The bubble didn't pop quietly.It exploded.
She was halfway through the library steps when she felt the shift in the air — heads turning, whispers too loud to ignore.
"Did you hear? Riyan and her.""Caught on the rooftop—can you imagine?""She's nobody. Why would he…"
Her pulse hammered. She didn't need to ask who "her" was. The rumors had spread like wildfire, her name tangled in his.
And then, the worst part—
Aarav was there.Standing at the bottom of the steps, his jaw tight, eyes dark as they flicked from the gossiping crowd to her face.
The way he looked at her… it was like betrayal and heartbreak all at once.
He knew.
The second he walked into the courtyard and saw the stares, the pointed fingers, the hushed laughter—he knew their secret had bled out.
But he didn't care about them. He only cared about her.
Ananya, frozen on the steps, eyes wide, every whisper cutting into her.Aarav standing there, watching like he had a claim on her.
Riyan's chest burned. Jealousy. Fury. The instinct to protect.
He pushed through the crowd, voice sharp."Got a problem? Say it to me, not her."
Silence fell, tension crackling. Nobody dared. But the damage was done.
The crowd dispersed, but the wound didn't.
Aarav didn't say a word. Just gave her a look — raw, wounded, questioning — and walked away.
And that almost broke her more than the gossip.Because she knew that look.
She wasn't just hurting herself. She wasn't just tangled with Riyan.She was tearing Aarav apart, too.
Later that night, he found her on the rooftop.Her safe place. Their safe place.
Except now, even it felt fragile.Her arms were wrapped tight around herself, eyes glistening in the dim light.
"They know," she whispered."We knew this day would come," he replied.Her gaze snapped up to his. "And what happens now?"
Riyan didn't have an answer. Not one she'd believe.
Because for the first time, he realized this wasn't just about them anymore.It was about everyone else ready to tear them apart.
And he didn't know if he was strong enough to hold her through it.