She stepped out of the principal's office, the heavy wooden door clicking shut behind her. The corridor stretched before her long, wide, and lined with notice boards plastered in colorful posters for fests, workshops, and lost-and-found notices.

She started walking, her eyes scanning the room numbers painted on each door. 101. 102. 103. She needed room 204. That meant climbing to the second floor.

The building was a maze , wings branching off in unexpected directions, staircases appearing where she least expected them. She turned a corner, then another, her confidence slowly deflating with each wrong turn.

She was still searching for her class when suddenly she felt a jolt.

A rush of air. A blur of movement. A shoulder grazing hers with enough force to send her stumbling half a step sideways.

It was as if a whirlwind had brushed past her.

The folder she was carrying slipped from her grasp, papers fluttering to the floor like startled birds. She whipped around, heart hammering, ready to unleash a string of choice words.

And saw a boy at the far end of the corridor.

He was running. Not jogging, not walking fast , full-on sprinting, his sneakers slapping against the marble floor, his bag bouncing wildly against his back. He didn't look back. Didn't apologize. Didn't even slow down.

Within seconds, he had rounded a corner and disappeared from sight, leaving behind nothing but the echo of his footsteps and the faint scent of sweat and some unfamiliar cologne.

She stared at the empty corridor for a long moment.

"Pagal aadmi ," she muttered under her breath, bending down to gather her scattered papers. She stacked them back into the folder, dusted off her jeans, and walked ahead ,this time hugging the folder closer to her chest, as if protecting it from further assaults.

But somewhere in the back of her mind, the image of that boy lingered. The blur of his white shirt. The careless speed of his stride.

She shook her head and focused on finding her class room.

♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡

Priyanka and Arohi were sitting on the last bench, chatting with each other. It had been almost four months since they joined this college, and because of their mischievous nature, both of them had become quite famous and well-liked in their class.

They were busy in their conversation when a boy approached them.

"Hey, I'm Ajay," he said, extending his hand toward Arohi. He looked quite smart-tall, with a beige shirt, the top few buttons undone, revealing his chest, and messy hair. He looked like he came from a wealthy, handsome background.

"Hi, I'm Arohi," Arohi said hesitantly, extending her hand.

When Ajay took her hand, Arohi felt a little strange because he didn't let go even after a few seconds. She forcefully pulled her hand away.

"Ever since you came to this college, I've really liked you. But I never had the courage to come and tell you. Today, I gathered all my courage and came to you. I like you, Arohi."

He said it all in one breath and then paused, waiting for her response.

Arohi was shocked. Her eyes widened in surprise. Priyanka, sitting beside her, burst out laughing, making Arohi glare at her and leaving Ajay confused.

"Look, Ajay, I'm sorry to break your heart, but the feelings aren't mutual," she said, politely turning him down.

"Arohi, please don't say no. Look, I really like you. Please, just give me one chance," he said, this time grabbing her hand. His voice had attracted the attention of nearby students.

"Ajay, please try to understand. I don't like you, and I don't even know you. Besides-"

Before she could finish, Ajay cut her off.

"So what if you don't know me? Just accept my proposal once, and then we'll get to know each other," he said impatiently.

By this point, Arohi was extremely irritated, but she didn't want to create a scene. So calmly, she said once more.

"Ajay, it's not about getting to know each other. It's about the fact that I already have someone in my life. So please, I'm sorry." She pulled her hand away from his.

She turned toward Priyanka, hoping that would be the end of it. But to her shock, Ajay grabbed her forearm and turned her back toward him.

"How can there be someone else in your life, Arohi? Whoever it is-break up with him right now," he demanded.

That made her angry. But before she could respond, Priyanka-who had been silent until now-stood up.

"Listen, Mr. Ajay, I've been watching your drama for long enough. Don't you understand when someone says no? She said no. The matter is closed. No means no," she warned, pointing a finger at him.

"I'm not talking to you, you bitch," Ajay said loudly, directed at Priyanka.

Arohi slammed her palm on the seat and stood up. She had had enough.

"Don't you dare talk to her like that! I've been tolerating your nonsense for too long. If you don't leave right now, I'll complain to the principal. Just get lost from here!" Arohi shouted, her face red with anger.

Before Ajay could respond, the professor entered the classroom.

"Will see you later," Ajay whisper yelled, and walked away, leaving behind a furious Arohi and an angry Priyanka.

♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡

After college, Akaash and Arohi waved at their friends and walked toward the parking lot. Akaash's bike a sleek black machine that had seen better days but still ran like a dream-was waiting for them. He handed Arohi the helmet, and she strapped it on with practiced ease.

"Ready?" he asked, straddling the bike.

"Always," she replied, settling behind him. Her hands rested lightly on his shoulders hesitant, but not uncomfortable.

