The week that followed brought with it a gentle shift in routine.
Karthik, once the quiet presence in the back row, found himself pulled into the whirlwind that was the cultural fest preparations. Ananya was everywhere—coordinating events, giving costume suggestions, correcting a junior's dance posture—all with the energy of someone who was born to lead.
And yet, whenever she passed Karthik's table where he was brainstorming scenes for their short film, she slowed down. Dropped a quick one-liner. A teasing smirk. A quiet "Don't overthink it." It was like their rhythm was finding its beat again.
---
One afternoon, after school hours, Karthik found himself in the AV room with a small team: two seniors with DSLR cameras, a quiet editor named Preetha, and Ananya, who had appointed herself as "creative assistant."
They were setting up a test shoot for the short film. Karthik's script had been approved, and they were now casting and scouting classroom spots for different scenes.
He hadn't realized how nervous he'd be seeing his words come to life.
"Alright, everyone!" Ananya clapped, mock-director style. "Let's get this emotional monologue shot done. Karthik, want to explain the context?"
He swallowed. Everyone was looking at him.
"The scene's about a boy admitting he's afraid of being loved," Karthik began, voice soft. "Because he doesn't believe he deserves it."
The silence that followed wasn't awkward—it was thoughtful.
Then Preetha looked up. "That's… deep."
Ananya glanced at Karthik, a knowing warmth in her eyes.
"It's honest," she said gently. "That's what makes it powerful."
---
Later, while packing up, Ananya and Karthik ended up walking toward the school gates together.
"You've changed," she said casually, swinging her water bottle by the strap.
"Changed?"
"You're talking. Explaining your work. Owning it." She grinned. "Two months ago, you'd have mumbled and run away."
He chuckled. "Well, I've had a good influence around."
"Glad you noticed."
They stopped near the school noticeboard, where a list of names for the drama team had been posted. Ananya scanned it quickly.
Karthik, on the other hand, looked at the posters. Confidence is a muscle, one read. Another said, You are more than the voice inside your head.
He looked at his reflection in the noticeboard glass.
A quiet thought surfaced.
Maybe I'm not so broken anymore.
---
That night, Karthik stayed up late, scribbling story notes, sketching thumbnails, and—on impulse—opening a new journal page.
He wrote one sentence.
> "Today, I believed in myself. Just for a moment. But it was real."
He stared at it, then smiled.
Not because the world had changed.
But because he had.
---
End of Chapter 53