The next few days passed by in a blur for Karthik. His routine remained the same—library visits, books, and solitude. But something had shifted. It wasn't anything he could explain, but every time he stepped into the library, he half-expected her to be there. Ananya Yadav.
He cursed under his breath. What was wrong with him?
"She's just another girl," Karthik muttered, trying to focus on the pages in front of him.
But as if on cue, the door to the library creaked open.
He looked up, heart pounding for no reason at all.
Ananya stepped inside, her presence almost too bright for the quiet, dim library. She spotted him immediately and, to his surprise, walked straight to his table without hesitation.
"You're still here?" she asked casually, her voice laced with amusement.
Karthik didn't respond right away. Instead, he narrowed his eyes, taking in her carefree attitude.
"I could say the same to you," he muttered, barely lifting his gaze from his book.
Ananya grinned. "Fair enough. I've got a couple of hours free, thought I'd spend it here."
Karthik let out a quiet sigh, trying his best not to let the growing tension in his chest show. Why was she so persistent?
"Don't you have friends to hang out with?" he asked, his tone more biting than he intended.
Ananya raised an eyebrow, unbothered. "I do, but they can't always keep me entertained. Besides, you're… interesting."
Karthik didn't know whether to feel insulted or confused. "I'm not interesting."
"That's exactly why I find you interesting." She shrugged, then took a seat across from him.
Karthik almost dropped his book. He hadn't expected her to actually sit down. He wasn't used to people invading his space, especially not someone like Ananya.
But despite the discomfort creeping up his spine, he didn't ask her to leave.
She wasn't bothering him—at least, not in the way he feared.
The silence between them stretched on, both of them engrossed in their own thoughts.
After a while, Ananya broke the stillness. "So, what are you reading?"
Karthik glanced at her for a brief moment. "A Dostoevsky novel."
She nodded, not entirely understanding. "Sounds… deep."
Karthik didn't respond. Instead, he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, not sure what to make of this interaction.
A Different Kind of Quiet
The days that followed were strange. Ananya seemed to make it a habit to visit the library every day, always sitting across from Karthik. At first, Karthik had been annoyed by her presence, but gradually, something began to change.
Ananya's energy was contagious. Her laughter filled the library, light and warm. She didn't try to engage him in constant conversation, but there was a quiet companionship in the way she sat with him. Sometimes, she read her own book. Other times, she would pull out her phone and glance at him occasionally.
It was like an invisible thread had connected them, drawing him in despite his best efforts to remain detached.
One afternoon, as the sun cast long shadows across the floor, Ananya broke the quiet once again.
"You don't talk much, do you?" she asked.
Karthik's fingers froze mid-turn of the page. "I talk when I have something to say."
She smiled, leaning back in her chair. "Fair enough. But I have a feeling you have more to say than you let on."
Karthik shifted uncomfortably, his heart inexplicably racing. "Not really."
Ananya tilted her head, her gaze never leaving him. "You know, for someone who doesn't talk much, you're kind of… mysterious. Like, I don't get you."
Karthik felt a small prick of something—guilt? Or was it just unease?
"I'm not that complicated," he muttered, though the words felt hollow in his mouth.
Ananya didn't seem convinced. "I think you are. And maybe, I just want to figure you out."
His breath caught in his throat, and for a moment, he couldn't think of a single thing to say. She was too… direct. Too open.
"Why?" was all he managed to ask.
Ananya's smile softened, almost thoughtful. "Maybe because no one else bothers to."
The words hung between them, and for a brief, intense moment, Karthik wondered if she could see past the mask he wore. If she could see the parts of him he kept hidden—the parts he had long buried.
Before he could say anything more, the door to the library opened again, interrupting the moment.
"Hey, Ananya! Are you coming?"
It was Shruthi, Ananya's ever-energetic best friend, poking her head in.
Ananya hesitated, glancing back at Karthik. Then, with a grin, she stood up. "Yeah, coming!"
As she walked toward the door, she turned back to Karthik and called out over her shoulder, "See you tomorrow, mystery boy!"
Karthik watched her leave, the tension in his chest tightening once more.
He wasn't sure when it had happened, but somehow, he had begun to look forward to her visits.
He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.
End of Chapter 4