The engine roared to life, and they zoomed out of the college gates, weaving through the evening traffic. The wind whipped past them, carrying the sounds of the city-horns, chatter, the distant call of a street vendor. Arohi's hair, escaping from beneath the helmet, flew behind her like a dark banner.

It was an unplanned date. The best kind.

Akaash stopped the bike in front of a mall-a sprawling, glittering structure that seemed to glow against the early evening sky. Arohi climbed off, unbuckling her helmet and handing it back to him. He parked the bike in the designated lot, secured it with a lock, and jogged back to her.

She was waiting at the entrance, her back half-turned, taking in the surroundings. Her eyes wandered across the interior-the marble floors, the soft golden lighting, the fountain in the center that cascaded in gentle waves. She watched couples walk past, hand in hand, and a soft smile played on her lips. Her gaze drifted to a group of kids running in circles, chasing each other, their laughter ringing through the air. She chuckled quietly at their antics, shaking her head.

Akaash watched her for a moment before walking up to her.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Hmm," she hummed, turning toward him. "Chalo."

They passed through the security check and entered the mall proper. The cool air hit them instantly, a welcome relief from the humid evening outside. The mall was bustling-families, couples, groups of friends-all moving in different directions, all lost in their own worlds.

"Ye achanak se shopping ka program kyu ban gaya tumhara?" Arohi asked, glancing at him sideways. "Itna plan toh tha nahi."

Akaash shrugged, his hands in his pockets. "Bas yuhi. Tumhare saath time spend karna tha. Shayad isliye."

Arohi shook her head, but she was smiling.

They entered the men's section first-racks of shirts, T-shirts, jeans, and formal wear stretching out before them in neat, color-coded rows. Akaash wasn't particularly looking for anything, but Arohi had already begun scanning the racks with the focus of a woman on a mission.

She stopped suddenly. Her hand reached out and pulled a blue T-shirt from the rack-a simple, deep navy blue with a subtle pattern. She held it up, turning it this way and that, then looked at him.

"How's this?" she asked.

Akaash approached her, taking the T-shirt from her hand. He held it against his chest, looking down at it, then back at her. "You like it?"

"Yes," she said, her tone matter-of-fact. "But pehenna tumhe hai, mujhe nahi."

"Hmm," he muttered, already looking for something else. "Tumhe achi lagi, matlab mujhe achi lagi. So I'm buying it."

Before she could protest, he had already slung the T-shirt over his arm and reached for another one she had been eyeing moments before-a dark grey one with a minimalist design. He added that to his collection too.

"Tum toh shopping karne aaye ho ya mere saath time spend karne?" she teased.

"Dono," he said simply.

They moved to the ladies' section next. Arohi walked ahead, her eyes scanning the racks, occasionally pausing to touch a fabric or hold up a dress. But nothing seemed to catch her attention.

Akaash, however, had stopped.

His gaze had landed on a dress hanging on a mannequin near the far end of the section. It was simple, elegant-a black dress that seemed to glow under the soft lighting. He walked toward it, reached out, and took it from the mannequin.

"Arohi," he called out.

She turned and walked over, her eyebrows raised in question.

He held up the dress. "How's this?"

Arohi's eyes widened slightly as she took in the black dress.

It was a deep black satin halter-neck mini dress with a plunging cowl neckline that dipped dangerously low, a fitted waist that would hug every curve, and a flared skirt that would end just below her hips barely covering her thighs. The back was completely open, held together only by the halter strap that tied into a graceful bow at the nape of the neck. It was the kind of dress designed to turn heads, to make people stop and stare.

But it was also the kind of dress that made Arohi's stomach twist uncomfortably.

She looked at it in Akash's hands, and her smile faltered. Her eyes traveled over the fabric, taking in the plunging neckline, the exposed back, the impossibly short hem. A flicker of unease crossed her face quick, barely noticeable, but there.

"Aka... Akash, this dress is beautiful," she said slowly, choosing her words with care. "But... don't you think it's really short? And... revealing?"

Her voice wavered slightly, and she looked away for a moment, her gaze fixed on a mannequin in the distance. She wasn't a prude, she had worn short dresses before, the kind that showed off her legs and hugged her figure. But those were decent. They were stylish without being scandalous. They made her feel confident, not exposed.

But this dress was different. This dress would show her cleavage. Her back would be completely bare. Her long legs would be on full display because the dress was very short. Very, very short.

No doubt, it was beautiful. But it wasn't for her.

Akash didn't seem to notice her discomfort. His eyes were still on the dress, his smile wide with enthusiasm. "At least try it, Arohi. You will look hot in this."

Hot.

