Sameera's POV:
Monday mornings always had a way of reminding me that life wasn't all walks by the beach and movie marathons.
The campus was buzzing, more chaotic than usual, with groups huddled in corners, printouts in hand, and a few people nervously pacing near the placement cell. After all, this was the year. Our year. The word placements was flying around more than chai in the canteen.
I clutched my notebook closer as I entered the corridor, spotting my group by the stairs. Shreya was waving her arms dramatically, already in full rant mode.
"Can you believe it?" she groaned, her pen stuck in her bun. "We're literally expected to have our resumes perfected, know every technical answer, and smile like Miss Universe all at the same time."
Manjiri snorted. "You'll be fine, Shreya. You've been preparing for this like it's the CAT exam."
"I'm still dead inside," Shreya shot back, making Atharva roll his eyes.
I laughed softly, sliding into the circle. Janhvi was seated on the steps, scrolling on her phone, a faint smile tugging at her lips—one she tried to hide the moment I caught her eye. Suspicious. But I let it go… for now.
As everyone continued fussing about interviews, my mind kept drifting back to the weekend. To Saharsh.
Saturday had been… warm. Easy. We didn't do anything extraordinary—just watched a couple of movies at his place (the safe kind, nothing too risky with our emotions), argued over popcorn flavors, and went for a walk in the evening. He was busy with the project he had with Daksh, so we didn't get too much time together, but even those few hours were enough. Just being near him, talking about nothing and everything, was enough.
And yet here I was on a Monday morning, biting back a smile like a complete idiot while Shreya whined about her resume.
"Sam, why are you grinning like that?" Aryan suddenly cut in, narrowing his eyes at me. "Did something happen over the weekend?"
My stomach dropped. Heat crept up my neck.
Before I could say anything, Sneha smacked Aryan's arm. "She's obviously just thinking about placements, dumbass."
"Placements don't make people smile like that," Aryan muttered.
I ducked my head quickly, pretending to shuffle my notes. But inside, all I could think about was the way Saharsh's laughter had echoed in my room when I told him how bad he was at guessing movie twists.
God, this boy was turning me into someone my friends were going to expose sooner rather than later.
My phone buzzed as Shreya and Aryan argued over which company offered the highest packages. I slid it open under my notebook, my heart skipping when I saw the name on the screen.
Saharsh: You're looking extra good today. Can't focus on my lecture after that jhalak of you on the stairs.
I bit my lip, hiding my smile. He wasn't even supposed to have seen me—we were in different departments, different worlds during class hours. And yet, somehow, his eyes always found me.
Another message popped in.
Saharsh: Meet me in the computer lab after your class. I'll help you with your resume.
Resume? Please. I wasn't that naïve. But still, I typed back a quick Okay before Shreya leaned over to peek at my phone.
---
The lab was half-empty when I walked in, the hum of old desktops filling the silence. He was already there, leaning back on one of the revolving chairs, his hair a little messier than usual. The moment he spotted me, his lips curved in that lopsided grin that never failed to melt me.
"Resume help, huh?" I teased, sliding into the chair next to him.
"Yeah," he said, voice low, leaning closer. "But you're making it really hard for me to focus."
At first, we tried. Truly. I opened my Word file, scrolled through lines of text, asked him what I should add. But his gaze never left me, even when I wasn't looking. And soon, I couldn't pretend anymore.
He rolled his chair closer until our knees touched. My breath hitched. "Sameera…" he whispered, his fingers brushing lightly against my hair, tucking a strand behind my ear. His touch lingered, tracing down to my jaw, slow, deliberate, as if memorizing me. Then the pad of his thumb brushed my cheekbone, lower, to the tip of my nose.
My heartbeat went erratic.
"Can I kiss you?" he murmured, his face inches away, his breath fanning across my lips.
I swallowed hard. "You're my boyfriend," I whispered back. "You don't need permission to kiss me."
Something dark flickered in his eyes then, something that made my stomach flip. And before I knew it, his lips were on mine—gentle at first, as if testing me. But the moment I clutched at his shirt, pulling him closer, something in him snapped. The kiss deepened, his mouth hot, demanding, tasting every inch of me like he couldn't get enough.
My heart hammered wildly. His hand tightened at my waist, sliding lower, possessive. Before I could think, he swept me up in his arms and placed me on the computer desk. The cold surface contrasted with the fire of his touch as he pressed himself between my knees, lips moving against mine feverishly.
I gasped into his mouth when his fingers teased along the curve of my thigh, his other hand tangled in my hair, holding me exactly where he wanted me. His kiss grew messier, wetter, desperate.
"Saharsh…" I whispered against his lips, shivering as his mouth trailed down to the corner of mine, brushing dangerously close to my jaw.
He chuckled darkly. "You drive me insane."
And just as I pulled him closer again—
The door burst open.
We froze, lips inches apart. My heart plummeted.
But it wasn't just anyone.
It was Janhvi. And Daksh.
Kissing.
Yes. Kissing. His hand was on her waist, her arms looped around his neck. They stumbled in, lips locked, only to break apart mid-step as their eyes landed on us.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Four pairs of eyes. Four shocked faces. One room.
And then—
"WHAT THE HELL?!" all of us screamed at once.
I scrambled off the desk, cheeks burning, lips swollen. Saharsh grabbed my hand protectively, pulling me slightly behind him, his jaw set.
"Ok, enough!" he suddenly said, voice firm. "We're dating." His grip tightened on my hand, eyes flicking to Janhvi. "I mean, by this point, Janhvi, I thought you would've caught on."
Janhvi blinked, her face unreadable for a second. Then she shook her head, groaning. "Oh, I caught on. I'm just shocked you two have reached… this level already." Her eyes flicked at the desk, making my entire face burn crimson.
I buried my face in my palms. God. Kill me now.
But then—my embarrassment evaporated as I looked back at her and Daksh. "Wait a second. Forget us. What about you two?"
The question landed like a bomb. Daksh's jaw tightened, but he said nothing. Janhvi's eyes widened, panic flashing in them, and before I could press further, she grabbed my hand in a rush.
"Sameera, we're late for the next lecture," she blurted out. Then, glancing at Saharsh with an apologetic smile: "Sorry for stealing your girlfriend. She'll be back in one piece."
And just like that, she dragged me out, her steps hurried, not giving me a chance to argue.
Behind us, Saharsh and Daksh were left standing alone.
When I glanced back over my shoulder—I saw Daksh still standing in the lab doorway.
Watching us.
His expression wasn't the usual unreadable mask anymore. No. It was darker. His jaw was set, his fists clenched, his eyes shadowed with something sharp—anger, maybe. Or hurt.
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