Nila sat lazily on the edge of the chair with her earphones hanging around her neck while Divya continued complaining about assignments she never planned to complete anyway.

“You're failing this semester.”

“Mhm.”

“Did you even hear what I said?”

“No.”

Divya threw a tissue paper at her face.

Before Nila could respond, the entire canteen suddenly became quieter.

Not silent.

Just distracted.

Nila looked up lazily.

Aaradhya walked inside with two girls beside her.

White shirt tucked perfectly.

Hair tied neatly.

Cold expression.

Confident steps.

She looked like the type of girl parents compared their children to.

Nila immediately looked away.

Annoying.

Why did everyone stare at her like she was some goddess?

Divya leaned closer dramatically.

“That’s Aaradhya.”

“I can read names.”

“She topped the department last year.”

“Good for her.”

“She rejected three guys already.”

Nila snorted softly.

“Maybe they were ugly.”

Divya gasped.

“You sound jealous.”

“I sound hungry.”

But the truth was…

Nila had noticed her again.

And she hated that.

---

A few minutes later, Divya left to answer a call, leaving Nila alone with her cold coffee and terrible life choices.

She rested her head on the table lazily.

Then—A shadow stopped near her table.

Nila looked up slowly.

Aaradhya.

Of course.

“You’re sitting in my seat,” Aaradhya said calmly.

Nila blinked once.

Then looked at the empty seats around the canteen.

“There are literally forty chairs here.”

“I like this one.”

“Emotionally attached to furniture?”

A tiny smile almost appeared on Aaradhya’s lips before disappearing again.

Interesting.

Nila moved slightly but didn’t get up.

“You always this rude?”

“You always this serious?”

Aaradhya crossed her arms.

“You skipped class again.”

Nila narrowed her eyes immediately.

“Why do you know that?”

“You sit near the window.”

“You noticed me?”

The question came out before Nila could stop it.

For the first time, Aaradhya looked slightly caught off guard.

Only slightly.

“You're hard to ignore.”

That sentence did something dangerous to Nila’s chest.

Something warm.

Something uncomfortable.

So she covered it with sarcasm.

“Should I feel honored?”

“No,” Aaradhya replied softly.

“You should attend class.”

Nila laughed quietly.

God.

This girl was impossible.

---

That evening, heavy rain covered the city.

Nila stood outside the college gate under the broken shelter while students rushed past with umbrellas.

She searched her hoodie pocket.

Empty.

“No cigarettes,” she muttered in pain.

“Maybe your lungs are finally healing.”

Nila turned immediately.

Aaradhya stood beside her holding an umbrella.

Beautiful.

Again.

Rainwater slid slowly down the strands of hair near her cheek.

Nila stared one second too long.

Aaradhya noticed.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Nila looked away instantly.

“Like what?”

“Like you're trying to solve something.”

Nila stayed quiet.

Because honestly…

She didn’t know.

Maybe she was trying to understand why this girl made silence feel heavy.

Thunder echoed across the road.

Aaradhya suddenly stepped closer under the tiny shelter to avoid the rain.

Now they were standing dangerously near.

Nila could smell her perfume.

Soft.

Warm.

Addictive.

“You smoke?” Aaradhya asked quietly after noticing the empty cigarette box in Nila’s hand.

“Mhm.”

“Why?”

Nila shrugged carelessly.

“Helps me breathe.”

“That sounds sad.”

“It wasn't supposed to.”

Aaradhya stared at her for a long moment.

Not judging.

Just… seeing her.

And somehow that felt worse.

The rain became heavier.

Neither of them moved.

Then Aaradhya spoke softly without looking at her.

“You look lonely even when you're joking.”

Nila froze.

That line hit too close.

Too personally.

So she smiled lazily to hide it.

“And you look happy even when you're dying inside.”

For the first time—Aaradhya had no reply.

Only silence.

And eyes that suddenly looked wounded.