27-04-2025, 02:27 AM
Episode 30: Nothing Looks the Same Now
The morning light slipped through the curtains, soft and golden.
Arjun woke up slowly, blinking at the ceiling, body still heavy with the weight of his dreams.
But he didn't need to search for his first thought.
It was already there.
Meera, standing in front of him in the classroom yesterday—her arms raised, her hair coiling into a ponytail, the smooth exposed skin of her arms and shoulders, the faint, tender hollow under her lifted arm.
That image lived behind his eyes now.
Soft. Real.
Seared into him like a secret he wasn’t supposed to keep.
He closed his eyes again for a moment, half-hoping to slip back into it.
But the clock ticked on.
The day was waiting.
---
In college – That Same Ache
He reached college earlier than usual, moving through the corridor with his bag slung low, head down. But his senses stayed high, sharp, tuned for any glimpse of her.
When Meera walked into the classroom, she wasn’t dressed like yesterday.
Today, it was a simple cream-colored saree, blouse sleeved to her elbows, neat and professional.
Nothing revealing.
Nothing unusual.
And yet—Arjun’s eyes couldn’t see her the same way anymore.
Every movement felt magnified.
Every flick of her wrist.
Every step that pressed the soft pleats of her saree against her waist.
He had seen too much now to go back to innocence.
She was still herself—calm, composed—but to him, she glowed in a way she hadn’t before.
---
In the Classroom – A New Sensation
Midway through the lesson, as Meera walked slowly between the rows of students, checking notebooks and answering questions, she paused near Arjun’s desk.
She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, then lifted both arms casually to gather her hair into a higher ponytail—right there, beside him.
Arjun looked up instinctively—and the world narrowed again.
The soft scent of her hit him.
Not perfume.
Not anything heavy.
Just her.
Clean, warm, the faintest hint of soap and fabric and something he couldn't name.
It wrapped around him quietly, like a thread he couldn’t untangle.
He sat still, holding his breath, as if even breathing too loudly would shatter the moment.
The swish of her bangles.
The faint stretch of fabric across her back.
The slide of her fingers through her hair.
She tied it into a loose knot, adjusted it quickly, then moved on without noticing him.
But for Arjun—time had slowed again.
He lowered his gaze to his notebook, pretending to read.
But the pages blurred in front of him.
All he could see, all he could feel, was her presence, wrapped around his senses in ways he didn’t know how to escape anymore.
---
To be continued…
The morning light slipped through the curtains, soft and golden.
Arjun woke up slowly, blinking at the ceiling, body still heavy with the weight of his dreams.
But he didn't need to search for his first thought.
It was already there.
Meera, standing in front of him in the classroom yesterday—her arms raised, her hair coiling into a ponytail, the smooth exposed skin of her arms and shoulders, the faint, tender hollow under her lifted arm.
That image lived behind his eyes now.
Soft. Real.
Seared into him like a secret he wasn’t supposed to keep.
He closed his eyes again for a moment, half-hoping to slip back into it.
But the clock ticked on.
The day was waiting.
---
In college – That Same Ache
He reached college earlier than usual, moving through the corridor with his bag slung low, head down. But his senses stayed high, sharp, tuned for any glimpse of her.
When Meera walked into the classroom, she wasn’t dressed like yesterday.
Today, it was a simple cream-colored saree, blouse sleeved to her elbows, neat and professional.
Nothing revealing.
Nothing unusual.
And yet—Arjun’s eyes couldn’t see her the same way anymore.
Every movement felt magnified.
Every flick of her wrist.
Every step that pressed the soft pleats of her saree against her waist.
He had seen too much now to go back to innocence.
She was still herself—calm, composed—but to him, she glowed in a way she hadn’t before.
---
In the Classroom – A New Sensation
Midway through the lesson, as Meera walked slowly between the rows of students, checking notebooks and answering questions, she paused near Arjun’s desk.
She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, then lifted both arms casually to gather her hair into a higher ponytail—right there, beside him.
Arjun looked up instinctively—and the world narrowed again.
The soft scent of her hit him.
Not perfume.
Not anything heavy.
Just her.
Clean, warm, the faintest hint of soap and fabric and something he couldn't name.
It wrapped around him quietly, like a thread he couldn’t untangle.
He sat still, holding his breath, as if even breathing too loudly would shatter the moment.
The swish of her bangles.
The faint stretch of fabric across her back.
The slide of her fingers through her hair.
She tied it into a loose knot, adjusted it quickly, then moved on without noticing him.
But for Arjun—time had slowed again.
He lowered his gaze to his notebook, pretending to read.
But the pages blurred in front of him.
All he could see, all he could feel, was her presence, wrapped around his senses in ways he didn’t know how to escape anymore.
---
To be continued…
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