33

The next morning, Tara woke up feeling... nothing. No sadness, no anger, not even frustration. Just numbness. She lay there for a few minutes, staring at the ceiling, trying to will herself to care, to feel something—anything. But there was nothing.

With a sigh, she pulled herself out of bed and into the shower, letting the water run over her as she closed her eyes. Maybe this was better. Maybe feeling nothing was easier than constantly carrying the weight of everything.

As she stepped out, her phone buzzed on the counter. A message from Rohan.

Rohan: We're waiting for you downstairs. Come fast.

She exhaled, rubbing her temples. No choice but to go.

She quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a simple top, grabbed her things, and made her way downstairs. As she stepped outside, she saw the entire group waiting for her—Aria, Aakash, Rohan... Aryan. And Zara.

She forced a small smile. "Morning."

They greeted her in return, and soon, they began walking toward campus. The air was cool, the chatter light, but Tara felt strangely detached from it all.

As they walked, Zara stuck close to Aryan and Rohan, her energy infectious as she laughed and playfully nudged them. "You guys are honestly hilarious," she giggled, linking her arm with Rohan's for a second before turning to Aryan with a bright grin. "I swear, you should have been in econ with me, Aryan. You'd have loved my professor."

Aryan chuckled softly, though his responses were measured, polite. "Yeah? I think I'll stick to coding, but thanks."

Zara pouted playfully. "You're missing out."

Tara noticed. The way Zara easily blended into the group, the way she pulled Aryan and Rohan into conversation like she had known them forever. It was strange, this unfamiliar tightness in her chest. She had told herself she didn't care. That she had no right to care.

But something about it made her feel... off.

She shook the thought away. This isn't my problem. It doesn't concern me.

She focused back on Aria and Aakash, forcing herself into their conversation instead.

Meanwhile, Aryan had been stealing glances at her the entire time. He noticed how she barely acknowledged him, how she was intentionally avoiding looking his way.

It stung.

She had been distant before, but this—this felt different. More final. Like she had already started erasing him from her life.

And for the first time, that thought truly terrified him.

~•~

The classroom was filled with the usual quiet hum of students working, the sound of keyboards clicking and papers shuffling. Tara sat with Aisha and Aria, focused on her screen as they discussed their project.

Midway through their conversation, Aisha nudged Aria and tilted her head toward the door. "Hey, have you seen him before?"

Tara looked up to see a guy she didn't recognize standing near the entrance. Tall, slightly tousled hair, sharp features—he looked confident yet approachable as he scanned the room.

Aria shook her head. "Nope. Must be new."

As if on cue, Professor Mark walked in and spotted the guy. "Ah, Jay! Good, you found Tara."

Tara blinked in confusion as the professor gestured toward her. Jay turned his attention to her, offering a small smile.

Professor Mark continued, "Jay just transferred into the program. Tara here is one of our brightest students, so if you need anything, she's the best person to ask. Tara, if you don't mind, could you help bring him up to speed with our module?"

Tara nodded, adjusting in her seat. "Yeah, of course."

"Perfect." The professor gave Jay a pat on the back before walking away.

Jay turned to her. "So, Tara... when would be a good time to go over everything?"

She thought for a moment. "Why don't we meet in the library in an hour? That should give you time to settle in."

Jay nodded. "Sounds good. Uh, can I get your number? Just in case I have any questions before then?"

"Yeah, of course," Tara said, taking out her phone and typing in her number.

A few seats away, Aryan looked up just in time to see her handing Jay her phone. His grip on his pen tightened, his jaw clenching slightly. He forced himself to keep looking at his screen, but he couldn't ignore the way something twisted in his chest.

As the lecture progressed, Tara leaned slightly toward Jay, quietly explaining parts of the module as Professor Mark continued his discussion at the front of the class.

"So basically, this section is focused on optimizing algorithmic efficiency. The last assignment we did was a case study on real-time data processing," she whispered, keeping her voice low.

Jay nodded, listening attentively. "Sounds intense. I guess I have a lot to catch up on."

She smiled slightly. "A little, but you'll be fine. I'll send you some of the notes later."

Aryan, who was sitting a few rows away, found his eyes flickering toward them every now and then. He could see how Jay leaned in slightly when Tara spoke, how she seemed engaged in the conversation, patiently guiding him through the material. His grip on his pen tightened again, the numbers and code on his screen blurring as an odd feeling settled in his chest—something sharp, something he didn't want to name.

Tara, completely unaware of his gaze, continued explaining something on the screen to Jay, who chuckled at one of her remarks. Aryan swallowed and looked back at his own work, exhaling slowly.

After class, as students gathered their things and filed out of the lecture hall, Karan, Aakash, and Aryan lingered near the entrance, watching as Jay packed up his bag. Exchanging a glance, Karan took the initiative and stepped forward.

"Hey, man. You're new, right? I'm Karan."

Jay looked up, giving a polite nod. "Yeah, I just transferred in. Nice to meet you."

Aakash clapped a hand on Karan's shoulder and grinned. "I'm Aakash, and this is Aryan."

Aryan gave a small nod in acknowledgment, his expression neutral.

Jay adjusted the strap of his bag. "Nice to meet you guys."

Aakash tilted his head slightly. "Tough catch-up, huh?"

Jay let out a small laugh. "Yeah, it's a lot. That's why the professor asked Tara to help me out. We're going to study together in a bit."

At the mention of Tara's name, Aryan tensed for a fraction of a second but quickly masked it, simply nodding in response. Jay gave them a small wave before heading off.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Aakash turned to Aryan with a pointed look. "You're not even talking to Tara. Why?"

Aryan exhaled sharply, his jaw tightening. "Because she decided she wants to stay away from me."

Karan scoffed. "Since when has that stopped you?"

Aryan's eyes flickered toward the door where Tara had just left. His voice was quieter this time. "I don't know."

💜