Ayaan's POV
The classroom felt smaller than usual.
Ayaan sat at his desk, book open in front of him, pen resting between his fingers.
The teacher’s voice droned on, explaining something on the board.
He heard it.
But he wasn’t listening.
His mind kept replaying the corridor.
Her almost-collision.
The way she had stopped.
The way she had looked at him for just a second longer than necessary.
“Koi baat nahi.”
The words echoed again.
Same words.
Different weight.
He flipped the page without realising he’d already read it.
Across the room, his friends whispered and laughed about something. Normally, he’d be in the middle of it.
Today, he wasn’t.
The teacher called his name.
“Ayaan.”
He looked up, startled.
“Yes, ma’am?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Answer?”
He blinked.
The question hadn’t reached him at all.
A few students snickered.
He cleared his throat, forcing himself to focus. “Sorry, ma’am.”
The teacher sighed and moved on.
Ayaan leaned back in his chair, jaw tight.
This was stupid.
One almost-encounter.
One accidental call.
And he was already losing focus.
He pressed his pen harder against the paper, writing nothing, trying to ground himself.
From the window, he saw someone walk past the classroom.
A familiar braid.
A familiar walk.
His hand stilled.
He looked away immediately.
Bas.
Enough.
He told himself again
He didn’t need this distraction.
But as the bell rang and students started packing their bags, one thought refused to leave him alone
If almost meeting her could shake him this much…What would actually meeting her do?
Ayaan was walking down the corridor after class, trying to act normal.
He had told himself over and over—ignore her. Don’t think. Don’t react.
But then he saw her.
Not him directly, but his peripheral vision caught her laughing.
Laughing with some other boy. One of Arnav’s classmates.
His stomach twisted for a second.
He felt it.
Jealousy.
He blinked. Looked away immediately.
No. Not now.
Not here.
Just ignore it.
Still… he couldn’t.
He saw her smile. Just a small, natural smile.
Her hand brushed lightly against the boy’s notebook as she explained something.
Her hair fell in front of her face, and she tucked it back carefully.
Little gestures. Nothing meaningful.
But enough to make Ayaan’s chest tighten.
He clenched his fists in his pocket.
Why am I feeling this?
He shook his head, forcing his expression back to casual.
He walked faster, pretending he was late for something.
But inside, he couldn’t stop thinking:
She smiled for someone else.
And I… I wasn’t there.
Ayaan exhaled sharply.
Tara's POV
The kids were busy solving sums on the floor, pencils scratching, pages flipping. Tara moved from one student to another, correcting mistakes, explaining patiently.
She noticed Arnav looking unusually focused today, but what caught her attention more was the boy sitting near the back of the corridor… Ayaan.
He wasn’t part of her class, obviously. But he had come today, standing near the window with his arms crossed, pretending to look at his phone.
Tara’s eyes kept flicking to him.
Something was… off.
He wasn’t just observing casually.
His gaze lingered a little too long.
A little too carefully.
She caught him staring again when she bent over to explain a sum to Arnav.
Her lips pressed together slightly. Not annoyed. Not worried. Just… aware.
She straightened up, meeting his eyes briefly.
He looked away immediately, pretending to check something on his phone.
Tara smiled lightly, almost to herself.
So he notices.
She returned to her students, keeping her tone calm.
“Arnav, next question solve karo.”
Ayaan was still there, at the edge of the classroom, watching quietly.
Tara didn’t react outwardly. She didn’t encourage it. She simply noted it.
Not her problem… yet.
But inside, a tiny thought flickered.
He’s trying too hard to act normal.
And somehow, she already knew he wasn’t just another curious onlooker.
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