The one day he stayed

It was a normal day in college, but there was something different about today. The air had a warm, almost electric vibe as the students of the architecture department worked together on their ongoing projects. Vanya was feeling particularly good today — her hair was freshly styled, she was wearing her favorite kurti, and her energy seemed contagious.

As she moved around, helping her friends with their materials and sketches, she didn’t notice how Yuvi kept glancing at her. It wasn’t a subtle glance, though. It was one of those looks that lingered longer than necessary. He couldn’t help himself.

The kurti Vanya was wearing was light and airy, the fabric flowing gracefully with every step she took. However, as she stretched her arms while reaching for a roll of paper on the top shelf, her waist became visible through the fabric, the curve of her body accentuated as she leaned forward.

Yuvi’s eyes zeroed in on that moment, unable to look away. His breath caught in his throat. There was something so effortlessly captivating about her, and it wasn’t just the physical aspect. It was her energy, her presence — the way she moved, laughed, and seemed so unaware of how easily she could fluster him.

But Vanya, as usual, was oblivious to the effect she was having on him. She was too busy chatting with Atharva and other classmates, all the while unaware of the attention she was drawing.

When Yuvi finally managed to pull his eyes away, he noticed that she was looking directly at him. A mischievous glint in her eyes made him freeze. She had caught him, and now she was going to tease him for it.

She sauntered over to him with that usual, carefree smile. “So, Yuvi,” she began, her voice light, “what were you staring at so intently?”

Yuvi’s heart raced, and he quickly tried to brush it off with a shrug. “What? I wasn’t staring.”

“Oh?” Vanya’s grin widened as she took a small step closer, leaning in just a bit. “Because it looked like you were staring pretty hard just now.”

His face flushed with embarrassment, and he shifted uncomfortably. “I wasn’t staring. You’re just… imagining things.”

“Oh, am I?” she teased, her voice low and playful as she leaned a little closer. “Maybe I was just… stretching. You know, it’s hard to not notice when someone’s watching every move.”

Yuvi couldn’t hide the flustered expression on his face now. He knew she was teasing, but the way she said it made everything feel ten times more intense. He ran a hand through his hair nervously. “I wasn’t—”

She cut him off with a small laugh, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Relax, Yuvi. It’s just funny to see you so worked up over nothing.”

He let out a nervous laugh, trying to mask his discomfort. “I’m not worked up. It’s just... you move around too much.”

Vanya smirked, noticing the way his eyes flicked toward her waist again. “You know, it’s hard not to notice when I move around. It’s just my thing,” she said, deliberately stretching a little more and glancing at him from the corner of her eye.

His face went a deeper shade of red, and he quickly turned his head in the opposite direction, trying to focus on something, anything, but her. “You’re really making this awkward,” he muttered, his voice cracking slightly.

Vanya didn’t let up. “Awkward? I thought we were friends now. Friends tease each other, right?”

He nodded, still trying to hide the heat in his face. “Yeah, well, maybe you should tease me a little less.”

She laughed, clearly enjoying the effect she was having on him. “No promises. You’re way too fun to tease.”

Yuvi couldn’t help but smile despite himself. As much as he wanted to act like he wasn’t affected, the truth was, she had him flustered in a way he wasn’t used to. He cleared his throat, attempting to regain some semblance of composure.

“Alright, fine,” he said, trying to be casual, but failing miserably. “I’ll try not to look. But if you keep moving around like that, it’s going to be hard.”

Vanya raised an eyebrow, still grinning. “Oh, so it’s my fault now? How typical,” she teased, pushing his shoulder lightly.

Yuvi gave her a mock glare. “Maybe it is. You really need to calm down with all the stretching. You're gonna make someone faint.”

She burst out laughing, and the sound was like music to his ears. Despite his embarrassment, the way she made him feel was... different. It wasn’t just awkwardness or teasing; it was something else, something he wasn’t ready to acknowledge yet.

“Alright, alright,” Vanya said, still grinning. “I’ll try to be more considerate of your... fragile state.”

She walked away, leaving him standing there, still flustered and unsure of what just happened.

Yuvi couldn’t stop thinking about her. The way she could make him feel embarrassed and excited all at once. And the fact that she seemed so unaware of her effect on him only made it worse.

As he stood there, his heart still racing, he realized that being around Vanya wasn’t just about her antics anymore. It was about something deeper — something he didn’t quite understand yet.