Chapter 3: Beneath the Surface

Ananya

"Ananya, focus!" Priya hissed, nudging me under the desk as I stared blankly at the whiteboard.

I shook myself out of my daze and whispered back, "I am focusing."

She rolled her eyes. "Sure you are. You've been doodling little hearts in your notebook for the past fifteen minutes. What are you even thinking about?"

Nothing. Everything. Aarav.

The truth was, ever since that text last night, I hadn't been able to think straight. His words weren't anything extraordinary, but they had carried an authority that unsettled me. Like he wasn't just making a suggestion but issuing a command.

Who even texts someone to remind them to sleep?

"Are you blushing?" Priya teased, leaning closer to scrutinize my face.

"No!" I said too quickly, slamming my notebook shut. "Let's just focus on class, okay?"

But my words were a lost cause because just then, Kabir strolled into the lecture hall, grinning like a troublemaker.

"What's he doing here?" Priya asked, clearly amused.

I groaned. "Who knows? He probably came to irritate me."

Sure enough, Kabir spotted me immediately and made a beeline for our row. He leaned casually against the desk, blocking my view of the lecturer.

"Don't you have a job?" I whispered harshly.

"Relax, kiddo," he said, smirking. "I came to check on you. Also, I'm grabbing lunch with Aarav after this, so I thought I'd kill some time."

The mention of Aarav's name made my stomach flip.

"Aarav's here?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

Kabir tilted his head, narrowing his eyes like he could see straight through me. "Why do you sound so nervous?"

"I don't!"

He grinned, clearly enjoying himself. "Yeah, well, he's waiting outside. Probably in some corner, brooding like he always does."

My heart raced. Why was Aarav here? Was it because of me? No, of course not. That would be ridiculous.

Wouldn't it?

Aarav

Standing outside the college, I checked my watch for the fifth time. Kabir was late, as usual, and the longer I waited, the more restless I became.

I wasn't even sure why I'd agreed to meet him here. Or maybe I was.

I knew Ananya would be on campus.

The thought of her surrounded by boys her age made my blood simmer. Not that I had any right to feel this way—yet—but the mere idea of her laughing, smiling, or even talking to anyone else drove me mad.

When Kabir finally appeared, I was leaning against my car, arms crossed, my patience wearing thin.

"You're late," I said curtly.

He shrugged. "You're early. Anyway, let's grab lunch."

I didn't move. My eyes scanned the crowd spilling out of the lecture hall, and then I saw her.

Ananya.

Her long hair was tied back in a loose braid, strands escaping to frame her face. She wore a simple kurta, its soft pastel shade complementing the glow of her skin. She looked... angelic.

But what caught my attention more than her appearance was the way she laughed at something her friend said. That carefree, innocent laughter—it was a stark contrast to the dark, chaotic world I lived in.

And then my jaw tightened. A boy standing too close to her said something, and she playfully swatted his arm, laughing again.

I knew I had no right, no reason to intervene. But logic didn't matter. My feet were already moving toward her.

Ananya

As I stepped out of the lecture hall, I caught sight of Kabir standing with Aarav.

And, oh God, Aarav was looking right at me.

There was something about the way he stood—so tall, so commanding—that made him impossible to ignore. His dark eyes locked on mine, and I froze mid-step.

"What's wrong?" Priya asked, but her voice was distant, drowned out by the pounding of my heart.

Before I could respond, Aarav was in front of me.

"Aarav?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

His gaze flickered to the boy beside me—the one who had been joking with me just moments ago. The air around us seemed to thicken, tension crackling like a live wire.

"Who's this?" Aarav asked, his voice calm but laced with an edge that sent shivers down my spine.

"Oh, um, this is Rohan," I stammered, glancing nervously at Rohan, who looked equally confused.

Aarav didn't respond. He didn't even acknowledge Rohan beyond that single glance. Instead, his eyes were back on me, dark and unreadable.

"You're done with your class?" he asked.

"Uh, yes..."

"Good. Kabir and I are leaving now. Let's go."

I blinked. "Go where?"

"Home," he said simply, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"But I—"

"Ananya," he interrupted, his voice dropping to a low, almost dangerous tone, "I'm not asking."

Heat rushed to my face as I realized everyone around us was staring. Aarav didn't seem to care. He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming, and leaned in just enough for only me to hear his next words.

"I don't like the way he looks at you," he murmured, his eyes flickering to Rohan for the briefest second before locking back on mine. "Let's go."

Aarav

The ride to her house was silent, but the tension was palpable. Ananya sat stiffly beside me, her arms crossed, refusing to look my way.

Good. She was angry.

Anger was better than indifference.

When we finally pulled up to her house, she turned to me, her eyes blazing.

"You can't just... order me around like that!" she snapped.

I leaned back in my seat, watching her with quiet intensity. "I can," I said simply. "And I will."

Her jaw dropped, and for a moment, she was too stunned to speak.

"You're impossible!" she finally managed, throwing open the car door and storming out.

I watched her go, a small, almost imperceptible smile tugging at the corners of my lips.

She could be angry all she wanted. She was mine. She just didn't know it yet.