The word landed like a stone in her chest. She stiffened. Her jaw tightened. She didn't want to be hot ,not in the way he meant. She wanted to be beautiful, yes. Confident. But not like this. Not in something that made her feel like she was on display for the world to judge.

"Akash, please," she said, her voice firmer now, leaving no room for argument. "Don't insist. I really don't wear these types of dresses. Please search for something else otherwise, I'll look for myself."

She turned away before he could respond, walking toward another rack, her shoulders slightly tense. She could feel his gaze on her back, but she didn't turn around.

Akash stood there for a moment, the dress still in his hands. He looked at it, then at her retreating figure. Something clicked in his mind a realization that settled uncomfortably in his stomach. He had made her uncomfortable. He had pushed too hard.

He put the dress back on its rack, carefully, almost guiltily, and followed her at a distance.

A few minutes passed. Arohi was flipping through a rack of dresses, her movements brisk, her expression still slightly guarded. She wasn't looking for anything in particular just something that felt right.

Then she heard footsteps behind her.

"Arohi."

She turned. Akash was holding another dress this one completely different from the first. It was a deep red midi dress with short puffed sleeves, a sweetheart neckline that was modest yet flattering, and an elegant A-line skirt that would fall just above her knees. It was beautiful. Classic. Timeless.

"This is perfect," she breathed, her eyes lighting up. A genuine smile spread across her face as she took the dress from his hands, her fingers brushing against his. She held it up against herself, looking down at it, already imagining how it would look on her. "It's exactly the kind of dress I love."

Akash smiled , a softer smile than before, more careful. "Good. I'm glad."

Arohi looked up at him, her earlier discomfort fading. "Thank you."

He nodded, and for a moment, the tension between them eased.

After taking the dress and paying for it. Akash had insisted on buying it, despite Arohi's protests-they left the mall and walked toward the bike. The evening air was cooler now, carrying the faint scent of exhaust and street food from nearby stalls. Akash drove them to a small ice cream parlour tucked away in a quiet corner of the city.

The parlour was cozy, with pastel-coloured walls and mismatched furniture. Soft music played from a speaker in the corner. They ordered their ice creams-Arohi chose a classic chocolate chip, while Akash went for something more adventurous, a mango-passion fruit concoction-and settled into a small booth by the window.

They ate in comfortable silence for a while, the clinking of spoons against glass bowls the only sound between them. Arohi was lost in thought, still processing the strange undercurrent of the evening. The dress incident lingered at the back of her mind, a tiny splinter she couldn't quite ignore.

Then Akash noticed it.

A small dot of chocolate ice cream had smeared on Arohi's upper lip, just above the curve of her mouth.

Without thinking much he reached across the table and rubbed the pad of his thumb gently against her upper lip, wiping away the cream.

Arohi startled.

Her body jerked back instinctively, her eyes flying wide open. Her spoon clattered against her bowl, and she stared at him with an expression that was part surprise, part something else-something that looked uncomfortably like alarm.

Akash's hand froze in mid-air. He saw the look on her face. The way she had pulled back. The way her entire body had tensed.

She's uncomfortable.

"Sorry," he muttered, pulling his hand back and letting it fall to the table. His gaze dropped to his half-empty bowl.

Arohi blinked, realizing she had overreacted. She forced her shoulders to relax, forced a small smile onto her face. "I... I'm sorry. It was so sudden, that's why I reacted that way."

"It's okay," Akash said, still not meeting her eyes. "Wo actually... ice cream lagi hui thi wahan par. I was just wiping that." He pointed vaguely at his own upper lip.

Arohi nodded, her cheeks slightly warm. She reached up with a napkin and wiped her lip herself, even though there was nothing left to wipe.

The rest of the ice cream was eaten in a quieter silence-not comfortable, but not hostile either. Just... different. Heavy with something unsaid.

When they finished, they stood up and left. The ride back on his bike was silent too. The wind whipped past them, but Arohi found herself grateful for the noise, grateful for something that filled the space between them.

Akash dropped her off first, waiting just long enough to make sure she entered the building safely, then drove away without another word.

Arohi walked up the stairs slowly, her mind churning. She reached her apartment, unlocked the door, stepped inside, and closed it behind her.

She leaned against the door for a moment, letting out a long breath.

"It was a very weird date," she said aloud, her voice echoing in the empty hallway.

She frowned. Why had she felt so uncomfortable today? They had been dating for five months now-five months of casual outings, of laughter, of slowly getting to know each other. She had never felt this awkward with him before.

Was it the dress? The way he had insisted? The word "hot" that had landed so wrong in her ears?

Or was it something else? Something she wasn't ready to admit to herself yet?

She shook her head, pushing the thoughts away, and walked toward her room.

Tonight, she would sleep. Tomorrow, she would think.

But she had a feeling the answer wouldn't come as easily as she hoped.

♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡

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