The court echoed with cheers and the heavy bounce of the basketball. The sun had dipped just enough to cast golden rays through the mesh fencing, bathing everything in a soft, dreamy light. Aaria sat cross-legged on the sidelines, flanked by her two best friends, Meher and Sana. She pretended to focus on the game, but her eyes kept drifting toward Rohan—her long-time crush—who hadn't spared her a single glance.
"He didn't even see me," Aaria muttered under her breath, the faintest trace of disappointment lacing her voice.
"Maybe that's a sign," Meher offered gently, nudging her. "Or maybe… it means you should notice someone who did notice you."
Aaria raised an eyebrow. "Who?"
Meher tilted her head slightly toward the far end of the court. "Him."
Aaria followed her gaze and caught the boy on the opposite team watching her as he wiped sweat from his forehead. He wasn't Rohan—he wasn't even the type she thought she liked—but the second their eyes met, something unexpected passed between them.
She quickly looked away.
Later that evening, the canteen buzzed with its usual chaos. Plastic chairs scraped the floor, and the smell of overly spiced samosas clung to the air. Aaria, Meher, and Sana sat by the window, giggling over old Instagram posts and half-eaten fries.
"You three always steal this spot," came a voice from behind.
Aaria turned. It was him.
The boy from the court stood there, still in his jersey, grinning. Behind him were three other boys—one tall and quiet, one lean with a sarcastic smile, and one with headphones still around his neck.
"Hey," Aaria said cautiously.
"I'm Zayyan," he said, extending a hand, half-serious, half-teasing. "Since you watched me play, I figured we were basically friends."
Meher laughed. "Confident, aren't you?"
"Only when I win," Zayyan replied.
They pulled up chairs like they'd always belonged there. The conversation, at first hesitant, quickly melted into inside jokes, story swapping, and playful teasing. Zayyan didn't speak directly to Aaria much, but when he did, it wasn't with flirtation—it was with attention. He asked her about her favorite book. He noticed she picked the onions out of her sandwich. He remembered.
And over the next two days, things shifted.
It wasn't dramatic. There were no declarations or fireworks. Just small moments. The way Zayyan waited for her when she left class. The way his messages felt easy and light. The way she laughed with him—differently than she ever had with Rohan.
By the third night, they were all gathered again—Aaria, Meher, Sana, Zayyan, and the three boys. A group now. A circle. A beginning.
And somewhere deep down, without quite knowing why, Aaria felt it.
She wasn't looking at Rohan anymore.