SEVEN

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HER POV

I was sleeping peacefully curled up in the warmth of my blanket, lost in my dreams, when the voice echoed from the downstairs.

"ISHAAAAAAAAA UTH JAAAAA"

( "ISHAAAAAAA, WAKE UUUUP!" )

My eyes fluttered open, slightly irritated my brows furrowed. I hated being woken up like this-especially when my sleep was disturbed so abruptly. With a small groan, she turned her head to glance at the alarm clock on her bedside table.

8:45 AM.

My eyes widened

"Shittt " i muttered, Sitting upright in shock

In a panic, i threw the blanket off and jumped out of bed. My feet hit the floor as I rushed towards the washroom.

My mind was racing through everything I had to do in the next fifteen minutes.

I splashed cold water on my face, trying to wake myself up completely. My reflection in the mirror showed a sleepy, slightly annoyed girl with messy hair and a toothbrush hanging from her mouth.

Within ten minutes, somehow managed to get dressed in my light blue kurti, and dupatta carelessly thrown over my shoulder. I quickly brushed my hair and tied it in a loose ponytail, not bothering to make it perfect. There was no time.

Grabbing my bag from the chair, i rushed downstairs, skipping two steps at a time.

Mummy stood in the kitchen, arms crossed, raising an eyebrow the moment i appeared.

"Late again?" she asked,

I smiled and nodded but my smile faltered seeing her glare.

I moved towards dad and hugged him and dashed outside.

I settled into the car and set off towards college. The drive was quiet, with my eyes occasionally glancing at the time on phone, anxiety slowly creeping in.

After reaching college, i quickly stepped out of the car and headed to the parking area. I parked the car carefully, adjusted my bag on my shoulder, and took a deep breath,

As i walked through the college gates, my eyes instinctively scanned the crowd of students rushing to their classes.

But Ayushi was nowhere to be seen.

I frowned slightly, adjusting the strap of my bag on my shoulder.

I dialed her number and pressed the phone to my ear. The line rang, but there was no answer.

With every ring, my brows furrowed deeper.

Come on, Ayushi. Pick up.

After a few more rings, the call finally connected. I opened my mouth to speak — but her voice stopped me.

“Isha…”

It was barely above a whisper — soft, shaky, and nothing like her usual energetic tone.

I straightened, instantly alert.

“Ayushi? Where are you? Are you okay?”

"Aaj nhi aa paungi yaar, I'm not well"

("Ishu, I won’t be able to come today, yaar… I'm not well")

My expression immediately softened, but my voice carried a mix of concern and scolding.

" kyaaa ? Or tu mjhe ab bta rhi h ye " i said.

( What!!!! And you're telling me this now" )

" Agar subha bta deti to tu sab kuch chodkar mere pass aajati " she said with a chuckle.

("If I had told you in the morning, you would’ve left everything and come running to me" )

"Bas kar Ayuu tu bhot careless h apni health ko lekar " I scolded gently.

( "You’re so careless about your health, Ayuu. Seriously." )

" Arey baba thoda sa bukhar hi hua hai or me kal college to aungi hi "

( "Oh please! It’s just a little fever. I’m definitely coming to college tomorrow." )

" Ab tu jaa classes Attend kar or mjhe araam karne de " ayushi added and I smiled.

("Now go attend your classes and let me rest properly." )

" Acha chal byee " i said.

( "Alright, fine… get some rest )

" Byeeee "

I cut the call and moved towards my class, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling that had been sitting in my chest all morning. The hallway was only partially crowded—students buzzing in and out of rooms, footsteps echoing faintly against the walls—but my mind was elsewhere, wrapped in the comfort of my own silence.

Just as I turned the corner, lost in thought, someone stepped right in front of me, forcing me to come to a sudden stop.

It was Sunny.

He appeared out of nowhere, like he had been lying in wait, knowing exactly where I’d be. His presence was so sudden, that for a moment I just blinked at him, unsure if I was more startled or irritated.

He stood there with that same cocky smirk that made my skin crawl, hands shoved casually into his pockets like he had every right to be in my way. His eyes scanned my face slowly, as if trying to read every flicker of emotion.

“Going somewhere, sweetheart?” he asked, his voice dripping with mockery.

I didn’t answer.

I didn’t owe him one.

Instead, I tried to walk past him, hoping he would take the hint and move out of my way. But no—he took a step forward, once again blocking my path, like this was some kind of game to him.

That stupid smirk widened, like he was enjoying this—my discomfort, my silence, my growing annoyance.

I clenched my jaw, refusing to let him get a reaction out of me. He thrived on that. That’s what people like him did—poke, prod, press every button until you snapped. And I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.

“Move,” I said finally, my voice was low and steady.

But he just tilted his head, amused.

“Awww… don’t be so cold. I was just trying to have a little fun.”

“This isn’t fun,” I snapped. “It’s creepy.”

"Don’t act like you don’t like the attention," he muttered, flashing a grin that made my stomach turn. There was something vile in the way he looked at me—like I was nothing but a game to him.

That was it.

I clenched my jaw, shoved past him with every bit of strength I had, and stormed off without looking back. My heart thundered in my chest, my hands shook—but I refused to let him see it.

My heart was pounding by the time I finally managed to walk away from him. I didn’t turn back, not even once. I just kept moving, faster and faster, until the classroom door was finally in sight.

I pushed it open and slipped inside, almost like I was escaping something—because honestly, I was.

My breath was shallow, my chest rising and falling quickly as I reached for a seat in the corner. I sat down, trying to steady myself, pressing my palms against the cool surface of the desk. But no matter how much I tried to focus on the whiteboard or the rustling of pages around me, my mind kept drifting back to him.

To his smirk.

To the way he stood in my path like he owned the place.

To that voice—mocking, amused, and far too calm.

Why did he always show up when I least expected him?

And more importantly… what did he even want from me?

I swallowed hard, forcing my eyes down at my notebook, pretending to be busy. Pretending everything was normal.

But deep inside, something told me… this wasn’t over.

Not even close.

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