Monday morning arrived with an unusual stillness. The buzz of weekend chatter in the classroom was replaced by something softer—an undercurrent of curiosity. Whispers floated through the room, eyes flitting toward Karthik and Ananya more often than usual.
They weren't sitting together. Not because of any fight—but because of something new, something delicate neither of them had dared to define.
Karthik sat at his usual seat, but this time, he wasn't hunched into his hoodie or drawing circles in his notebook. He watched the door.
Ananya walked in a moment later, hair tied up in a loose braid, a sky-blue kurti with silver embroidery dancing lightly at her knees. She smiled when she caught his eye—a small smile, quick and private.
Karthik smiled back.
It wasn't like the storm from before. It wasn't dramatic or loud. But it was change.
The bell rang, and the teacher entered, announcing a surprise class project: "Pair work for the upcoming school exhibition. You'll work in teams of two on any theme you like—social change, technology, art, whatever speaks to you."
Groans followed. Then curiosity.
Karthik barely had time to turn before Hari thumped him on the back. "You and Ananya again, right?"
Karthik shrugged. "If she's okay with it."
Before he could ask her, Ananya had already moved toward him. "We're doing this, okay?"
He blinked. "Okay…"
As the rest of the class formed pairs, the buzz returned. But Karthik barely noticed.
She sat beside him, crossing her arms on the desk. "Let's not overthink this. We pick something simple."
"Sure," he said. "Like what?"
"Something honest," she said. "Something about...invisible battles."
Karthik raised an eyebrow. "Like mental health?"
Ananya nodded. "Exactly. Because...not every story is visible. Yours wasn't. Mine isn't either."
There was a pause. A quiet acknowledgment.
Karthik slowly reached into his bag and pulled out a rough sketch he'd been working on over the weekend—a faceless boy in the middle of a crowded hallway. Alone, but surrounded.
He slid it over to her without a word.
She stared at it for a long time. Then gently traced the outline with her finger. "This. This is what we'll build."
And just like that, they were partners again—not just for the project, but for something deeper.
Outside, the sun finally broke through the morning haze. Light poured in through the windows, casting a soft glow across the classroom.
A quiet shift. The end of one chapter.
And the beginning of something else.
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End of Chapter 61