Sameera's POV:
The library was unusually quiet for a weekday afternoon. The only sounds were the occasional shuffle of pages and the soft hum of the air-conditioning. I sat at the far corner table with Janhvi, Shreya, and Manjiri, half-buried in notes, the other half buried in guilt.
It had been almost two weeks since I'd last spoken to Saharsh. Exams had kept everyone busy, but for me, it wasn't just that. Every time he came anywhere near me—whether it was in the corridor, the canteen, or after class—I'd suddenly find an excuse to leave. And he... well, he didn't push, but his eyes always followed.
"You're ignoring him," Janhvi said out of nowhere, snapping me out of my trance.
I looked up from my notebook. "What?"
Shreya raised an eyebrow. "Don't 'what' us. We haven't seen him around the engineering building all week. And when we did, you somehow vanished before he could even say hi."
"He must be busy with his own exams," I said quickly, flipping a page in my notebook like I was deeply invested in the periodic table I wasn't even reading.
Manjiri leaned forward, her voice low. "So... did something happen between you two?"
"No," I replied too quickly. "Nothing happened. And I don't feel anything about him, okay? So stop imagining nonsense."
They exchanged looks like they didn't believe me for a second. Before I could argue further, the sound of footsteps caught our attention.
Saharsh walked into the common library with Daksh and Shivam, scanning the room casually—until his gaze landed on me. My stomach flipped.
"Perfect," Janhvi muttered under her breath before waving at him.
"What are you doing?!" I hissed.
"If there's nothing going on, don't ignore him," Shreya said with a sly smile. "And definitely don't get all flustered. You know... unless you are hiding something."
I glared at her, but it was too late—Saharsh was already heading in our direction.
Saharsh stopped at our table, greeting the girls politely, but his eyes stayed on me. "Hey."
"Hi," I said, barely above a whisper, pretending to focus on my notes.
"We were just discussing an assignment," Janhvi cut in innocently. "Sameera needs a book from the reference section, right, Sam?"
I gave her a death stare, but she smiled sweetly. "Uh... yeah."
"Come, I'll help you find it," Saharsh offered without hesitation.
I wanted to refuse, but saying no would only make it worse. So I followed him into the maze of shelves, the air growing heavier with every step.
He scanned the spines of the books, fingers trailing along the edges until he pulled one free. "This one?"
I reached out to take it, and in the narrow space between shelves, our hands brushed.
Static. Real, electric static.
I froze, my pulse thundering in my ears. His hand lingered a fraction too long, his gaze flicking down to mine.
And that was it—I couldn't breathe. "Thanks... I—uh—I should get back."
Before he could say anything, I bolted from the library, clutching the book like it was my lifeline.
---
The corridor outside was buzzing with chatter, and I caught more than one pair of eyes following me. A group of MBA girls—ones I'd seen giggling at Saharsh before—stood together, whispering and throwing sharp glances my way.
Ignoring them, I quickened my pace, but my chest was already tight.
I ducked into an empty classroom, dropped my bag on the desk, and pulled out my phone.
"Sam?" Rishi's voice came through after the first ring.
"I don't know what's happening, Rishi," I blurted out, my voice shaky. "Every time I see him, I—my head says ignore, but my stupid heart..." I pressed my hand against my chest, willing it to slow down. "I don't want to feel this. I didn't plan for this. I don't even know if I want it. But he's... everywhere. And it's making me—" I stopped, swallowing hard. "It's making me someone I don't recognize."
On the other side of the door, soft footsteps slowed. Muffled voices—female.
I glanced up just in time to hear a whisper. "Close it. Lock it."
The click of the latch echoed in the room.
I was locked in.
The air in the empty classroom felt heavier the moment the lock clicked.
I jolted upright, rushing to the door. "Hello?!" My voice echoed back at me. "Open the door!"
Nothing.
I pressed my ear to the wood. Faint giggles. One of them whispered something about "teaching her a lesson" and "let's see how she enjoys his attention now."
My stomach flipped.
"Rishi... I think someone locked me in," I whispered into the phone, my voice trembling. "This classroom is at the far end of the old block—no one comes here."
"What? Are you serious?!" Rishi's voice shot up in panic. "Sam, just stay calm. I'll—"
"I can't stay calm!" My voice cracked. "I was just talking about him—about Saharsh—and now—"
My breath hitched, my chest tightening until it hurt. The walls seemed to close in, the air thinning.
"Sameera, breathe. Listen to me—"
But I couldn't. The phone slipped from my hand, Rishi's voice cutting off as my knees buckled.
My lungs refused to fill properly. My palms were cold, my vision blurring at the edges. I tried banging on the door, screaming for help, but my voice was strangled, fading fast.
Outside, the girls' voices grew fainter as they walked away, leaving me trapped in suffocating silence.
The last thing I saw before everything went dark was the light streaming through the dusty window.
---
Saharsh's POV:
I wasn't even supposed to be in this corridor. I'd taken a wrong turn while looking for Daksh. That's when I heard it—a faint thud, like someone had fallen.
My stomach twisted. I followed the sound, stopping outside one of the old classrooms. The door was shut.
"Hello?" I called, knocking lightly. No response.
Then, I tried the handle. Locked.
My pulse spiked. "Sameera?!"
Silence.
I didn't think. I kicked the door, the old wood rattling in its frame until the latch gave way.
And there she was—crumpled on the floor, her hair a dark halo around her pale face, her lips trembling with shallow breaths.
"Sam!" I dropped to my knees beside her, sliding an arm under her shoulders. "Hey, hey... it's me. You're okay. I've got you."
She didn't answer—her lashes fluttered weakly, her breath uneven.
My jaw clenched. Whoever has done this...
But right now, nothing mattered except getting her out of here.
I didn't waste another second. One arm hooked beneath her knees, the other steady around her back, I lifted her against me. She felt too light, too still.
"Breathe for me, Sam... come on," I muttered, my voice low, almost pleading.
Her head rested against my chest, and I could feel the shallow rise and fall of her breathing—uneven, but there. Relief tangled with a sharp rush of fury. Whoever had locked her in here would regret it.
The corridor outside was empty, footsteps echoing as I strode toward the main building.
Halfway down, I spotted Daksh and Shreya running toward me, Shivam not far behind. Shreya's eyes went wide.
"Oh my God—what happened to her?"
"She's fine," I said tightly, adjusting my grip. "She just... needs air."
Daksh's jaw tightened as he glanced at her pale face. "Who did this?"
"Not here," I muttered, pushing past them. My only focus was getting her somewhere safe.
Her fingers twitched faintly against my shirt, and I looked down. "It's okay," I whispered, more to myself than her. "You're safe now. I'm not letting anything happen to you."
And as I carried her out into the sunlight, one thought burned through me—
Whoever had done this had just made it very, very personal.