35 comments please guys! 50 comments for a double update..

Veda’s pov!

There was some emergency staff meeting going on. The free hour was a buzz of chatter and laughter as students mingled, getting to know one another. But I sat quietly in my corner, my nose buried in my latest romance novel. While the room brimmed with energy, I remained blissfully detached, wrapped in the cozy cocoon of my book. Reading was my escape, a gateway to a world where shy, introverted girls like me found their happily-ever-afters. I was so engrossed that the cacophony around me seemed to fade into a gentle hum.

Halfway through the book, I sighed and closed it, my thoughts swirling with dreams inspired by the characters I had just read about. I reached into my bag and pulled out a fancy notebook with a soft, floral cover. Alongside it came my pouch of glitter pens—a collection of vibrant hues I treasured. I opened to a fresh, untouched page, my fingers trembling with anticipation. With my red glitter pen, I carefully wrote in large, loopy letters: ‘Atharv ♥ Veda.’

A small, shy smile tugged at my lips as I stared at the words. I drew a delicate heart between those names and began decorating the page with tiny, romantic doodles. Around the edges, I scrawled dreamy one-liners. My glitter pens danced across the page as my mind conjured scenarios straight out of my novel.

So immersed was I in my fantasy that I didn’t notice the growing silence in the room. The boisterous chatter had stopped, replaced by hushed whispers and suppressed laughter. It wasn’t until a shadow loomed over my desk that I looked up, startled.

“Well, well. What do we have here?” A voice rang out, dripping with amusement.

My heart plummeted as I saw a senior girl standing before me, holding my notebook. The girl’s sharp gaze scanned the page, and her lips curled into a smirk. Around her were three other seniors, their arms crossed and their expressions a mix of amusement and disdain.

“What’s this?” The senior girl mocked, flipping the notebook so everyone around could see. “‘Atharv heart Veda’? Seriously?”

The class erupted into gasps and snickers. I froze, my blood running cold as a flush of embarrassment crept up my neck. I wanted to disappear, to shrink into nothingness as the senior continued to read from my notebook.

“‘In your arms, I found my home.’ Awww, how sweet!” The girl drawled, her tone mocking. “‘You are the chapter I never want to end.’” She feigned a dreamy sigh before laughing.

“Guys, look at her. We thought she was just the shy nerdy girl, but she has got some audacity!” Her friends joined in, laughing and nudging each other.

“Wow, this is gold,” one of them said. “Who knew the silent bookworm was dreaming about Atharv Acharya?”

My classmates exchanged glances, some looking at me with pity while others giggled behind their hands. The humiliation was unbearable. Tears welled up in my eyes as I tried to reach for my notebook, but the senior pulled it away, holding it high above her head.

“Please, give it back,” I whispered, my voice trembling.

“Oh no, sweetheart,” the senior girl said with a wicked grin. “We can’t let this masterpiece go to waste. Let’s take it to the man himself. What do you say, guys?”

The others cheered, and before I could protest, they grabbed me by the arm and started pulling me out of the classroom. My notebook was clutched tightly in the senior girl’s hand, the glittering page flashing mockingly in the light.

“Please, don’t. It’s not what you think.” I pleaded, tears streaming down my face now. But my cries fell on deaf ears as the group of seniors led me down the hallway, followed by a curious trail of students eager to witness the spectacle.

The cafeteria was bustling with activity, as it always was during free hours. Atharv Acharya sat at his usual spot, lounging casually with his friends. His sharp features and effortless charm made him the undeniable center of attention. Even in a room full of people, he stood out, exuding a confidence that drew eyes to him like a magnet.

The seniors burst into the cafeteria, dragging a sobbing me behind them. The noise died down as heads turned toward the commotion. Atharv, leaning back in his chair with a bored expression, raised an eyebrow at the sudden disruption.

“Atharv,” the senior girl called out, her voice loud and clear. She marched up to his table and slammed the notebook down in front of him. “You will want to see this.”

Atharv’s brow furrowed as he straightened in his seat. He picked up the notebook and looked at it, his eyes scanning the page.

For a moment, his expression was unreadable. Then, he looked up, his piercing gaze landing on me.

“What’s this?” He asked, his voice calm but with an edge that made my knees weak.

“Our little first-year here has a massive crush on you,” the senior girl said, grinning wickedly. “Look at the effort she put into this. It’s adorable, isn’t it?”

Atharv’s eyes flicked back to the page. He took in the doodles, the glittering words, the romantic lines. His jaw tightened slightly, but his expression remained neutral. The entire cafeteria was watching, waiting to see how he would react.

I couldn’t hold back my sobs any longer. I covered my face with my hands, wishing the ground would swallow me whole.

“I am sorry,” I choked out. “Please, it’s not what you think.”

Atharv closed the notebook and stood up, towering over everyone in the room. The chatter ceased entirely as he turned to the senior girl.

“You think this is funny?” He asked, his voice low and dangerous. The girl’s grin faltered.

“We were just having some fun,” she said, suddenly unsure of herself.

“Humiliating someone is fun to you?” Atharv’s gaze was sharp, his tone icy. “Grow up.”

He turned to me, who was still crying.

The cafeteria was dead silent as Atharv’s words echoed in the room. The senior girl flushed with embarrassment, retreating back into the crowd with her friends. Atharv’s piercing gaze softened slightly as he looked at me, but the unease in his stance betrayed his growing irritation.

He stepped closer to me, the notebook still in his hand. I peeked at him through tear-filled eyes, my hands trembling at my sides. He extended the notebook toward me, and for a moment, I hesitated before taking it, clutching it tightly to my chest.

"Listen," he began, his tone calm but firm. His voice wasn’t cruel, but it carried the weight of authority that silenced everyone in the room. "I don’t know what gave you the idea that you could… fantasize like this," he said, gesturing vaguely to the notebook. "I am just a senior in this college. A stranger. Whatever you have written in there—it’s not real. And it’s not something you should hold onto. You are too young for all this stuff."

My face burned with humiliation as I lowered my gaze, the tears coming faster now. I felt like a child being scolded for something foolish, when I hadn’t done anything wrong. But I was too scared to speak up.

"I don’t blame you," Atharv continued, his voice losing some of its edge. "It’s quite natural to have crushes at your age. But I am telling you now, for your own good—don’t grow these kinds of dreams in your head. They will only hurt you in the end. And if you try to bother me in any way, you will see the real Atharv Acharya!"

The words were meant to be kind, or at least practical, but to me, they felt like daggers piercing my chest. I couldn’t bring myself to respond, couldn’t even lift my eyes to meet his. My grip on the notebook tightened as if it were my only anchor.

"Focus on your studies," Atharv said, taking a step back. "And next time, be more careful about what you are doing in public."

Just as he was about to finally turn and leave, a voice rang out, cutting through the cafeteria like a knife.

"The Atharv in her notebook isn’t you, Atharv bhai."

A/N

Please do vote and comment...

Love❤️