Chapter 11

It was not news that Naina sat in the library, with her head in her books, trying to mug up the notes of her upcoming class.

Ever since that kiss, she's become disoriented. It shouldn't affect her this much. It's just a kiss, right? Only thing was.... It wasn't just a kiss. It was a big deal for her and for someone who stays in the shadow, locking lips with the Ayaan Malhotra was not something one can brush off.

She thought the safest way was to play it off and pretend she didn't remember anything - she was under the influence of alcohol! But he was too smart for that, he read her like a book, he read her within a second.

Now, she sat in her section of the library, staring at the books after an eventful 4 hour study session, ready to face her next class. Thankfully, they don't study the same subject so she wouldn't have to worry about seeing him class or having to be partnered with him for projects. She just needed to avoid the main hallways.

She got up, fixing her white thin sweatshirt and jeans and her braid, and made her way to her classroom, where she was met by Rohan.

His friend.

She didn't look at him in the eye so she can sit down and avoid any contact and quickly took her place in the back of the class as usual. She tried her best to focus during the lecture and to an extent, she was able to, but her mind kept going in that direction. The same direction.

It's been 2 days now, Naina, move on. She thought to herself, Move on. Ignore his words.

"Alright." Professor Rao announced, "Now for your next assignment, it's a group presentation, so I would need you all to pair up."

Not pairs. Naina dreaded. If there's anything she hated with a passion, it was group work.

"—I'll be pairing you all up this time, so we mix things around. If you come to the front and pick a chit from one of the two stacks here, we'll have a random and nice pairing. Come on up."

She dreaded. Seeing the whole class get up, she waited for everyone to finish until she got up. After the crowd had started to disperse and find their partners, she walked slowly towards the main table and picked up a chit from the right stack, and opened it to see the number 24.

The professor looked at her, then announced to help her out. He was aware of her timid nature, "Who has the chit 24? Please come here!"

She smiled, grateful to the professor.

"That's me!" She heard a masculine voice behind me, a voice which was familiar. Turning around, her eyes widened, for the other 24 chit was in Rohan's hand - his friend.

"Great. Here is your partner." Professor Rao gestured to Naina, who stood frozen on her feet. The more she tried to pull herself away from him and his world, the more she felt dragged in it.

Naina gave him a small, nervous smile as his eyes landed on hers. He reciprocated and gestured her to lead the way as they walked out of class.

"So," Rohan started. He found it new. He knew his friend was clearly infatuated by this girl in front of him. He knew that Ayaan wasn't just fooling around because never, in their friendship, has it happened in Ayaan's thoughts were consumed by the same girl multiple times. He didn't think too much about the female attention he used to get, but his eyes would keep scanning for Naina.

Ayaan wasn't fooling anyone.

"So?" Naina replied, unaware of how to talk to the friend of the guy she locked lips with just a couple of days back.

"Let's get started as soon as we can. I'm sure you would like that too? Rohan tried to talk. He had understood that she needed a helping hand in talking, she wasn't one to talk.

She nodded, in underlying appreciation for the seriousness he held in his work. She wanted a partner who would understand the importance and feel the same way, "Yeah. Let's start."

"How about we meet in the Study Rooms in 2 hours? Does that work?"

"Sure." Naina hesitated. She wasn't used to studying alone but she knew she had to do it.

This is how group projects worked, sadly.

Rohan bid her a goodbye and she stood on her ground, unaware of what to do next. She roamed around the campus and eventually decided to get to the Study Rooms from now itself and catch up on her own work.

The walk to the Study Rooms wasn't easy. It was on the other end of the campus and she had to cross the University Square, where he was due to perform very soon.

How did she know?

It's because she knew his singing times. She'd always been aware of it. Plus, he used to sing every week at the same place, same time.

Everyone knew now.

Taking a huge sigh, she walked towards the main area, hoping to completely dissolve into the background such that no one has any idea that she was even there.

~•~

The hum of conversation filled the university square, where a casual crowd had gathered to listen to Ayaan. He sat on a stool in the center of the makeshift stage, his guitar balanced on his knee as he strummed effortlessly. The late afternoon sun bathed him in golden light, making the dark ink of the tattoo peeking out from his sleeve all the more striking.

His voice carried over the chatter, a deep, unguarded tone that drew people closer. Ayaan's friends stood to the side, grinning as the crowd swelled. He wasn't singing for anyone in particular—or so he told himself.

Naina, walking briskly across the square with her head down, didn't even realize there was a performance. The sound of the guitar caught her attention first, the familiar melody halting her steps. Her gaze followed the sound, cutting through the sea of heads until it landed on him.

Her breath hitched.

Ayaan was mid-verse, his head tilted slightly as he sang:

Tera mujhse hai pehle ka naata koi...

Yuhi nahi dil lubhaata koi...

His voice was smooth, easy, pulling everyone into the melody. But when his eyes met hers across the square, the casual charm in his expression sharpened into something else—something more focused.

Caught off guard, Naina froze, clutching the strap of her bag tighter. She knew she should look away, but the intensity of his gaze kept her rooted.

Ayaan's fingers hesitated on the strings, just for a beat, as if seeing her had jarred his rhythm. Then, smoothly, he transitioned into a mashup, seamlessly weaving in a new melody. His voice deepened as he sang a line that wasn't part of the original song:

Dil ki baat chhupana, toh sab ko aata hai...

Par khud se kab tak bhaagegi?

Naina's heart thudded in her chest. She blinked, stunned by the shift in the song's tone—and the words. The crowd clapped and swayed, oblivious, but she felt exposed, as if the lyrics had been plucked from her thoughts.

Ayaan held her gaze, the barest hint of a smirk tugging at his lips as he finished the song with a flourish. He let the last note linger before standing and leaning into the mic.

"Thanks for listening, everyone," he said casually, his deep voice carrying through the square. "Sometimes, the songs we sing say more than we can. Hope you're all paying attention."  He said in his causal, effortless charming smile as he took a glance across the entire audience.

His eyes flicked back to Naina one last time as he stepped away, leaving her standing there, breathless and unsure whether the heat rising to her cheeks was from the sun—or him.

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