Vansh tiredly entered his room, dropping his bag onto the bed. Kiri leapt onto the bed and sat beside him as he petted her slowly and gently.
He looked up at the ceiling, then took out his camera and connected it to his laptop to check all the photos from the trek.
As he browsed through the pictures, he thought, "I wonder what I will do with these photos." He clicked to the next one, and the next, but then he paused.
"This photo...? How did this happen?" Vansh stared at the screen in confusion. He touched the screen lightly.
Just then, his aunt entered his room. "Vansh, come down and help me," she called out. Startled by her sudden entry, he quickly shut his laptop.
"What happened? Did you just—?" His aunt looked doubtful. Vansh tried to shake off her suspicion, but she continued to stare at him.
"Why did you come in here to say that?" he tried to change the subject.
"Come down and help me with some work," she insisted.
"I just got home, and now you're asking for help? Let me have some rest," he objected.
"Please? I really need your help," she said, making a cute face to persuade him. Vansh sighed, knowing he couldn't resist her charm.
"Fine, I'll come. Just stop making that ridiculous face." He looked away, placing his camera in his bag and disconnecting it.
"Hey! Don't call it ridiculous; it's a cute face, isn't it?" she replied playfully. Vansh scrunched up his face in response.
"Yeah, yeah, go away. I'll be down in a few minutes," he said, ushering her out.
After his aunt went downstairs, Vansh continued to ponder the mysterious photo. When he finally came down, she was waiting with some boxes, likely for the café. He approached her and lifted one of the boxes.
"Are you sure you weren't watching any adult videos?" his aunt teased as he lifted it.
"Huh! What are you saying?" He blushed at her words and playfully kicked her leg.
"I mean, you just said you were tired, and you're at that age," she continued, teasing him, poking him in the belly, and calling him 'naughty' repeatedly.
"Ugh! Don't assume anything on your own," he denied her assumptions. He dropped the box.
"I'm finished helping."
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry."
Even while apologising, she still appeared amused.
At dinner time, while eating, he stared at his rice, thinking, "Maybe it was a mistake to set the timer."
The photo that had caught his attention was of Aanya and him together, shaking hands, with the sunrise behind them and birds flying in the sky—it captured their silhouettes perfectly.
"I wonder if we won't meet again," he thought to himself.
Suddenly, his aunt snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Hello? Earth to Mister?" Vansh snapped out of his daydream. "Why are you spacing out in the middle of dinner?" When he denied that anything was wrong, he resumed eating.
I won't ride my bike to college every day; it depends on my mood, which fluctuates even though I don't fully trust it.
Today, I took my cycle out, sat on the seat, and that's when I heard a voice.
"Hey, Vansh!"
I slowly turned around, unsure of what I was seeing. She was walking towards the entrance, her figure exuding a quiet elegance that felt different from before.
She wore a slightly oversized white shirt, neatly tucked into a black skirt that swayed gently around her knees. A maroon tie rested loosely around her collar, giving her a relaxed yet refined look. Her college bag hung from one shoulder, and her fingers lightly gripped the strap. But something about her had changed.
I kept staring for a moment before finally realizing it.
Her hair.
The long hair she used to have was gone. Now, soft, layered strands framed her neck, the uneven ends shifting gently with the breeze. Some strands brushed lightly against her cheeks, while the shorter layers near the top added a natural volume to her hair without looking overly styled.
As the wind moved through the road, her hair fluttered softly, giving her a lighter, more effortless elegance.
The new hairstyle made her look lighter.
Sharper.
More elegant.
For a brief moment, I almost failed to recognize her.
She stood beside me, just standing there. I was unsure of how to react.
"Good morning," she said with a bright smile, waving her hand at me.
I was too stunned to respond. My eyes were still locked on her hair as it swayed softly.
"Hello?" She waved again.
"Sorry?" I snapped back to reality as her voice broke through my thoughts.
"I said good morning," she said, waving again.
"Yeah, good morning," I replied, feeling nervous and looking around. "But the café isn't open yet."
"I'm not here for the café," she said, crossing her index fingers in a dismissive gesture. "In fact, I came here for you."
I was puzzled. I pointed at myself, "For me?"
"Yeah, for you. I was on my way to college, then I saw you. I thought we could walk together," she said, positioning her hands behind her back, waiting for my response.
"With me? But I'll be riding my bicycle," I hesitated, gradually hinting that I wasn't interested.
"Bicycle? Okay, let's go!" she replied, disregarding my reluctance. "It'll be fun."
"Why is she insisting on coming with me?" I thought. "Oh, I know! I can say I don't know how to double ride."
Rather than going with her, I thought I could escape the awkwardness.
"It's fine. Let's go!" She had already sat on the back seat by the time I processed my thoughts. I sighed, wondering why this girl had appeared out of nowhere so early in the morning.
I sat on my bicycle, pushed the pedals, and began to ride smoothly. She enjoyed herself on the back, exclaiming, "Oh, you're good at this, but you lied to me." I didn't catch her words.
She watched the buildings and the birds flying overhead, but her eyes often drifted back to me. The back of my hair and blazer ruffled in the wind.
As we rode, we turned and passed through a park when she suddenly shrieked, "Vansh!"
I hit the brakes at once and turned to her, "What happened?"
She was looking to the right and pointed. I gradually turned to see what caught her attention. It was a local convenience store.
