The next morning arrived with the soft glow of sunlight slipping through the curtains, painting warm stripes across Anika's room as she slowly opened her eyes, her mind immediately drifting back to the memory of Reyansh's smile from the previous day, and for a moment she lay still, clutching her pillow, a shy yet uncontrollable excitement bubbling inside her like a secret flame that only she knew about, and as she got ready for school, brushing her hair more carefully than usual, choosing a slightly prettier hairclip even though she pretended not to care, her reflection in the mirror revealed a girl who was quietly hoping for something she didn't dare to say aloud. When she arrived at school, the corridors buzzed with the usual morning chatter, friends calling out to each other, footsteps echoing on the tiles, but all the noise faded in the background as she spotted Reyansh near the staircase, leaning casually against the wall, talking to his friend Arjun with that calm confidence that made him seem slightly distant yet irresistibly magnetic, and though her heart thudded in her chest, she walked past them, trying to appear unaffected, yet her eyes betrayed her, flickering toward him for just a moment—long enough for him to notice, because as she passed, his gaze met hers and he gently nodded in acknowledgment, a simple gesture that felt like sunlight breaking through clouds, warming her thoughts for the rest of the morning.
Later, during lunch break, she quietly sat under the big banyan tree at the edge of the schoolyard, a place where she liked to draw and write to avoid the noise of the crowded canteen, and as she flipped open her notebook and began sketching absentmindedly, her pencil traced the shape of a pair of eyes—calm, observant, with a softness in the corners that reminded her of him—and she didn't even realize she had drawn Reyansh until his name formed in small letters beside it, making her blush even though no one was watching, yet before she could close the notebook in embarrassment, she heard footsteps approaching, the crunch of dry leaves under shoes, and her heart skipped a beat as she slowly looked up to see Reyansh himself standing there, hands in pockets, his head tilted slightly with a curious smile as he said, "You always sit here?" His voice held no teasing, just genuine interest, and for a second, words got caught in her throat, but she managed a small nod and whispered, "It's quiet here… I like it." Reyansh looked around, as if noticing the peaceful space for the first time, then sat down at a respectful distance beside her, his presence calm and unhurried, and for a moment, they simply sat there in comfortable silence, the wind rustling the leaves above them like a soft whisper of approval. She hesitated, unsure if she should hide her notebook, but before she could make a move, Reyansh gently asked, "Do you draw?" and she froze, her cheeks heating up, but he didn't wait for her to answer—instead, he gently leaned a little to the side, trying to peek playfully, making her instinctively clutch the notebook to her chest, saying, "It's nothing… just random." He chuckled softly, the sound warm and unthreatening, and said, "People don't draw 'nothing' with that kind of focus," and the way he said it, with quiet sincerity instead of mockery, made her feel seen in a way she wasn't used to.
Minutes passed, and slowly, she relaxed, placing the notebook back on her lap but still closed, and as the soft breeze brushed past them, carrying the faint scent of flowers from the school garden, Reyansh spoke again, his tone thoughtful, "You know… most people ignore the quiet places. But you chose here. That's kind of cool." She looked at him, surprised by how he noticed the things others usually didn't, and without realizing it, her fingers loosened around the notebook, a sign of growing trust. They talked a little after that—about small things, like favorite subjects, annoying teachers, and how the school canteen samosas were overrated—and though their words were simple, their laughter flowed easily, unforced and light, weaving a fragile thread of connection between them, a thread made not of dramatic moments, but tiny, gentle interactions that slowly stitched their worlds together. When the lunch bell rang, calling students back to class, they stood up, and just as Anika turned to leave, Reyansh called her name softly—"Anika"—and when she looked back, he gave a small, genuine smile and said, "If you ever want… you can show me your drawings sometime," and though his words were casual, they carried an unexpected kindness, as if he was offering not just interest, but understanding, and that one sentence echoed in her mind like a melody.
The rest of the day floated by in a quiet haze of unexpected happiness, and by the time school ended, the skies were painted with the soft colors of an evening sunset, and Anika found herself standing on the school gate, glancing back one last time, hoping to catch a glimpse of Reyansh—and she did. He was walking with his friends, laughing at something Arjun said, but for a moment, he looked in her direction and lifted his hand slightly in a small wave, and without even realizing it, her heart answered before her hand did, a silent promise blooming in her chest—that this was not just a passing feeling, but the beginning of something gentle, something beautiful, something that would grow slowly like the first buds of spring, soft yet powerful, shaping her days in ways she couldn't yet imagine.