Episode5

Vivaan stood frozen outside the cafeteria long after Aarohi had walked away. Her words continued to echo inside his mind, looping endlessly like a stubborn record that refused to stop.

“I don’t know what happened between you and your ex… but it shouldn’t affect your progress. Make her regret her decision — not prove that she was right.”

No one had spoken to him like that before. Not in college. Not even outside. People either treated him with casual friendliness or kept their distance, intimidated by his good looks, his confidence, or the rumors surrounding his breakup. Some girls still tried flirting with him, thinking they could ‘heal’ him. Some guys admired him but never crossed into his emotional territory.

But Aarohi…

Quiet, introverted, soft-spoken Aarohi — she had stood in front of him and talked as if she could see right through him. With honesty. With courage. With no intention of impressing him or gaining anything.

He replayed the moment she stood up, pushing her chair back and looking at him with eyes that held neither judgment nor pity — only truth. Only fairness.

Vivaan wasn’t used to that.

He hadn’t expected someone like her to challenge him.

As he leaned against the wall, one hand in his pocket, he stared blankly at the students walking past. His heartbeat was unsteady, not because he was angry… but because her words had hit a place he kept locked for a long time.

His ex.

Her laughter.

Her betrayal.

The way she clung to another guy right in front of him and said, “You deserve someone better, Vivaan.”

He had convinced himself he didn’t care anymore.

Yet how easily a stranger, an introverted girl he barely interacted with, shook something inside him.

Vivaan exhaled deeply.

“Aarohi…” he murmured under his breath. “Why do your words feel heavier than anyone else’s?”

He ran a hand through his hair, a small, involuntary smile touching his lips as he remembered her expression.

She didn’t flirt.

She didn’t smile sweetly.

She didn’t flatter him as most girls did.

Instead, she pushed him.

Told him to move on.

Told him to fight.

Told him to prove his ex wrong.

You should do the project with us.

You’re good at it. Don’t lie.

If you don’t want to work, then exchange groups.

All simple statements — but every one of them struck harder than she could imagine.

Vivaan pushed himself off the wall.

For the first time in months, he felt a spark of motivation.

“She’s right…” he whispered, almost surprised at the realization. “Why am I letting someone else decide my worth? Why am I running away from everything?”

He chuckled to himself.

“She’s something else… definitely something else…”

He didn’t know why, but he knew one thing —

He wanted to join the group.

He wanted to work with them.

He wanted… to see her again.

Not for romance — he wasn’t ready for that, not yet.

But because she felt real in a world filled with people pretending.

Vivaan took a breath and made his way back to the classroom. The decision was made.

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Aarohi walked back to the classroom with unusually slow steps. Her heartbeat was unsettled, her palms still slightly cold. She wondered if she had spoken too boldly. She wondered if he felt offended.

She wondered… if she had gone too far.

Raghav noticed her first.

“There she is!” he almost jumped from his seat. “Aarohi! Did he say something? Is he coming? Is he joining?”

Sneha turned around immediately, her eyebrows raised with worry. “Please tell me he agreed! We really need him in the group. He’s the strongest in the batch.”

Aarohi stopped beside their table. Her expression was neutral but visibly tense.

“I… don’t know,” she admitted quietly as she placed her books down.

Sneha grabbed her arm. “What do you mean you don’t know? You talked to him, right?”

Aarohi nodded. “I did. But he didn’t give me a direct answer.”

Raghav let out a dramatic groan and dropped his head onto the desk.

“No, no, no… we’re doomed. Without him, our group will struggle. And we can’t change members now.”

Sneha crossed her arms, panic clear in her eyes. “What did he say at least? Anything positive?”

Aarohi recalled their conversation slowly.

“He just said he’s not good at projects,” she murmured.

“That’s a lie!” Sneha blurted. “His academic record is top-tier!”

Raghav nodded vigorously. “He’s literally the best student in the batch. Why would he say that?”

Aarohi sat down, her voice soft. “I told him that too.”

Both of them froze.

“You told him that?” Sneha asked, stunned.

“I did,” Aarohi said, unable to meet their eyes. “I told him I saw his progress report… and I told him not to let his past ruin his present.”

Sneha’s mouth fell open. “Wait… you spoke about his past? You spoke about the breakup?”

Aarohi lowered her gaze, her hands twisting nervously.

“I didn’t mention the details… I just said he shouldn’t let it affect his future.”

Raghav blinked. “You told THAT to VIVAAN?”

Aarohi nodded slowly.

A moment of silence followed.

Then Sneha softly exhaled. “Aarohi… I don’t know if you realise this, but that might have hit him harder than anything.”

Aarohi’s heartbeat skipped.

“Did I make a mistake…?” she whispered.

“No,” Sneha said firmly. “You said what needed to be said. You didn’t insult him. You just told him the truth.”

Raghav scratched his head. “But Vivaan is sensitive about relationships. Everyone knows that.”

Aarohi felt her throat tighten.

“I wasn’t trying to hurt him,” she said softly. “I just… wanted him to do the project.”

Raghav sighed. “Well, let’s just hope he took it positively.”

Aarohi stared at her notebook without opening it.

“I hope so too.”

But in her heart, a strange unknown worry twisted deeper.

She had always tried to stay invisible.

She never caused trouble.

She never spoke harshly to anyone.

She never drew attention to herself.

But today — she had stood against Vivaan.

Not aggressively.

Not angrily.

But firmly.

Part of her regretted it.

Part of her didn’t.

Part of her wished… he understood why she said it.

She wasn’t brave.

She wasn’t bold.

She was just… honest.

Aarohi exhaled deeply.

“I guess we’ll have to wait,” she whispered.

Sneha nodded. “He’ll decide soon.”

Raghav glanced toward the door, worry etched on his face. “Please let him join… please…”

And then — unexpectedly — the classroom door opened.

Sneha noticed first. Her eyes widened.

“Aarohi…”

Raghav sat up immediately.

“He’s here.”

Aarohi’s breath caught in her throat.

Vivaan walked inside, calm and unreadable, his eyes scanning the room.

He wasn’t looking for the professor.

He wasn’t looking for a seat.

He was looking… at her.

And when their eyes met —

Aarohi’s world stilled.

Vivaan walked toward their table.

Slowly.

Purposefully.

Without hesitation.

Raghav swallowed nervously.

Sneha straightened in her chair.

Aarohi froze.

Vivaan stopped right beside her desk.

And with a low, steady voice, he said—

“Aarohi… I’ll join the group.”

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