The next day unfurled like every other—sunlight spilling through the ancient school corridors, a slow buzz building up as students poured into St. Augustine High. Adah moved quietly through the crowd, slipping into her classroom with the practiced ease of someone who’d long learned how to disappear into the background.
But nothing about her went unnoticed by Devansh.
He’d barely slept. The thought of her haunted him, clinging to the edges of his mind with a maddening persistence. Every small detail, every soft glance she cast toward the blackboard, every time she twirled her pen against her lips—it was driving him to the brink of something terrifyingly tender. And he hated it.
Or maybe… he didn’t.
Today, though, something shifted. Something he hadn’t expected.
It was Kiara.
Lively, sharp-witted Kiara Mehra—his childhood best friend who also happened to be the daughter of a real estate tycoon—bounded into class late, her bag swinging off one shoulder, her high ponytail bouncing with every step. She scanned the class quickly and found her spot near Adah.
“Hey,” she said brightly, dropping into the seat beside her. “You’re new, right?”
Adah blinked, startled. “Um, yeah. I—”
“I’m Kiara. Nice to meet you! You looked like you were about to pass out from boredom yesterday. This class is a yawn-fest, honestly.”
Adah cracked a soft smile, and for the first time, her shoulders relaxed a little. “I’m Adah.”
“Pretty name,” Kiara grinned. “And pretty girl too. Just FYI, I call dibs on being your first friend here. Non-negotiable.”
Adah let out a breathy laugh. “Okay, then. Deal.”
From the back of the class, Devansh watched the exchange, his lips twitching into a rare smile. Kiara had always been the sun to his storm—loud, unapologetically kind, and never afraid to do what felt right. And now she was talking to her.
Perfect.
Through Kiara, he could get closer. Not that he needed a reason. He already found himself cataloguing every nuance of Adah’s existence like a silent obsession: how she always tucked her hair behind her ear when nervous, how she adjusted her dupatta when flustered, how she paused right before answering a question like she was weighing every word.
But watching her laugh with Kiara—an actual, real smile that reached her eyes—did something to him.
It made him ache.
As Kiara and Adah continued talking, their heads close together, Adah started opening up. They giggled about teachers, the confusing school layout, and which canteen food wouldn’t cause food poisoning. Kiara tossed her long hair over her shoulder and said, “You, me, lunch break. I’m kidnapping you.”
Adah giggled. “You don’t take no for an answer, do you?”
“Not when I know a good soul when I see one.”
Devansh’s gaze softened. For the first time, she looked like she belonged. She wasn’t shrinking in on herself anymore.
And maybe, just maybe… he could be the reason she kept smiling like that.
—
The lunch bell rang, echoing through the sunlit corridors of St. Aurora High. Adah blinked at the sound, slowly shutting her notebook as the other students flooded out of classrooms in loud chatter. Her mind was still on the last math equation she’d been trying to crack, but her stomach had other plans.
“Adah!” Kiara’s voice rang out like a cheerful chime, snapping her from her thoughts. The tall, elegant girl with caramel waves and a soft grin waved from the end of the corridor. She looked effortlessly perfect, with her blazer slightly open and her tie loosened in that rich-girl-don’t-care way, yet nothing about her came off arrogant.
Adah smiled back, instinctively adjusting her collar as she walked toward her.
“I was waiting for you,” Kiara said, linking their arms. “We’re sitting with my group today. Come on, I want you to meet them properly.”
Adah stiffened. “Um, are you sure? I don’t want to—”
“Nope,” Kiara interrupted, grinning. “No excuses. You’re sitting with us. You’re basically family now.”
Adah didn’t know what to say to that. It warmed her in a way she hadn’t expected. She wasn’t used to such easy affection. But as they approached the canteen, her nerves prickled. It wasn’t just Kiara’s group. It was his group too.
And sure enough, he was already there.
Devansh.
