Karthik sat by the window in his room, eyes tracing the raindrops as they slid down the glass. It was the kind of rain he usually loved—melancholic, poetic. But today, it made him feel hollow.
Ananya's voice echoed in his mind.
"You're such a mess, Karthik."
And yet… she held his hand.
He closed his eyes, the memory replaying again and again. Her fingers in his, warm despite the cold rain. That one small gesture had undone him. The darkness that used to comfort him now felt like a prison. Her presence had brought light, and now he couldn't go back to living without it.
His phone buzzed.
Ananya: Did you have dinner?
He stared at the message.
This girl… after everything, she still cared.
Karthik: Not yet. You?
Ananya: Just finished. Go eat. Don't overthink. It's not that deep.
He chuckled softly. She knew him too well.
The next morning at school, he arrived earlier than usual. He found a spot by the back stairs, where they sometimes sat during lunch breaks. He waited.
Ten minutes later, she appeared.
"You're early," she said, adjusting the strap of her bag.
"I wanted to see you before class."
She sat beside him, resting her chin on her knee. "You look like you haven't slept."
"Didn't. I was… thinking."
She glanced at him. "Heavy stuff?"
Karthik hesitated. Then spoke. "I've changed. And I think it's because of you."
She didn't reply right away.
"I don't feel like hiding anymore," he continued. "You made me want to be better."
Ananya turned to face him fully. "You are better, Karthik. You just don't believe it yet."
"I'm scared," he admitted. "Of what I feel. Of losing you. Of not being enough for someone like you."
She smiled, a small, almost sad smile. "You don't have to be 'enough' for me. Just be real. Be you. That's the version I like."
Karthik swallowed hard. "Even with the darkness?"
"Especially with the darkness," she said gently. "Because you're trying to come out of it."
He stared at her, unable to speak.
"Come on," she said, standing up and brushing off her skirt. "Let's face another day together. One step at a time."
He followed, a little lighter than before.
As they walked into the corridor side by side, someone from their class called out, "Look who's back to being inseparable!"
Karthik glanced at Ananya nervously. But she just smiled, reached for his hand, and didn't let go.
For the first time in his life, Karthik didn't shrink from the spotlight.
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End of Chapter 57