Chapter 3

**One year later...**

A whole year had passed since the family trip.

For Arjun, that one year felt different.

The memories of that trip were still somewhere in his heart—the places they had visited, the laughter, the conversations, and most of all, the moments he had spent around Shasha.

But after the trip, things slowly became distant.

Arjun and Shasha didn't meet again.

They didn't call each other.

They didn't message each other.

There was no contact between them at all.

Their parents still occasionally spoke with each other over the phone.

They would ask about each other's families, discuss relatives, and talk about everyday things.

But neither Arjun nor Shasha was involved in those conversations.

Their parents never knew about the feelings Arjun had quietly developed.

And Arjun never asked his parents about Shasha.

He simply kept everything inside.

### **Shasha's New Beginning**

During that year, Shasha completed her **12th standard**.

Her school life had finally come to an end.

She joined **XX College** to pursue **BCA**.

College was completely different from school.

New classrooms.

New teachers.

New friends.

A completely new environment.

Shasha was excited to begin this new chapter of her life.

She was already a lovely and popular girl, and it didn't take long for people in college to notice her.

She was friendly, confident, and easy to talk to.

Soon, she became quite popular among her classmates.

But somewhere in the middle of her new college life was a small part of her past that she hadn't thought about for a long time.

**Arjun.**

She hadn't seen him for almost a year.

She didn't know how he was doing.

She didn't know which class he was studying in.

And there was no reason for her to contact him.

Life had simply moved on.

### **Arjun's New Class**

Arjun had also completed his **10th standard** and entered **11th standard**.

As usual, he remained one of the top students in his class.

His teachers admired his dedication.

His parents were proud of his marks.

But Arjun was still the same quiet boy.

He spent most of his time studying and rarely talked about his personal feelings.

The past year had changed him too.

He had become a little more mature and even quieter than before.

But there were still moments when Shasha crossed his mind.

Sometimes he wondered whether she remembered him.

Sometimes he remembered the family trip and their little conversations.

Then he would tell himself,

*“It's been a year. Maybe she has forgotten everything.”*

And he would return to his studies.

### **The Parents**

Even though the children had lost touch, their parents hadn't completely lost contact.

Occasionally, Arjun's parents would call Shasha's parents.

“How are the children doing?”

“They're doing well.”

“What is Shasha studying now?”

“She has joined BCA.”

“That's good. She's always been interested in computers.”

Their conversations were simple and ordinary.

Sometimes they talked about relatives.

Sometimes about college and studies.

Sometimes about family functions.

But whenever these conversations happened, Arjun was usually in his room with his books, unaware of what his parents were discussing.

Likewise, Shasha was busy with her new college life and had no idea that her parents were still occasionally speaking with Arjun's family.

The two families remained connected.

But the two youngsters remained completely unaware of each other's lives.

### **Aarna's New Journey**

Around the same time, Arjun's elder sister, **Aarna**, joined **XX College**.

She chose **B.Com**.

It was the same college where Shasha had joined **BCA**.

Their courses were different.

Their classrooms were different.

Their friend circles were different.

But they were now walking through the same college campus.

Neither Arjun nor Shasha knew about this coincidence.

Aarna simply started her new college life.

And Shasha continued hers.

### **A Year Changed Everything**

One year ago, Arjun was a 10th-standard boy who had just discovered a strange new feeling in his heart.

Now he was in 11th.

Shasha had completed school and started college.

Aarna had also entered college.

Their lives had changed.

Their routines had changed.

They had grown older.

But one thing had remained the same.

**Arjun still remembered Shasha.**

He didn't know where she was.

He didn't know what she was doing.

And he had absolutely no idea that she was studying in the same college as his sister.

Sometimes, life quietly brings people closer without letting them know.

And this time...

**Arjun and Shasha were much closer than they realized.**

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