Once she decided she liked someone, she chased them without hesitation.

That’s what she had done with Jay. She had convinced herself he was the one she wanted, the one who made her heart race.

But now…

Now, when Aarav so much as looked at her, her world tilted slightly.

It was ridiculous. She had known him for years. He was the same Aarav who had always been there—annoying, distant, unreadable.

But lately, something about him had shifted.

And it was driving her crazy.

It started with the little things.

The way his gaze lingered on her longer than before.

The way he tensed when she touched him, even accidentally.

The way he reacted—as if she had some kind of power over him.

And once she noticed it, she couldn’t stop noticing it.

The first time it happened, it was in class.

Tanya was sitting with Esha, scrolling through her notes when Aarav walked in.

She didn’t even mean to look at him. But for some reason, her eyes found him the moment he entered the room.

And the moment his gaze met hers—

He froze.

It was barely a second, just a flicker of hesitation before he walked to his seat. But Tanya caught it.

She narrowed her eyes slightly.

Why did he look… guilty?

She tried to brush it off, but the more she paid attention, the more it happened.

The second time was at lunch.

Tanya, Esha, and a few others were sitting at the cafeteria table, chatting about some random topic when someone cracked a joke.

Tanya laughed.

Not just a soft chuckle, but a full, genuine laugh—the kind that made her throw her head back slightly.

And across the table, Aarav’s spoon stopped mid-air.

It was so brief that no one else noticed, but Tanya did.

She caught the way his fingers curled slightly, how his jaw tightened like he was physically stopping himself from reacting.

Her laughter faltered.

Because suddenly, it felt like she had too much power over him.

And that was dangerous.

The third time? That was when she knew she wasn’t imagining things.

It was at the basketball court.

Aarav was playing a casual game with a few guys from their class, his usual effortless movements making it clear he was good at it.

Tanya wasn’t even watching at first.

But then, one of the guys nudged Aarav.

“Dude, she’s looking at you.”

Tanya didn’t know who they meant.

But Aarav did.

Because his movements stilled for just a second.

A beat too long.

And then—he missed a shot.

Aarav. Missing a shot.

It was almost comical.

The guys laughed, teasing him. “What’s up with you, man?”

Aarav muttered something under his breath, running a hand through his hair before grabbing the ball again.

But Tanya wasn’t laughing.

Because in that moment, it finally clicked.

He wasn’t just reacting to her.

He was falling for her.

Tanya didn’t say anything about it that day.

Or the next.

She wanted to be sure.

But now that she had noticed it, she couldn’t unsee it.

It was in the way he stole glances when he thought she wasn’t looking.

The way his expression changed whenever Jay was around—his restraint, his silent observation.

The way he walked away before she could get too close, as if putting distance between them was the only way to keep himself together.

But the biggest sign?

The way his heartbeat betrayed him.

She had felt it.

The way it raced when she touched him.

And no one could fake that.

Tanya sat on the edge of her bed that night, gripping her phone, heart hammering in her chest.

She needed to know.

She needed him to admit it.

With a deep breath, she pulled up Aarav’s contact and typed.

Tanya: Are you free tomorrow?

A few minutes later, her phone buzzed.

Aarav: Why?

She smirked. Typical. He was already on guard.

Tanya: Just meet me. No excuses.

A pause.

Then—

Aarav: Fine.

Tanya exhaled.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow, she was going to get the truth out of him.

As Tanya turned off her phone, she felt it—

That thrill in her veins.

Aarav was falling.

And tomorrow, she was going to make sure he knew it too.