Saharsh's Pov:
"Yes, we are together." I said, my fingers intertwined with Sameera's as we walked out of the seminar hall.
"She's my girlfriend."
The gang reacted exactly like overexcited lunatics.
"FINALLY!" Janhvi threw her hands up.
Shivam clutched his chest. "We waited two years for this, bro."
Kiara whispered loudly to Sam, "You owe us a party."
Sameera went tomato-red, ducking her head but smiling like she couldn't help it.
I squeezed her hand—
And suddenly—
"SAHARSH!!"
A scream.
A blur.
Arms launched at me like a missile.
Someone slammed into me and wrapped me in a suffocating bear hug, making me drop Sameera's hand.
"What the—?" I gasped.
Sameera froze mid-step.
Kiara and Shivam both blinked.
Janhvi's eyebrows shot into her hairline.
Daksh muttered, "Kya ho raha hai?"
The girl pulled back just enough for me to see her short hair… wide grin… familiar mischief.
"Do… I know you?" I asked, still breathless.
She scoffed dramatically.
"Wow. You forgot me? After ALL THAT?"
Sameera's eyes widened slightly.
She looked from her to me, then back again — confused, searching her memory, but also… something else tightening in her expression.
The tone.
The attitude.
And suddenly—
"…Gauri?"
Her whole face lit up.
"Took you long enough!"
Kiara whispered to Sameera, "You know her?"
Sameera shook her head mutely, trying to place the face.
Gauri hugged me again.
I gently stepped back and turned to Sameera.
"Sameera… you remember Gauri? From school?"
Sameera stared hard.
"I— I knew a Gauri… but she had long hair. And glasses. And two thick braids."
Gauri flicked her short hair.
"EXACTLY. I evolved. Iss liye pehchana nahi."
Sameera's mouth fell open.
"YOU'RE that Gauri?"
Gauri laughed.
"Yes! Sameera Gayaki, the girl who ditched us after 4th grade!"
Shivam laughed.
"Arey wah, school reunion bhi ho gaya."
Janhvi eyed Sameera with a teasing smirk.
"Sam? You okay?"
Sameera pushed a smile. "Ya… yeah."
But her fingers tightened around her notebook.
After Sameera left school back then…
It had been me and Gauri till 12th — best friends, rivals, the duo teachers were tired of separating.
Seeing her here felt unreal.
I asked, "But what are you doing in Mumbai? In my college?"
"Oh! I'm interning with the company that organized today's seminar."
Media & PR. I'll be around for a while."
"A while" = definitely too long for the look that flickered across Sameera's eyes.
Daksh snorted softly.
"New entry."
"Old entry," Gauri corrected proudly. "VERY old."
And then she tugged my wrist hard.
"Chalo! Show me the whole campus. GO GO GO!"
"Wait— Gauri—" I turned to Sameera instinctively.
Her face was calm.
Too calm.
Only her eyes betrayed something tight and complicated.
Kiara whispered near her ear, "You okay?"
Sameera nodded, but the swallow in her throat said otherwise.
I gave her a small apologetic smile.
"I'll… just go. Two minutes."
Her smile didn't reach her eyes.
"Yeah. Go."
Janhvi and Kiara exchanged a look — both noticing what I did.
Daksh raised a brow as if saying bro, sambhaalke.
Gauri tugged again, dragging me forward.
And as she laughed like she always did, I looked over my shoulder one last time.
Sameera stood still in the hallway…
expression soft but clouded…
something tightening inside her chest…
Something dangerously close to jealousy.
And I wasn't sure whether it scared me—
or thrilled me.
Sameera's POV:
For a minute, I just stood there like an idiot.
One second Saharsh was holding my hand, declaring to literally half the department that I was his girlfriend…
…and the next, this girl "Gauri" came running, launched herself at him like a missile, and he let go of my hand to catch her.
Before I could even process that, Gauri laughed, looped her arm around Saharsh's, and said she wanted a campus tour.
And like it was the most natural thing, she started dragging him away.
He barely got a second to glance at me — a soft, hesitant look — before he followed her.
And something in my chest twisted so sharply, it almost hurt.
Janhvi raised an eyebrow.
Kiara folded her arms dramatically.
Shivam leaned in like a gossip auntie.
"Sameera," he whispered loudly, "you look like someone stole your boyfriend in front of you."
