8

Tara adjusted the strap of her bag over her shoulder as she and Aisha stepped into the reception area of their accommodation. The low morning buzz of students moving in and out, paired with the crisp Oxford air seeping in from the doors, made it feel like the start of something new. Yet, for Tara, there was a familiar weight in her chest—one she had spent over a year shedding, only for it to crawl back within days.

Her eyes immediately caught Aakash and Aryan waiting near the entrance. Aakash waved, his easy grin putting Tara slightly at ease. Aryan stood beside him—white hoodie, backpack slung over one shoulder, and that calm, self-assured air he always had. He was talking to Aakash, but the second his eyes flicked toward Tara, she felt it. That gaze. That unspoken thing between them that she wanted to pretend never existed.

Aisha gave her a small nudge and smiled. You've got this.

They approached the guys.

"Ready?" Aakash asked, his voice light.

"Yep!" Aisha replied, falling into step beside him. The two immediately drifted into their own conversation—talking about modules, professors, and the dreaded coursework.

That left Tara and Aryan.

Side by side.

Silent.

Tara kept her eyes forward, her heart racing but her face unreadable. She focused on the cobbled paths leading toward the university. She wouldn't give him anything—not a word, not a glance. He had no place here anymore.

But then he shifted closer.

It was subtle. A few inches, but she felt it. She felt him.

His presence had always been like that—loud without making a sound. Her skin prickled with awareness, and for a second, her breath hitched. She quickened her pace, making a beeline for Aisha, who turned slightly, mid-laugh with Aakash, and let Tara slide in beside her. Safe.

They reached the Computer Science building. The familiar faces of classmates gathered around the corridor—some from first year, some new. Warm greetings, hugs, and laughter filled the air as Tara's old group of friends came into view.

"Taraaa!" Someone called out, pulling her into a quick side hug.

Conversations blurred together—summers, internships, housing struggles. She was smiling, laughing even, until she felt it again.

Aryan.

He was there—leaning against the wall, his arms crossed, eyes flickering toward her between his exchanges with Aakash. He was present but slightly apart. As if he knew his return had caused ripples.

Her friend, Priya, leaned in close and lowered her voice. "Wait... is that Aryan? He's back? are you guys like... back together or what? What's going on?"

Tara's heart dropped. She forced a quick shake of her head, keeping her expression neutral.

"No," she said, firm but quiet. "There's nothing now."

Priya nodded slowly, but her eyes lingered on Aryan a moment longer before letting it drop.

The doors to the lecture hall opened. Everyone filed in, still chatting.

Tara slid into a seat toward the middle, Aisha beside her as always. She had just started unpacking her notebook when someone sat down on her other side.

She didn't need to look. She knew.

Aryan.

The warmth of him beside her, that steady presence she had memorized once, now felt suffocating. She stiffened, kept her eyes ahead.

Aisha noticed. She glanced past Tara at Aryan, then at Tara again, giving her knee a gentle squeeze under the desk.

Tara breathed in, steadying herself.

She could do this.

She had to.

The lecture hall was quiet, save for the professor's voice and the faint tapping of keyboards. Tara sat still, her eyes locked on the presentation screen, fingers hovering over her laptop's keys. Her heart, though, was anything but calm. She felt it—the weight of his gaze.

Aryan was watching her.

She didn't need to turn to confirm it. She felt it in the heat along the side of her face, in the slight shift of his posture beside her. He was leaning back, arms crossed, but his eyes... she knew them. She knew when they were on her.

But she refused to meet them.

She kept her head forward, nodding slightly at the professor's words even though they barely registered. All she felt was discomfort. Restlessness. She hated this. She hated being here—beside him—feeling like this again.

When the lecture ended, the students began packing up, the room filling with chatter and the shuffle of bags.

Tara moved quickly. She zipped her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and grabbed Aisha's hand without a word. Aisha, understanding everything without needing an explanation, followed her lead.

Aryan straightened up, about to speak, but Tara was already weaving through the crowd, her back to him.

He clenched his jaw, watching her disappear out the door.

Aakash appeared beside him, his voice casual. "Ready to go?"

Aryan forced a nod, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Yeah, let's go."

They made their way down the corridor, stepping into the crisp air outside. The afternoon was bright, but Aryan's mind was clouded.

As they walked past the sports field, familiar voices called out.

"Bro! Aryan!"

He turned to see Karan and a group of his old football buddies.

"Come play, man! We need one more!"

Aakash waved him off. "Go, I'll catch you later."

Aryan hesitated for a second but nodded. He jogged onto the field, slipping back into old rhythms—the ball at his feet, the rush of competition, the brief escape.

Until she appeared.

Tara and Aisha were walking by the edge of the field, laughing about something. Her hair caught the sunlight, and Aryan, mid-play, saw her.

Just for a second.

But it was enough.

The ball was stolen from him. The opponent charged forward and scored.

"Goal!"

Karan groaned, jogging over. "Kya bhai? You saw your girlfriend and lost focus again?" He laughed, slapping Aryan's back.

The words hit harder than they should have.

Because she wasn't his girlfriend.

Not anymore.

And that was the problem.

Aryan forced a faint smile, masking the ache. He glanced back toward Tara, who hadn't even noticed the scene.

He muttered under his breath, but Karan caught it:

"She's not my girlfriend... maybe that's why I lost focus."

Karan raised an eyebrow, but Aryan didn't explain. He just jogged back to his position, heart heavier than before.

💜