koi baat nahi.”
But as the door closed behind them, Tara stood still.
Ayaan had asked about her.
Not once.
Enough for it to slip out like that.
She pressed her lips together.
“Bas apna kaam,” she whispered to herself.“Aur kuch nahi.” and kids start to leave
Outside, the sky had turned dark without warning. Within minutes, rain started pouring heavily. The sound of it filled the small room, drowning out the noise of the street.
The kids gathered near the door, worried.
One by one, parents came to pick them up. Soon, the room was almost empty. Almost.
Arnav was still there.
He stood near the door, looking outside at the rain, his bag hanging loosely from his shoulder.
Tara noticed.
“Tum ghar nahi ja rahe?”
He shook his head slowly.
“Driver aaj nahi aaya.”
She frowned slightly.
“Phone karo.”
Arnav looked uncomfortable.
“Mujhe bhai ka number yaad nahi hai.”
That surprised her.
“Aur parents?”
He stayed quiet.
That silence told her enough.
The rain got heavier.
Tara looked at the clock, then at Arnav. He was trying to act normal, but the nervousness was clear.
She sighed softly.
“Theek hai,” she said after a moment.
“Main chhod deti hoon.”
Arnav’s eyes widened.
“Sach?”
She nodded.
“Ghar ka address batao.”
They stepped out together. The rain soaked the road, splashing onto their shoes as they walked. Tara held her dupatta closer, shielding her bag as best as she could.
The house wasn’t far.
Big gates.
Tall walls.
Too quiet.
Tara stopped for a second.
This was his house.
Before she could say anything, the gate opened.
And there he was.
Ayaan.
He stood there, phone in hand, clearly surprised to see them. Rainwater dripped from his hair, his shirt slightly wet, eyes fixed on her.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then Ayaan looked at Arnav.
“Tum yahan kaise?”
Arnav replied quickly,
“Barish bohot tez thi.”
Ayaan’s gaze shifted back to Tara.
Slow. Curious.
He didn’t hide it.
“Tum?” he asked.
Tara straightened her back, even though her heart was racing.
“Barish thi. Isliye chhod diya.”
Ayaan looked from her to Arnav and back again.
Something unreadable crossed his face.
“Andar aao,” he said finally.
She shook her head instantly.
“Nahi. Bas yahin.”
The rain continued to fall between them.
Ayaan stepped a little closer, his voice lower now.
“Kal school mein.”
She met his eyes.
“School mein baat mat karo.”
He paused.
Then, for the first time, he smiled—not teasing, not careless. Something softer.
“Theek hai.”
Arnav looked between them, sensing the tension.
Tara turned to leave.
Before she could take more than two steps, Ayaan spoke again,
“Thanks.”
She stopped.
Didn’t turn back.
“Koi baat nahi.”
And then she walked away, rain soaking her sleeves, heart louder than the storm behind her.
From the gate, Ayaan watched her disappear into the rain.
For the first time, he realised—
She wasn’t just someone he was curious about.
She was someone who showed up when no one else did.
Ayaan's POV
That night, sleep didn’t come easily.
The room was quiet. Too quiet. The only sound was the rain still tapping against the windows, softer now, like it was tired too.
Ayaan lay on his bed, one arm behind his head, staring at the ceiling.
Her face kept appearing in his mind.
The way she stood at the gate—calm, composed, like this wasn’t a big deal for her at all. The way she refused to come inside without hesitation. The way she looked at him, not impressed, not scared… just steady.
He turned to his side.
Why did it bother him so much?
He had seen hundreds of girls at school. Talked to many. Forgotten most. But this one—this girl who taught his brother maths—had walked into his house in the rain and left without expecting anything.
He remembered Arnav’s silence earlier that day.
He remembered how quickly Tara understood without asking questions.
Ayaan exhaled slowly.
People usually asked things from him. Favours. Attention. Names. Influence.
She hadn’t asked for anything.
She had just done what felt right and walked away.
He closed his eyes.
Her voice echoed in his head,
“School mein baat mat karo.”
Ayaan almost smiled.
No one told him what to do.
And yet… he wanted to listen.
He shifted again, restless.
Why did she care so much about boundaries?
Why did she look like she was used to handling everything on her own?
Why did it feel like she had seen too much already?
His phone buzzed.
A message from a friend.
He ignored it.
For the first time in a long while, his thoughts weren’t loud. They were… focused.
Focused on her.
On the rain.
On the gate.
On the moment their eyes met.
Ayaan stared into the darkness.
He didn’t know what this was.
But he knew one thing—
Tomorrow, seeing her at school was going to be harder than he thought.
And pretending he didn’t care?Impossible.
_____
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