I elbowed him. Hard.
Kiara smirked. "Aww, jealous? Just a little bit?"
"I'm not," I muttered, looking anywhere but the direction Saharsh went.
While walking to the class, they just stared at me.
"…Okay fine," I sighed, shoulders sagging, "maybe a little."
Shivam clapped his hands like he won a bet. "Knew it! I could feel the jealous vibrations from here."
Janhvi looped her arm through mine and pulled me toward the building.
"Jealousy is normal, Sam," she said gently.
"But don't overthink. He literally announced your relationship five minutes ago. You know what that means?"
Kiara added, "It means even the pigeons in this campus now know Saharsh belongs to you."
I should've laughed.
I almost did.
But then—
Through the classroom window, I saw them.
Saharsh and Gauri walking across the lawn. Her laughing at something he said. Her brushing dust off his shoulder in some friendly, casual way.
And him smiling politely, nodding, talking.
Something inside me dropped right to my feet.
Then from out of nowhere Aryan popped up, he followed my line of sight and whistled, "Uff. This looks like those scenes where the heroine watches the hero with another girl and realises her true feelings."
"Shut up," I hissed, but my voice cracked.
Because I did realise something.
I wasn't just jealous.
I was scared.
Scared of how much he mattered to me.
Scared of how easily someone else could walk into the frame and steal the moment.
Scared of what it meant to actually be in love.
"Sam," Janvhi said softly, placing a hand on my arm. "Talk to him before your brain writes a whole tragic movie."
I opened my mouth to reply—
but my phone buzzed.
A message from him.
Saharsh: Where are you? Are you mad at me?
Saharsh: Sam… look at me.
I lifted my gaze again—
—and he was there. Near the stairs.
Ignoring whatever Gauri was saying.
Eyes fixed on only me.
And just like that, my heart steadied.
But the jealousy?
Yeah, that was still very much alive.
And I knew this conversation was far from over.
Saharsh's POV:
The ride home was… strangely quiet.
Sameera sat behind me on the bike, not holding my waist like she usually did, just her hands resting lightly on my shoulders — as if she didn't trust herself to hold me tighter tonight.
And I didn't say anything either.
Because I didn't know what I'd say without it sounding like an excuse.
We weren't angry.
We weren't upset.
But there was something between us. Something new. Something unfamiliar.
Her silence felt heavy.
My silence felt worse.
By the time we pulled into the society gate, the night breeze wasn't enough to cool my head.
She got off slowly, trying to act normal.
"Goodnight," she whispered and turned to unlock her door.
No.
Not tonight.
Before she could touch the handle, I gently caught her wrist and tugged her toward my place.
"Saharsh—"
I didn't let her finish.
I pushed the door shut and pulled her straight into my arms.
A tight hug.
Probably the tightest I've ever given her.
For a moment, she didn't react — just stood still, surprised.
Then her fingers curled lightly into the back of my t-shirt.
I exhaled shakily against her shoulder.
"Sameera… I'm sorry."
She blinked, confused. "For what?"
"For today. For Gauri. For— I don't know— if it made you feel anything. If you were—"
"Jealous?" she finished, arching a brow.
I swallowed. "Yeah… that."
She stepped back just a little, looking up into my eyes. There was a tiny shine in her lashes — like she wasn't crying, but she could if I said one more stupid word.
"There is nothing to explain," she said softly. "I know. I know very well that you only love me. That you only belong to me."
My heart stopped.
But then she smirked.
A classic Sameera smirk.
"And who said I was jealous? Jealousy is not even in my dictionary."
I stared at her.
She stared back smugly.
"Ohh, really?" I leaned in. "Not even a little jealous?"
"Nope."
"Bilkul nhi?"
"Not. At. All."
I nodded dramatically. "Thik hai. Main wapas Gauri se milke aata hoon."
The effect was instant.
She grabbed my arm so fast that even I wasn't prepared.
"Excuse me? Kahan jaa rahe ho tum?!"
I bit back a laugh. "Arre par tum toh jealous thi hi nahi."
She narrowed her eyes. "I'm not."
"Sameera," I cupped her cheek, pulling her close, "jealousy saaf saaf nazar aa rahi hai tumhare iss pyaare se chehre par."
Her cheeks went pink.
