dges. That was how it felt in the corridors of Anand Academy. A thousand murmurs floated like p
n with
perfectly around his temples, and his smile could split sunlight. Ananya's heart stuttered the way a worn-out fan hiccups on pow
gers trembling, hugging her bag like it
r, pages edged with gold ink. In it, she wrote things she
und me - but at me. Maybe he saw something. Maybe he... no. That's ridicul
not shameful, where her thighs weren't too wide, where her voice wasn't lost beh
mockery, but curiosity. What would his fingers feel like tang
de her toes curl in
s of cruelty and caste and class, she remained
m about Aarav in the last few minutes of English class. She was s
l, always vicious, s
e sneered, flippi
, but the word came
athered like crow
lar girl' dreams about," one sai
me the
poured over thunder. If only he could see me - not the outside me, but
d. It was sharp,
dn't come. Her throat felt like glas
hen she saw
n't la
table. Embarrassed. N
worse than
uel sing-song. Each word became a blade. Her p
av said
one
t like glass, but like bone -
, through the gate. The sun slapped her cheeks, and
l she reached the alley near
Big, ugly sobs. Her chest heaved. She wanted to
n, she
thud. F
ed, ready to snarl at
t was
hooked into his pockets. His eyes - so unreada
read it," she hiss
," he sai
blin
ide. Heard enough to
m Aarav? The boy who smoked behind the chemi
m pathetic,"
ave. You still believe people like A
ve was frayed. His eyes were older than his face. The
u here?" sh
y. He looked away, as if chasi
oo," he said at last. "In anot
low, almost too low - s
happ
others when they used her diary.
aw cl
her i
ut thick with tension and something else - u
g closer. His voice was velvet laced with s
He was inches away no
e of her skin or weight or clothes - but beca
red her more - that he saw h