CHAPTER 2

Chapter Two – The First Crack

The following week at St. Aaryan College passed in fragments—lectures, assignments, and the restless energy of campus life. Ruhi settled in faster than most first-years. She spoke little, but when she did, her words carried weight. Professors appreciated her focus, and some of the quieter students had already begun gravitating towards her.

Rudra noticed.

He noticed the way she lingered in the library during lunch breaks, the way she tilted her head slightly while listening, as if tuning out everything else. Once, he caught her sitting under the old banyan tree, scribbling something in a notebook, sunlight slipping through the leaves onto her face. That sight stayed with him long after he walked away.

Samaira noticed too~but for different reasons.

For months, she had been the only girl in Rudra’s close circle, her laughter often directed at his rare smiles, her voice softening when she spoke to him. She had never said the words out loud, but her feelings were no secret to herself. Rudra was the one steady thing in her otherwise messy life. She didn’t care if he wasn’t as reckless as Arjun or Sameer..his quiet nature was exactly what drew her in.

And now, this… Ruhi.

It started small. A shared glance between Rudra and the new girl. A faint smile he didn’t seem to give anyone else. Once, Samaira saw him holding the library door open for Ruhi—a simple gesture, but it stung more than it should have.

The breaking point came on Thursday.

They were all in the canteen—Rudra, Arjun, Sameer, Samaira—when Ruhi walked in, holding a steaming cup of tea. The only empty chair in the room was beside Rudra. She hesitated, scanning the tables, and before Samaira could say a word, Rudra spoke.

“Here,” he said, sliding his bag off the chair.

Ruhi sat down. And for the next fifteen minutes, they spoke~not a lot, but enough to make Samaira feel like she wasn’t even there. The way Rudra leaned slightly towards Ruhi, the way his usually reserved eyes softened—it was enough to turn the tea in Samaira's cup bitter.

That evening, Samaira stared at her reflection in her bedroom mirror, the smile she usually wore nowhere in sight.

She’s just new… it’s nothing, she told herself.

But a quieter, sharper voice in her mind whispered—You’re losing him.

And in that moment, Samaira made a silent promise to herself:~ whatever this was between Rudra and Ruhi, she would not let it grow.

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I hope you guys will like this story… Furthermore, I have spent so much time writing this and creating this story... I really wish you guys would like it and give me a chance

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“You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching, Love like you'll never be hurt, Sing like there's nobody listening, And live like it's heaven on earth.”

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LOVE YOURSELF 💗

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