Chapter 3 — The Feelings He Never Planned

Amaan never expected Laiba to stay in his mind for this long.

At first, after her accidental confession, he tried not to think about it too much. Life was already complicated enough. He liked someone else back then, and honestly, he thought Laiba’s words were probably just a random emotional moment.

But the strange thing about certain moments is this:

Sometimes they leave quietly…

and sometimes they stay in your mind without permission. 💭

Days turned into weeks.

Weeks slowly became months.

And somehow, Amaan kept noticing Laiba more and more.

Not dramatically.

Not like the movies where someone suddenly realizes they’re in love.

It was much softer than that.

Much quieter.

He started noticing the little things first.

The way she reacted during arguments.

The way she laughed with her friends.

The way she became serious sometimes without explaining why.

Even her random expressions during class somehow stayed in his memory longer than they should’ve. 😭

And honestly?

That confused him.

Because this wasn’t supposed to happen.

He already liked someone else.

Laiba wasn’t even the kind of girl he imagined himself falling for.

They fought constantly. 😂

Sometimes she annoyed him so much he promised himself he’d ignore her completely.

Yet the next day, somehow, he still ended up noticing her again.

It made no sense.

But feelings rarely do.

Near the end of Class 9, Amaan slowly realized something uncomfortable:

He looked for her without meaning to.

If she laughed loudly somewhere in class, his attention automatically shifted toward her.

If she argued with someone, he listened.

If she was absent one day, the classroom somehow felt slightly different.

And that scared him a little. 🌙

Because slowly, he understood the truth:

Laiba was no longer “just a classmate.”

Somewhere between random fights and ordinary school days…

she had quietly become important to him. 🤍

But timing still wasn’t on his side.

Because by then, he knew Laiba still liked AG.

And honestly?

That became one of his biggest regrets.

Not understanding his feelings earlier.

Not saying yes when she accidentally confessed.

Not realizing sooner that maybe the girl constantly irritating him had already become someone special.

Still, Amaan never told anyone about these feelings.

Not his friends.

Not classmates.

No one.

Because a part of him believed it was already too late anyway. 🍂

So instead, he stayed silent.

He watched from a distance while life continued normally around them.

Class 10 slowly began.

Board exam pressure filled the classrooms. Teachers constantly reminded students how important this year was. Everyone suddenly started talking seriously about “future,” “career,” and “life after school.”

But even during all that stress, Amaan’s feelings for Laiba didn’t disappear.

If anything…

they quietly became deeper.

Sometimes he caught himself staring at her during class before immediately looking away.

Sometimes her small messages or random conversations unexpectedly improved his mood.

And every time they fought, he secretly hated how much her opinions affected him. 😭

It was frustrating.

Confusing.

And strangely comforting at the same time.

But Amaan still stayed silent.

Because he genuinely thought Laiba’s heart belonged somewhere else.

And maybe that’s why farewell day affected him more than expected.