Vedh wasn't the type to care. Or notice. But with Tara, everything was different. He saw it --- the little things .The way her eyes lit up when Lav walked by soft smile she couldn't hide. The pink blush on her cheeks when Lav spoke, even if it was something silly. She looked at him like he was something special. And it wasn't just once. It was every single time .She cared. A lot. She brought him lunch, reminded him to eat, and looked at him like he hung the stars.
And Vedh?
He didn't like it.
Not because Lav did anything wrong, but because Tara never looked at him like that.
And suddenly, that mattered more than it should.
Flashback:
The game had just ended, dust still hanging in the air as Lav, Vedh, and the others flopped down on the grass after a high-energy volleyball match.Tara made her way through the small crowd, calmand collected. She handed Lav a chilled water bottle and a towel, her expression unreadable."You did great out there, Lav," she said with a soft smile. Then, almost shyly, she held out a lunchbox."You must be starving."
It was the first time she ever gave him a lunchbox—and somehow, that tiny moment hit harder than the game-winning point.
Lav blinked in surprise, unsure whether to smile or freeze.Behind him, his friends whistled and chuckled, nudging each other and whispering just loud enough.
"Bro, our man got VIP treatment!"
"Love-packed lunch, huh Lav?"
Lav glared at them, visibly annoyed, muttering something under his breath.
Meanwhile, poor Vedh stood a few feet away—watching everything. A strange heaviness grew in his chest.
He wasn't jealous of the lunchbox. He was jealous of the care.While Lav got Tara's quiet attention, Vedh had to settle for stares from a bunch of random fans who suddenly appeared around him, giggling and holding out water bottles just like Tara had.But Vedh didn't take any.He didn't want the crowd.
He wanted her.
Every day, Lav would just quietly leave the lunchbox Tara gave him under a tree and head off to eat with his friends.
Back to present :
One afternoon after the match, Vedh was walking out of the building, wiping sweat from his face with a towel, when he noticed it—the same box Tara had handed to Lav, sitting untouched under the tree.Vedh glanced around cautiously, as if checking if someone was watching. Then, he took the box and slipped away with it.This became a pattern.Day after day, he would pick it up, eat silently, and make sure the box was back in place—empty—by the time lunch ended.Lav would return and hand Tara the empty box like nothing happened.He never said a word.And Tara… assumed it was just his usual silent attitude.She never knew the truth.She thought he ate it.
Some people had started shipping them, and somewhere deep down, a few were jealous of what they saw.Slowly, this turned into friendship — the four of them unexpectedly became good friends.
But not everyone was happy. Natasha's hate towards Tara increased even more after the canteen scene.The group now? It was full of vibez — laughter, teasing, and a strange sense of comfort that made even the silences feel warm.
After the last class one day, Maya asked Tara if they could hang out."Let's go to the supermarket… maybe just roam around the street a bit?"But Tara disagreed. "It'll be late by the time we reach back. I need to inform my parents."Maya said playfully, "Let's go, no one's going to pick you up anyway. We'll just roam for 30 minutes, promise!"She gave Tara her best puppy eyes.Tara made a face. "Eww. Don't ever do that again."Maya smirked. "Ughh, why are you so heartless?"Tara, still walking, replied, "Oh please, Miss Drama Queen, I'm just heading to the store."Maya blinked. She thought Tara was going home… but no.
Tara was actually heading toward the store. Her plan to roam? It worked.
On the way, they passed a store called Bread Pitt. Tara, a huge Brad Pitt fan, noticed it instantly. But she kept her cool and walked right past like it meant nothing — because she knew if Maya saw it too, the teasing would never end. Luckily, Maya didn't notice. She kept walking, totally unaware. They ended up picking a few things from a different store and continued their mini adventure. While they were walking back home, Tara suddenly slowed down. A strange, uneasy feeling crept in—like someone was following them. The street was mostly quiet, lit only by a few dim streetlights. Tara caught a glimpse of their shadows stretching behind them—just hers and Maya's. Still, something felt off. I don't know… I feel like someone's watching us," she whispered. Maya immediately turned it into a joke, throwing her arms in the air dramatically."Ooooo… is it a ghost? Who could it be? Boooo!" she teased in a spooky voice. Tara rolled her eyes, clearly unamused.
But as Maya turned to the left mid-laugh, her eyes landed on the store across the street—Bread Pitt. That was it. She completely lost it.Maya laughed so hard, she actually started hiccuping.
Tara, now red-faced and avoiding eye contact, muttered, "I knew I shouldn't have said anything…"
Maya was still laughing like a maniac, hiccupping and trying to talk through it.
"Wa… wa... water!" she gasped between giggles, holding her stomach, tears at the corner of her eyes.
Tara raised a sarcastic brow. "Hah. So funny. Keep laughing then," she muttered, rolling her eyes as she handed Maya the water bottle.Maya leaned forward, reaching for it with a still-giggling face when—
WHOOSH!
Out of nowhere, a dark van screeched beside them. A hand shot out.
"TARA!" Maya's smile disappeared in a blink. Her expression twisted from laughter to pure horror as someone yanked her by the collar of her shirt.
"MAYAAA!" Tara screamed, eyes wide in shock.The bottle hit the ground.
Maya's feet scraped the road for a second, and then—she was gone. The van's door slammed shut.
Tara ran. "HEY! STOP THE VAN! MAYA!" she yelled, sprinting after it, but the vehicle was already speeding into the distance.She ran until her breath gave up on her. Her voice cracked. Her legs trembled.
And the street… was silent again.