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Chapter 18

"That's easy for you because you have memorised almost every post from last few days." Sunghoon grinned at him.

They all nodded in agreement. It seemed like they were on the right track, but there was still a lingering sense of uncertainty. Being in the city was a privilege, but it also carried a lot of risks. They were used to being in the public eye, but this was different. They had to be smarter about how they moved.

After a long discussion, they finally came to an agreement on the logistics of their plans. Even if things went wrong, they'd figure it out together.

Once the planning was put on hold another day, the atmosphere lightened a bit. Niki cracked open a can of soda and handed it to Sunoo, who grinned in return.

"Alright," Jungwon said, standing up. "Let's get some rest. Gather some energy for Nicco Park."

As the room settled into a quieter mood, each of them retreated into their own thoughts. It was strange being in Kolkata like this, without the usual layers of security and schedules. But in a way, it felt liberating. For once, they could be themselves—away from the world that always watched them.

And while their plans weren't foolproof, they knew they had one thing on their side: each other.

....*....

🎵Chaar Kadam - Shaan & Shreya Ghoshal🎵

The late morning sun filtered through the trees on campus, casting soft shadows over the path that curved towards the library. It was warm but not unbearable, with just enough breeze to make my pink shirt flutter slightly against my arms. I had tucked it into a pair of white palazzo pants, and for once, I felt like I looked exactly how I wanted to—fresh, a little dreamy, like a soft page out of a summer novel.

Roshni had messaged early in the morning:
"Out today. Migraine sucks. Save all the gossip for tomorrow."

So today, I wasn't walking to class with my usual listener by my side. Instead, Aryan had caught up with me near the department stairs, holding two chocolate bars in his hand.

"You looked like you needed this," he said, handing me one without even asking.

And just like that, he fell into step beside me. Like he always did when Roshni wasn't around.

Aryan was... calm. Always calm. The kind of presence that made the chaos of the world blur a little. He was tall, with brown, thoughtful eyes and sleeves always rolled up to the elbow like he was halfway into a daydream and halfway into something real. He had this way of tilting his head when I spoke, like he actually cared about every word I said. It was dangerous, the kind of gentle that made you feel seen.

"So," he said, biting onto his chocolate as we found a shaded bench, "what's on your playlist today?"

"Bollywood," I said, stretching my arms a little. "Like the usual ones."

He smiled softly, turning towards me. "You always listen to specific things according to your mood."

I looked at him, surprised. "You noticed?"

"Of course I did," he said, then paused. His gaze flickered down to my hand, then away. "You... tend to hum more too."

For a second, silence stretched between us—but not in a bad way. Just full. Like a breath you don't know you're holding.

I started to eat my chocolate to fill it.

He was quiet again, then cleared his throat. "Anvi... there's something I've kind of been meaning to—"