The btech-2

And yet… above all this, the moment that truly wrecked me was when her eyes landed on mine. Just for a few seconds, our gazes locked, and everything else blurred out. My throat tightened—I wanted to tell her, it was just a prank, nothing more, but I couldn’t move.

She immediately lowered her gaze and rushed away, as if escaping me.

I facepalmed myself. “Damn it, Viaan. Way to be a jerk.”

I finally dragged myself home. First thing I did—took a long, warm bath, washed the day off my shoulders. Then I made myself something light to eat, grabbed the bowl, and walked into the study.

The moment I stepped inside, my eyes landed on the portrait of my mom. Her face—so calm, so peaceful—still had the power to ground me. I smiled faintly and sat down on the floor with my food.

“I met a girl today, Ma,” I murmured, eyes fixed on her picture. “She’s… different. The peace I get when I see you, I felt the same when I saw her.”

A laugh slipped from me, dry and broken. “You would’ve jumped with joy if you’d been here. The first girl I actually wanted to talk to, and she’s the first one avoiding me. What can I do? Your handsome, hot, charming son messed up. I pulled a prank, and now she’s scared of me.”

I sighed, staring at the plate half-finished. “I miss you, Ma.”

The silence pressed in. I stood, carried the food to the kitchen, and set the rest down for Ace. His tail wagged like I’d just given him the world.

I smiled, ruffled his head, and then went back to my phone. Games were easier. They didn’t ask questions I couldn’t answer.

As I was about to continue, I noticed Ara’s soft, steady breaths—rhythmic, like a lullaby. She had fallen asleep somewhere in between my words.

Carefully, I carried her to the bed and tucked her in. I brushed a stray strand of hair from her forehead and pressed a gentle kiss there.

I turned to leave for my room, but her small fingers wrapped around my hand, stopping me in my tracks.

I couldn’t help but smile. Quietly, I sat down beside her, leaning my head against the headboard. Her grip didn’t loosen.

Closing my eyes, I let the heaviness of the day sink into me. As I leaned my head back, the story continued in my heart.

Viaan’s POV

It was late. I glanced at the clock, dragged my body lazily to the bed, and let sleep take over.

The next morning, my alarm blared me awake. I groaned, pushed myself up, and headed straight to the gym room. After a quick workout, I showered, got dressed, and grabbed a slice of bread between my teeth. Helmet on, keys in hand, I mounted my bike and sped off to college.

The moment I stepped through the gates, I walked in like I owned the place—a pure form of rebel, or at least that’s how I wanted to look. My gaze roamed everywhere, scanning faces, hunting for just one.

The red kurti girl.

Shit, Viaan. Today you better introduce yourself, I muttered inside my head.

And then—I found her.

She wasn’t in red today. A simple black anarkali suit hugged her frame, the matching black jhumkas swaying with her every move. Her kajal-lined eyes… damn. They were made to steal my breath away.

But my admiration ended fast. Because I saw them—those same seniors from yesterday, crowding her, ragging her like cowards.

I sighed, jaw tightening, and walked straight toward them.

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