Sameera's POV:
The moment we stepped out of the lab, Janhvi didn't even slow down. She was walking fast, her grip on my wrist still firm, her face flushed - though I couldn't tell if it was from embarrassment or something else entirely.
"Janhvi, stop!" I said, half out of breath as we reached the corridor. "What was that back there?"
She finally halted near the staircase landing, letting out a shaky laugh. "What was what?"
I frowned. "Don't 'what' me. You and Daksh-"
Her expression shifted for the tiniest second, like a crack in her usual confident front. Then she scoffed, folding her arms. "Oh come on, Sameera. You seriously think there's something going on between me and Mr. Always-Serious?"
I just stared at her. "I literally saw you-"
"That was nothing," she interrupted quickly, forcing a smile. "A slip. You know how things are... sometimes you trip, and..."
"Trip?!" I raised an eyebrow. "You were kissing, Janhvi."
She looked away, her jaw tightening for a heartbeat. Then she exhaled sharply and, just like that, her mask returned. "Can we not talk about this right now? Please?"
Her tone wasn't defensive anymore - it was tired. Fragile, almost. Something was breaking under her calm, but she was trying too hard to hold it together.
So I softened my voice. "You can tell me anything, you know that, right?"
She glanced at me briefly, and for a split second, I saw the turmoil in her eyes. But then she blinked, forcing a grin that was painfully fake.
"Enough about me," she said suddenly, looping her arm through mine again. "Let's talk about you."
"Me?"
"Yes, you," she said, smirking now, like she was glad to change the subject. "You and Saharsh, Miss 'We're Just Friends'. You seriously kissed him like that in a college lab and expect me not to ask anything?"
My cheeks flamed instantly. "Janhvi!"
"Oh, don't you dare blush now," she teased, bumping my shoulder lightly. "Just admit it. You're in love with him."
I bit my lip, heart stuttering a little at the word love.
Janhvi caught it. Her grin softened into something more genuine. "You are, aren't you?"
I sighed, smiling despite myself. "Yeah... I think I am."
Her hand squeezed mine gently, her eyes warm - but behind that warmth, something unreadable flickered.
And as we walked toward class, chatting about everything except what mattered, I couldn't shake the feeling that Janhvi's laughter sounded a little forced.
Like she was holding back a story she wasn't ready to tell.
---
In the Afternoon
The Monday blues didn't even stand a chance against the chaos buzzing through college. The entire campus seemed a mess- seniors running around with resumes, last-minute forms, and mock interview sheets. Between all the noise, our batch had been dragged into a combined seminar for MBA and Engineering students.
A "career integration initiative," they called it.
Basically, three hours of motivational speeches, slides full of corporate buzzwords, and watching professors nod at everything like it was world-changing.
Still, as I walked into the auditorium and spotted Saharsh already seated in the second row, grinning like he owned the place, I couldn't help but smile.
He'd saved the seat next to him - the empty one right in the middle.
I tried to act casual, walking toward it with Janhvi beside me, but she nudged me with her elbow. "You're seriously going to pretend that seat wasn't reserved for you?"
"Shut up," I muttered under my breath, cheeks warming as I sat down.
"Good Afternoon, Miss Engineer," Saharsh said softly, leaning just close enough that his breath brushed my ear.
I shot him a side look. "You're here to learn, not flirt."
"Can't I do both?" he whispered, his lips curving into that annoyingly perfect smirk.
I elbowed him lightly, but he just chuckled and opened his notebook - not to write anything useful, of course, but to doodle something ridiculous. I peeked down to find a very dramatic sketch of two stick figures - one with a ponytail, one with messy hair - holding hands.
"You're impossible," I mumbled, trying not to smile.
"I'm creative," he corrected, tapping the stick figures. "See? Us. Visionaries of love and logic."
Before I could respond, the seminar began.
The guest speaker, some alumnus who apparently had "made it big," started talking about corporate ethics and personal branding. Around us, students were half-listening, half-scrolling on their phones.
But Saharsh wasn't even pretending. He kept sneaking glances at me. When I caught him the third time, he leaned closer, whispering, "You look extra good today, you know that?"
My heart did a full somersault. "You're supposed to focus."
He grinned. "I can't. Not when my distraction looks this good."
I turned away before he could see me blush, trying to focus on the PowerPoint. Somewhere behind us, Shivam's loud whisper broke through.
"Arre, look at these two. Sameera and Saharsh - the career integration is clearly working."
Laughter erupted around. Kiara added fuel with a giggle. "Maybe the speaker should take notes from them - this is real networking."
"Guys, please," I hissed, half-mortified, while Saharsh just looked smug, leaning back like he was enjoying every bit of it.
"Let them laugh," he murmured. "At least now we've got an audience for our love story."
"You're insufferable," I said, but couldn't stop smiling.
By the time the seminar ended, the teasing had only gotten worse. The whole group - my friends and his - walked out together, still joking about how "educational" our seating arrangement had been.
Shivam elbowed Saharsh. "So when's the official announcement, Romeo?"
Kiara chimed in, "Yeah, we're tired of pretending we don't know!"
I rolled my eyes. "You all seriously have no other work?"
But before I could walk off, Saharsh suddenly stopped beside me. His expression shifted - serious, sure, but there was that spark in his eyes that made my pulse jump.
Then, in one smooth motion, he reached out and took my hand.
Everyone froze.
His voice came steady, confident, cutting through the noise around us. "Fine. Since everyone wants to know-yes, we're together. She's my girlfriend."
My brain short-circuited.
There were gasps, laughter, a few mock claps - Shivam yelling something like "FINALLY!" while Kiara squealed in triumph.
And me? I just stood there, stunned, staring at our joined hands.
The world around us blurred for a second - it was just him, his warm hand wrapped around mine, that small proud smile playing on his lips. It was crazy, bold, and so him.
"Say something," he murmured, eyes still on me.
I blinked, still processing. "You're... unbelievable."
He grinned wider. "You love that about me."
Before I could even think of a comeback, a voice rang out from behind.
"Saharsh!"
We both turned at once.
A girl came running across the corridor - short hair flying, smile bright - before either of us could react, she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.
The sudden force made him instinctively let go of my hand to catch her, his eyes wide in shock.
My heart stuttered - confusion, surprise, something else twisting inside.
Everyone went silent.
And in that brief, breathless moment, I could only stare - frozen - as Saharsh stood there, holding another girl in his arms.
---