Chapter 2

After that day, things didn’t stay the same.

Not in a big, dramatic way…

but in small, quiet changes.

The kind you don’t notice at first—

until they start meaning something.

It began with simple things.

A “hi” when they passed each other.

A small smile during class.

Occasional eye contact that lasted a second longer than before.

Nothing serious.

But not nothing either.

One afternoon, the classroom felt unusually quiet. The teacher hadn’t arrived yet, and most students were busy talking among themselves.

Zara sat by the window, absentmindedly flipping through her notebook.

“Do you ever actually study,” a familiar voice said, sitting down beside her.

She didn’t even need to look up.

“Sometimes,” she replied, pretending to stay focused. “Do you?”

“Never,” Arin said confidently.

She let out a small laugh.

That was new.

She wasn’t someone who laughed easily… but with him, it just happened.

Days passed, and their conversations slowly grew.

From random jokes…

to sharing notes…

to talking about things that didn’t even matter.

Or maybe they did.

“What do you like?” he asked one day.

“Like what?”

“Anything. Music, places… people,” he added casually.

She thought for a moment.

“I like quiet places,” she said softly. “And rain.”

“Rain?” he smiled. “That’s a little dramatic.”

She frowned slightly. “It’s peaceful.”

“Hmm,” he nodded. “Then you must hate crowded places.”

“I do.”

He leaned back in his chair. “Good. Then you won’t run away from me.”

She blinked, surprised.

“Why would I run away?”

He shrugged, a teasing smile on his face.

“People usually do.”

She looked at him carefully for a second…

then said,

“I won’t.”

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Something about those two words felt heavier than they should have.

I won’t.

It wasn’t just a reply.

It was a promise… she didn’t even realize she was making.

From that day on, they started sitting together more often.

It became normal.

Like it had always been that way.

But deep down… both of them knew—

It wasn’t normal.

It was something slowly growing…

Between conversations,

between smiles,

between the silence they now shared so comfortably.

And maybe…

this is how feelings begin.

Not loudly.

Not suddenly.

But in little moments…

that slowly start to mean everything.

The Feeling She Didn’t Like

Everything was going… well.

Too well, maybe.

Zara had started getting used to him—his voice, his random jokes, the way he always found a reason to sit beside her.

It had become a part of her routine.

And maybe… that was the problem.

That morning felt different.

Not because of anything obvious…

but because Arin wasn’t alone.

There was a girl with him.

She was pretty. Confident. The kind of person who didn’t hesitate before speaking. She walked beside him like they already knew each other well.

Zara noticed it.

Of course she did.

But she pretended not to.

“Hey Zara!”

She looked up.

Arin was standing there… with her.

“This is Nisha,” he said casually. “She just joined our class.”

Nisha smiled warmly. “Hi.”

Zara forced a small smile back. “Hi.”

That was it.

A simple introduction.

So why did it feel… uncomfortable?

The whole day, things felt off.

Arin wasn’t sitting beside her.

He was sitting with Nisha.

Talking. Laughing. Like he usually did with Zara.

And for some reason…

that didn’t feel right.

“Why does it matter?” Zara whispered to herself, staring at her notebook.

It shouldn’t matter.

He can talk to anyone.

He can sit with anyone.

So why did it feel like something was… taken away?

Later that day, Arin finally came up to her.

“You’ve been quiet,” he said, leaning slightly toward her desk.

“I’m always quiet,” she replied without looking at him.

He frowned a little. “Not like this.”

She didn’t respond.

There was a pause.

“Are you… upset?” he asked carefully.

That question hit differently.

She immediately shook her head. “No.”

“Then why are you avoiding me?”

“I’m not.”

Now she looked at him.

And for the first time… there was something different in her eyes.

Not softness.

Not calm.

Something else.

“You seemed busy,” she added quietly.

“With Nisha.”

He stared at her for a second… then suddenly smiled.

Not a teasing smile.

A knowing one.

“Ohh,” he said softly.

Zara frowned. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“Say it.”

He leaned a little closer, lowering his voice—

“Are you jealous?”

Her heart skipped.

“What? No!” she said quickly, looking away.

He chuckled.

“You are.”

“I’m not,” she insisted, her voice slightly weaker this time.

He didn’t argue.

He just looked at her… with that same calm expression.

And then said,

“Good.”

She blinked. “Good?”

“Yeah,” he said, standing straight again.

“It means I’m not the only one feeling something.”

Silence.

Her mind went blank.

“What does that mean?” she asked slowly.

But he had already started walking away.

“Figure it out,” he said, without turning back.

Zara sat there, completely still.

Her heart was beating faster than before.

Jealous?

Was she really?

And more importantly—

What was he feeling?

For the first time…

She wasn’t confused about him.

She was confused about herself.

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