Chapter 37

The midday sun blazed through the university courtyard as Ayaan adjusted the strap of his bag over his shoulder, his sharp eyes scanning the crowd for any sign of Naina. Students bustled about, chatting and laughing, but the one face he wanted to see was nowhere to be found. Beside him, Aisha nibbled on a granola bar, watching him with a mix of amusement and curiosity.

"Still no sign of her?" she asked, stuffing the wrapper into her bag.

"No," Ayaan muttered, his tone clipped. His phone buzzed in his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw it was a reply from Naina. Her texts had been perfectly normal—no sign of the coldness she'd shown last night. It was driving him crazy.

"Let me guess, she's texting you like nothing happened," Aisha said knowingly, smirking at his expression.

"Exactly," he grumbled. "It's like she's deliberately avoiding me in person but acting fine on text. What's that about?"

"Maybe she's just busy," Aisha offered, but the teasing edge in her tone made it clear she wasn't entirely serious.

"If I don't see her by 5 p.m.," Ayaan said, his voice firm, "I'm going to her place. I'll make her talk."

Aisha burst out laughing, shaking her head. "Wow. Obsessed much?"

He shot her a glare but didn't bother denying it. He was too frustrated to argue.

Just then, luck intervened. As they walked toward the canteen, his eyes landed on a familiar figure sitting at one of the corner tables, her head bent slightly as she sipped on a bottle of water. It was Naina.

"There she is," he muttered under his breath, his heart thudding.

"Go, lover boy," Aisha teased. "I'll be here if you need backup."

Ayaan ignored her, already making his way toward Naina. She stood up just as he reached the table, gathering her books and slinging her bag over her shoulder.

He quickened his pace as she headed for the library. Before she could leave, he slipped ahead of her, his hand lightly brushing her elbow.

"Naina," he said softly.

She froze for a moment, then turned to look at him, her expression carefully neutral. "Oh. Hi, Ayaan."

"I need to talk to you," he said, his voice low and serious.

"I'm heading to the library," she replied, taking a step back. "Maybe later."

"Now," he insisted, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Before she could protest, he guided her toward an empty classroom nearby. The room was dark, the lights turned off, and the faint hum of air conditioning filled the silence.

"Ayaan, what are you—"

He quickly placed a hand over her mouth, whispering, "Relax."

He slowly removed his hand, and she turned to glare at him. "What is this? I don't have time for this."

"You don't, but I do," he said, stepping closer. "I need to talk to you."

Her lips pressed into a thin line. "I don't need to hear it. Let me go."

"Not until you listen," Ayaan said firmly. "This is important, Naina."

She crossed her arms, clearly annoyed but willing to hear him out. "Fine. What is it?"

"The girl you saw yesterday," he began, his eyes locked on hers, "the one who kissed my cheek—it's not what you think."

Naina blinked, her posture stiffening. "I didn't—"

"Don't lie," he cut her off gently. "I know you saw it. And I know what you're thinking. But you're wrong."

Her gaze faltered for a moment, and she looked away. "It's none of my business, Ayaan."

"It is," he said, his voice soft but insistent. "Because that girl is my cousin, Aisha. She's here visiting for a few days."

Naina's eyes widened, a flush creeping up her neck. "Your cousin?"

"Yes," Ayaan said, stepping even closer. "You can ask her if you don't believe me. Or I can show you pictures of us growing up—"

"No," she interrupted, shaking her head quickly. "You don't have to. I... I'm sorry."

Ayaan smirked, his posture relaxing. "Apology accepted. But," he added, tilting his head, "you getting upset about it finally means you're ready to acknowledge what's between us, huh?"

Naina's jaw dropped slightly before she groaned, covering her face with her hands. "Shut up, Ayaan."

"I told you I'd make it happen," he said, his voice teasing.

"Let me go now," she said, still flustered.

"Not until you admit it," he teased again, but before she could respond, she slipped past him and darted out of the room.

Ayaan chuckled to himself, running a hand through his hair. The air between them felt lighter now.

~•~

Later that afternoon, the group met up near the university entrance. Ayaan introduced Aisha to everyone, and as expected, Naina was a mix of embarrassed and relieved.

Aisha greeted everyone warmly, her usual energy on full display. As they chatted, she subtly leaned toward Naina and whispered, "Sorry about what you saw. I should've realized it might look bad."

Naina shook her head quickly. "No, I'm sorry. I overreacted."

Aisha smiled. "How about we grab coffee? Just us?"

Naina hesitated for a second before nodding. "Sure."

As they walked toward the café, Aisha glanced at Naina. "You know, my brother was pacing the whole day yesterday, trying to figure out how to clear the air with you."

Naina looked at her, surprised.

"He's really into you," Aisha continued, her tone soft. "I know his image can be intimidating, but he's serious about you, Naina. I've never seen him like this."

Naina didn't respond immediately, her thoughts swirling. But as they entered the café, a small part of her felt a flicker of hope—and maybe something more.