"I want to buy something," she said calmly.
"Huh? Now? We'll be late for college," I objected.
"No! I want to buy something, actually." Her eyes seemed to turn into glossy puddles of sadness, staring at me like a kicked puppy abandoned in the rain.
"Actually…?" I waited for her to explain.
"Actually, I didn't eat breakfast. I was in a hurry and…" she began, her voice trailing off as she continued her sad story. I sighed, thinking, "Why am I stuck in this position?"
"Okay, fine. But we'll finish quickly and return. Understood?" I had no choice; her sad eyes had won me over.
Both got off the bicycle, and Vansh parked it while Aanya waited impatiently at the side. He could see "Hurry up" written all over her face.
As they entered the store, the door slid open automatically. Aanya immediately began to explore. She headed over to the food section, looking around eagerly.
Vansh wasn't sure what to do; he was mainly checking on her. His attention kept drifting to her hair as she inspected the shelves filled with cookies and various packed plum cakes. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she tried to decide what to choose.
Suddenly, she felt a surge of enthusiasm and grabbed several items, placing them into the basket. Her hands and legs moved quickly, as if on autopilot, and she added strawberry milk, a sandwich, chocolate bread, a pudding cup, and ice cream.
Once she placed the basket on the counter, Vansh was still looking at drinks when he caught sight of her selection. He rushed over to her.
"Sorry, we'll come right back," he said, grabbing her basket, taking her hand, and running back to the food section.
The cashier tried to stop them, but they had already vanished.
"Why are you picking all this? We don't have enough time to eat," Vansh exclaimed, shaking the basket. "Ice cream in the morning? Do you have money for all this?"
Aanya made a sad face. "I wanted to try all of them. They all looked so tasty." Then she smirked, "But don't worry; I'll finish them all by myself."
"I'm not trying to challenge you or anything," Vansh sighed. When she glanced at the basket, he moved it to the right, and she quickly moved it back to the left.
"Stop doing that!"
"I'm hungry," she insisted, her eyes pleading.
"Come on," he said, exhaling sharply and rolling his eyes. "How about we just get this sandwich and milkshake? You said it's only for breakfast, right? More like breakfast for tomorrow, too?"
Aanya pouted, ready to throw a tantrum. "Okay, fine." She took the sandwich and milkshake and marched to the counter.
Vansh felt a pang of guilt. Exhaling a sharp, weary sigh, he broke the silence and called after her.
"Listen, Aanya," she paused. "We can come here another time." She turned back, watching him as he glanced to the side.
"Really? Can we?" she asked, her eyes brightening.
He nodded, "Absolutely. Just don't break your promise."
Her happiness returned, and she began to jump with joy until they reached the counter. After paying, Vansh grabbed a milkshake, and Aanya looked at him with a playful expression.
"So, who's buying now?" she teased, smirking.
Vansh knew she was mocking him.
Once outside, she started eating her sandwich while Vansh sipped his milkshake. She offered him a bite, but he declined, saying, "You're hungry; I'm fine. I had breakfast this morning."
"One bite won't hurt," she insisted, poking the sandwich towards his cheek. Eventually, he relented, taking a bite from the opposite side before handing it back to her.
"How is it?" he asked.
"It's good," she replied.
Vansh noticed the road was almost empty, and he checked the time on his watch.
As they neared the college gate, the P.E. teacher was checking the time. It would hit 9 a.m. in just a few minutes. He touched the gate, ready to close it, when he suddenly heard a loud voice shrieking from across the road.
Vansh was pedaling furiously, with Aanya clinging tightly to the side rod behind him. The P.E. teacher watched in amazement as Vansh slammed on the brakes right in front of the college entrance. The force of the stop jolted Aanya, who was engrossed in the moment.
"Sorry, Aanya, this is as far as I can drop you," he said, getting off the bicycle. "If you turn to the other side of the road, you'll see your college. Okay, bye!"
Aanya hopped off the cycle, grabbing her bag.
Vansh wore two bags—one on the front and another on the back—before rushing off on his bicycle, shouting, "SAFE!" as he parked it and ran towards class. He quickly changed his shoes and approached the classroom door.
Upon entering, everyone turned to look at him. He was out of breath and found his new seat, occupying it immediately.
"What's up with him?" one guy murmured to another.
"He looks terrifying," someone else commented, noticing Vansh's furious expression.
Srujan, sitting behind him, asked, "Everything alright, Vansh? I waited for you this morning, but you didn't arrive at your usual time."
Rina observed him, thinking, "What's all this ruckus?"
Vansh responded, "I'm not late, right?"
"Luckily, you aren't," Karan said from his seat next to Srujan.
Vansh muttered to himself, "Safe!" Srujan continued to pester him with questions until Rina punched him lightly on the forehead.
"Let him breathe, idiot," she said.
Srujan rubbed his forehead as Rina offered him some water, which he gratefully accepted. Just then, the door opened again, this time revealing Ms. Anki.
She entered the room, her usual demeanor energetic and lively.
"Okay, class, before we start anything, I want to introduce two new students," she announced, beckoning them to come in.
Two students stepped forward.
Vansh choked on his water, coughing as it got stuck in his throat.
"Geez, this kid needs to control himself," Ms. Anki sighed, while the others laughed.
But there she was, standing in front of everyone.
Aanya.