The dusty library windows filtered in the afternoon sunlight, casting a warm glow over the rows of bookshelves. The scent of old paper filled the air, familiar and comforting to Karthik Iyer. He sat in his usual spot, the worn-out copy of Crime and Punishment open before him. But no matter how hard he tried to focus, his mind kept drifting back to the previous day.
"You saw that, didn't you?"
Ananya Yadav's words echoed in his head. Her teasing smile. The way she spoke as if they shared a secret. The way she had noticed him.
Karthik clicked his tongue in irritation. Why was he even thinking about her? She was just another classmate, another person passing through his life without meaning. That's how it had always been. That's how he preferred it.
And yet, something about her unsettled him.
Ananya's Thoughts
Meanwhile, on the other side of the school, Ananya Yadav leaned against her locker, scrolling through her phone. Her friends chatted around her, laughing about something ridiculous, but she wasn't listening.
Her mind kept going back to Karthik Iyer.
She had seen him before, sitting alone in the library, always reading, always silent. But until yesterday, she had never actually spoken to him. And now that she had, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something… interesting about him.
He was different. Not in a bad way. Just… different.
"Oi, Ananya! You coming or what?" Shruthi called, swinging her bag over her shoulder.
Ananya blinked out of her thoughts. "Huh? Yeah, coming."
She shut her phone and followed her friends, but a small smile lingered on her lips.
Maybe she'd go back to the library again.
An Unexpected Meeting
The next day, Karthik walked into the library, ready to disappear into his usual solitude. The world outside was too loud, too crowded. Here, he could just exist, unnoticed.
But today, something was different.
Someone was sitting in his usual spot.
Ananya Yadav.
Karthik froze mid-step. She sat comfortably, flipping through a book, her long braid draped over one shoulder. She looked up as if she had been waiting for him.
"Oh, hey," she greeted casually, as if this were completely normal.
He narrowed his eyes. "What are you doing here?"
Ananya smirked. "What, am I not allowed in the library?"
Karthik crossed his arms. "You've never come here before."
She tilted her head playfully. "Maybe I have, and you just never noticed."
He frowned. That was unlikely. He noticed everything.
Ananya shut her book and leaned forward slightly. "Relax, library boy. I just thought I'd check out a new place. Or…" She grinned. "Are you saying I'm disturbing your secret villain plotting?"
Karthik stiffened. For a second, he wondered if she had somehow read his mind, seen the dark thoughts he tried so hard to suppress.
But then he realized—she was just teasing him.
He sighed and sat across from her, trying to ignore her presence. "Do whatever you want."
She beamed. "Already planned to."
For the first time, the silence of the library felt… different. Less comforting. Less isolating.
And Karthik wasn't sure if he hated that or not.
End of Chapter 2