She pushed me lightly. "I wasn't jealous. I just… didn't like how she dragged you."
"Hmm." I pretended to think. "That's the definition of jealousy."
She gasped. "Saharsh!"
"Okay, okay," I raised my hands in surrender, grinning. "Fine. You weren't jealous… you were very jealous."
She tried to glare but failed miserably when the corner of her lips lifted.
"Tum bahut zyaada irritating ho."
"And you love me for it."
She didn't deny it.
She just stepped into my chest again, her forehead resting against mine, her voice dropping to a whisper.
"Maybe… a little."
I wrapped my arms around her again, letting the last trace of tension melt away.
Maybe the silence on the bike was confusing.
Maybe the emotions were new.
Maybe neither of us had the words.
But right now — in this small room, in this warm hug — everything felt clear.
We were still standing close, her hands looped lightly around my waist, when she suddenly took a small breath as if gathering courage.
"Saharsh… I have to tell you something."
My smile faded just a little. "Kya hua?"
She stepped back from the hug, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear — a clear sign she was nervous.
"I'm… going home for a few days."
The words hit harder than they should have.
"…What? Why?"
"We have holidays because of the elections," she explained. "And Mum-Dad have been calling nonstop, saying I never come home, that I've forgotten I have parents."
She let out a quiet laugh. "So… I said I'd go."
For a second, I couldn't say anything.
I had imagined the next few days differently — late-night drives, stupid fights, her falling asleep on my shoulder while we watched something neither of us paid attention to.
But she was leaving.
"Oh." I tried to hide the drop in my voice. "Kab?"
"Day after tomorrow."
I blinked. "So soon?"
She nodded softly.
I didn't know why it stung. It wasn't like she was going away forever. But even a few days without her… felt heavier tonight.
I forced a smile. "Okay… if you have to go."
She bit her lip, watching me carefully. "I also… have my placement interview this week."
My head snapped up. "Placement?"
"Yeah," she said, taking a breath. "The Bangalore company that's coming. It's hard to get selected, I know… but I just want to try. Get some experience. See how interviews work."
I stared at her — proud, surprised, a little stunned.
But also… worried.
"Bangalore?" I repeated slowly.
She nodded. "Just the interview, Saharsh. I'm not moving tomorrow."
She laughed softly. "Relax."
I definitely didn't relax.
I stepped closer, staring into her eyes.
"You could've told me earlier."
"I know. I was waiting… I didn't know how to say it."
I sighed, brushing my thumb over her cheek.
"I just thought… we'd spend the holidays together."
She softened immediately, her fingers sliding into mine.
"I know, Saharsh. I wanted that too."
"So mat jao," I said in a small, deliberately adorable voice, scrunching my nose like an idiot. "Stay na? Bas thode din."
She tried SO hard not to smile. "Saharsh… don't do that."
I leaned even closer. "Please? Just a little? Ek chhota sa holiday together?"
She pushed my face away, laughing softly. "Stop it! Tum itne cute kyun ho suddenly?"
"Cute nahi, desperate hoon," I muttered. "For you."
Her smile softened into something warm, something real.
But she shook her head helplessly.
"I can't stay back, Saharsh. Mum-Dad will actually come here and drag me home."
I groaned dramatically.
"Uncle-Aunty ko bhi na… sabse galat time yaad aati hai tumhari."
She laughed. "They miss me, okay?"
"Main bhi."
She froze for a second — completely caught off guard.
Her voice dropped. "I'll call you… every day."
"Better," I grumbled.
She squeezed my hand.
"And the interview… you think I can do it?"
"Of course you can." My voice was firm now, no trace of the earlier sulking. "Sameera, you're brilliant. You're confident. And that company would be stupid to not hire you."
She looked down, shy. "It's a difficult company, Saharsh…"
"So?" I tilted her chin up. "Even if you don't get it, it's their loss. And even trying takes guts. I'm proud of you."
Her eyes softened completely.
"Thank you."
I pulled her into a gentle hug — not tight, but grounding, reassuring.
"I'll miss you," I whispered into her hair. "But I want you to go crack that interview. And when you come back… you better come to me first."
She laughed into my chest. "We'll see."
"Oh, we won't see. You will." I tightened my hold for a second. "You're not escaping that."
She hugged me back, this time a little tighter — as if she felt the same sudden ache I did.
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