~•~

Naina's mind was a whirlpool of emotions—embarrassment, guilt, and a tentative sense of relief. She sipped her iced coffee, trying to focus on her conversation with Aisha, who had proven to be incredibly easy to talk to.

"Seriously," Aisha said, her voice tinged with amusement. "You should've seen him yesterday. He kept walking around the apartment like a caged tiger. I finally had to tell him to either talk to you or stop acting like a lovesick idiot."

Naina's cheeks warmed as she stirred her drink absentmindedly. "He didn't have to... I mean, it wasn't that serious."

Aisha raised an eyebrow. "It clearly was if it had you avoiding him."

Naina's eyes widened. "I wasn't! I just..." She trailed off, biting her lip.

"You were jealous," Aisha said matter-of-factly, leaning back in her chair with a smug grin.

"I wasn't jealous," Naina said quickly, but the faint crack in her voice betrayed her.

"Sure," Aisha replied, clearly not convinced. "Look, I'm not saying you're ready to declare your love for him or anything. But if you're even half as interested in him as he is in you, it's worth giving him a chance."

Naina's fingers tightened around her cup. "It's not that simple."

Aisha tilted her head, her expression softening. "Because of his reputation?"

Naina hesitated before nodding. "I've seen how girls flock to him, how charming he is. It's hard not to think... I don't know, that this is just a game for him."

Aisha leaned forward, her gaze steady. "It's not. Trust me, I know my brother. He's never been the type to obsess over someone like this. You're different for him."

Naina blinked, unsure how to respond.

"Anyway," Aisha said, her tone lightening, "I just thought you should know. The rest is up to you."

~•~

Later that evening, the group sat sprawled across the green lawn near the university gates, laughing and chatting. Ayaan was leaning back on his elbows, his eyes darting every so often toward Naina, who was sitting a few feet away. She seemed more relaxed now, occasionally chiming into the conversation but still avoiding his gaze directly.

"Alright, what's the plan for tonight?" Arjun asked, stretching his legs out.

"No plan," Rohan said with a yawn. "I'm exhausted. I think it's Netflix and bed for me."

"Same," Ananya added. "I have an early morning tomorrow."

"Wow, what an exciting bunch," Ayaan joked, earning a laugh from everyone except Naina. She seemed preoccupied, her focus somewhere else.

Ayaan leaned toward Aisha, lowering his voice. "I think I need to talk to her again."

Aisha smirked. "You already cleared the air. What's left to say?"

"Plenty," he muttered.

Before Aisha could respond, Naina stood up. "I need to grab some notes from the library," she said, brushing off her jeans.

Ayaan didn't miss the way her voice lacked the usual warmth. "I'll walk you," he said, getting up quickly.

"No need," she replied almost too fast.

Ignoring her protest, Ayaan followed her anyway, catching up as she walked toward the main building. He matched her pace, his hands shoved into his pockets.

"Naina," he said quietly.

She didn't look at him. "What?"

"Can we talk?"

"We already did," she replied, her tone clipped.

"Not properly," he insisted. "I still feel like there's something between us that's unresolved."

She stopped walking and turned to face him, her arms crossed. "Ayaan, we're fine. You don't have to keep bringing it up."

"You don't sound fine," he countered, stepping closer.

She looked away, her gaze fixed on a spot in the distance. "I just... I need some space, okay?"

"Space from what?" he asked, his voice soft but persistent. "From me?"

Naina sighed, clearly exasperated. "Ayaan, please. Let it go."

His chest tightened at her words, but he nodded reluctantly. "Fine. But don't expect me to stop caring, Naina. You can push me away all you want, but I'm not going anywhere."

Her eyes flickered with something he couldn't quite place—regret, maybe? But she didn't say anything. She simply turned and walked away, leaving him standing there.

~•~

That night, Naina sat at her desk, staring blankly at her laptop screen. Her thoughts kept drifting back to Ayaan—his words, his persistence, the way his presence always seemed to linger even when he wasn't around.

She hated how easily he got under her skin, how much his actions affected her. But Aisha's words from earlier echoed in her mind: You're different for him.

Could that really be true?

Shaking her head, she pushed the thought away. She needed to focus.

But when her phone buzzed with a message from Ayaan, her heart skipped a beat.

Ayaan: Goodnight, Naina.

She stared at the message for a long moment before finally typing a reply.

Naina: Goodnight, Ayaan.

Meanwhile, Ayaan sat on the balcony of his apartment, his thoughts consumed by Naina. Aisha joined him, handing him a glass of water.

"You look like you're planning a war," she joked, sitting down beside him.

"Feels like it," he admitted.

Aisha laughed softly. "Relax. She'll come around."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I saw the way she looked at you today," Aisha said with a knowing smile. "She may not realize it yet, but she's just as hooked as you are."

Ayaan leaned back, letting her words sink in. For the first time all day, he allowed himself to hope.

🩵