RASHI POV
After Reaching College Rashi’s POV
The bus ride to college passed in a blur, though I couldn’t stop thinking about how Aditya had quietly let me lean on his shoulder. My heart was still racing from the warmth of his touch, but I brushed the thought aside as we stepped off the bus.
Aditya stretched his arms, his dark eyes scanning the college entrance. The early morning sun cast a soft glow on his face, highlighting the slight curve of his lips as he tucked his hands into his pockets.
"Go to class. Don’t worry about me," he said casually, his voice low and steady.
"I wasn't worrying," I replied, raising an eyebrow.
He smirked slightly but didn’t say anything else before walking toward the ECE block. I stood there for a moment, watching his figure disappear into the crowd of students. My chest tightened, but before I could dwell on it, a loud voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
"Rashi!"
I turned to see Seetha and Meenakshi rushing toward me, their bags swinging from their shoulders. Dileep and Ram followed behind them, looking more relaxed as they strolled along the pathway.
Meenakshi's eyes narrowed as she scanned my face. "Why do you look so tired?"
Seetha’s arm slipped around mine. "And why were you late? Don’t tell me you stayed up all night to study!"
I hesitated for a second. "Uh… not exactly."
Ram raised an eyebrow, his sharp eyes studying me. "Then?"
"Aditya had a fever last night," I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck. "I stayed up to take care of him."
There was a brief silence before Dileep suddenly gasped, his hand covering his mouth dramatically. "Wait, wait, wait—hold on! You took care of Aditya?"
Ram smirked. "Now this is interesting."
"Shut up!" I shot back, my face heating up. "It’s not like that!"
Seetha’s eyes widened, her smile growing sly. "Isn't it? Aditya's cold heart is finally warming up, huh?"
"Stop it," I muttered, feeling my cheeks burn.
"Did you hold his hand?" Dileep teased, his eyes glinting with mischief.
I opened my mouth to protest, but before I could speak, Meenakshi cut in. "Forget the teasing—did he let you stay with him?"
I hesitated, recalling the way Aditya had quietly leaned into my touch, the way his breathing steadied as I pressed the warm cloth to his forehead. "…Yes."
Dileep nearly jumped. "Oh my god! That’s practically a confession!"
"Shut up!" I said again, but even I could feel the heat creeping up my neck.
Seetha smiled knowingly. "You’ve got it bad, Rashi."
"I do not!" I argued.
Ram chuckled under his breath. "Denial is the first step toward acceptance."
Before I could protest further, the bell rang.
"Come on," Seetha said, dragging me by the arm. "We’ll talk about this later."
We entered the hall and took our seats. The exam started soon after, and I forced myself to focus. My mind kept drifting back to last night—Aditya’s tired face, his soft smile when he woke up, the way my heart had raced when he brushed my hand…