He sat at the center of the long table, his jacket folded neatly beside him, a book in one hand, a bottle of water resting near his fingers. He looked up the second Adah entered the room. Not glanced. Not casually noticed. Looked. With all-consuming intensity, his eyes locked on her and didn’t move.
Adah swallowed.
The stare didn’t stop. It didn’t even blink. As if he were reading her through the noise, peeling back each layer of her hesitation.
Rian gave her a nod of acknowledgement. Yash offered a casual smile. Anaya winked at Kiara and shifted to make space. Siddharth raised his eyebrows but said nothing, sipping his soda.
Adah sat between Kiara and Anaya, directly across from Devansh. Her eyes dropped to the plate in front of her, the heat of his gaze crawling up her neck like a secret.
“Guys, this is Adah,” Kiara announced. “She’s the only one with the brains to ace the test I nearly failed.”
“Finally,” Yash grinned. “We’ve been hearing about her all week.”
“Good to meet you,” Rian said with a nod.
Adah smiled nervously. “Nice to meet you too.”
Devansh didn’t say a word.
But his gaze hadn’t moved.
She glanced up—mistake. He was still looking at her. Calm, composed, but almost...hungry. Not in the obvious way. Something quieter. Like he needed to understand her.
He watched the way she broke her roti. The way she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. The way her lashes lowered as she looked away. Everything.
And then—
“Well, well, what do we have here?”
The voice dripped with venom.
Tara.
Adah barely knew her, but she knew enough. Tara was the girl every other girl envied. Rich, flawless, with a temper like wildfire and a deep, open obsession with Devansh.
Tara stood just behind Adah, arms crossed, eyes narrowed.
“Didn’t think people on scholarships could sit here,” she said, voice sweet and sharp. “Or is this a charity project?”
The table froze.
Kiara was up in a second. “Back off, Tara.”
“I’m just saying,” Tara added, tilting her head mockingly. “Some people need to know their place.”
“Tara,” Anaya warned. “Leave.”
Devansh didn’t speak.
Adah stared at her plate. Her ears rang. Her throat burned. She didn’t need this. Not here. Not in front of them.
Tara’s words didn’t sting because they were true—they stung because they were meant to. She felt humiliated. Small.
And when she finally dared to glance up, Devansh was still staring.
But he said nothing.
Of course, she thought. I don’t matter.
Kiara wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “She’s not worth it. Don’t listen to her.”
But Adah had already decided. She would never sit here again. She would never forget how it felt to have someone humiliate her like that—and how he, of all people, had watched in silence.
What she didn’t know—what none of them knew—was that by the next morning, Tara’s father's boutique chain in the city would suddenly face an unexpected suspension order from two local municipal boards. One after the other.
Their legal license under scrutiny. Their social media hacked and flooded with refund complaints. Investors pulling out. Tara would scream and cry, and no one would know how it had all collapsed in twenty-four hours.
No one… except the boy who hadn’t spoken.
Devansh sat quietly at the table, eyes on Adah, and said nothing.
But his silence wasn’t apathy.
It was fury.
And it was only the beginning.
—
Two days later, during break, Kiara pulled Adah into the library, practically vibrating with excitement.
"You are not going to believe this," she whispered.
"What?"
"You remember what happened with Tara? Well, her family's magazine—gone. Like poof. Investors pulled out, deals canceled."
Adah frowned. "That sounds... intense."
Kiara leaned closer, her voice teasing. "Guess who was behind it."
Adah blinked. "No way."
Kiara grinned. "Dev. He didn’t say a thing, but Yash and Siddharth heard him make a call that night. One call, Adah. One. He ruined her."
Adah stared at her, confused. "Why would he do that?"
Kiara shrugged. "Maybe because he doesn’t like when people mess with what he cares about."
Adah's breath hitched. Her heart did something strange.
Cared?
She felt warmth creep into her cheeks. She didn’t know what this meant. She didn’t want to read too much into it. But somewhere, deep down, something fluttered.
He didn’t say a word that day. But his actions screamed everything.
And Adah couldn’t stop thinking about it.
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