It was a quiet Tuesday afternoon when Ananya noticed it—Karthik's notebook, forgotten on his desk after Chemistry class. Normally, she would've just handed it to him at lunch. But something about the way it was tucked into his bag, slightly torn at the edges, made her curious.
She hesitated for a moment… then flipped it open.
The first few pages were filled with neat equations and chemical formulas. Typical Karthik. But a few pages in, her eyes widened.
It wasn't schoolwork anymore.
It was… her.
Sketches. Doodles. Snippets of thoughts.
> "She laughs like sunlight on water. Unpredictable, bright, sometimes blinding."
"I wish I could tell her that when she smiles at me, the noise in my head stops."
"She deserves someone confident. Someone who doesn't freeze up when she looks his way."
Ananya sat back in her chair, stunned.
This wasn't just admiration. It was raw, unfiltered feeling—conflicted, hesitant, honest.
At lunch, she handed the notebook back wordlessly. Karthik froze.
"You read it," he said quietly, not asking.
She didn't deny it.
There was a pause, long and loaded. He looked like he might run.
"I wasn't supposed to," she murmured. "But I'm… glad I did."
His eyes met hers—fearful, confused.
"I didn't want you to know," he said. "Because I'm not… ready. Or maybe I'll never be enough."
"You don't get to decide that alone, Karthik."
He blinked.
She smiled gently. "You feel deeply. You care. You hold it all in. That's brave… and stupid," she added, laughing.
His lips twitched. "Mostly stupid."
They sat side by side in silence for a while. Nothing else needed to be said.
Not yet.
But something had shifted.
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End of Chapter 84