The grand day had finally arrived.
The wide campus ground was transformed into a vibrant fest arena. Each college had its own space, but inside the fest, the zones were divided by departments—Tech, Architecture, Business, Design, and more. Bright banners, interactive stalls, and enthusiastic students flooded every corner. A festive buzz filled the air with cheers, instructions, and music in the background.
Aarav's team had already set up their project in the Tech Department Zone—an AI-powered automation system that caught the judges' attention quickly. Everyone in his team was excited. They believed they had a fair chance of winning.
Everyone except Aarav.
He was restless—checking his phone, looking around, barely paying attention to the last-minute tweaks his teammates were making.
And then, the loudspeaker crackled with the next announcement:
"Architecture Department - Devante College, kindly proceed to Zone 3 for final display and review."
Aarav instantly looked up.
Devante College.
That name tugged something in his heart. He knew that name too well. It was Anaya's college.
His pulse quickened.
She was here.
Here in the same fest, under the same sky after weeks of silence. After that one simple message—"Hey! Are you well?"—that she never replied to.
Without a word, Aarav started walking toward the Architecture Zone.
From a distance, Nitya noticed. She narrowed her eyes, puzzled. Aarav had been acting strange all morning—more distracted than usual. Now he was walking away with no explanation. Curiosity—and a touch of suspicion—made her follow him, quietly.
Aarav reached Zone 3, filled with scale models, sketches, and beautifully designed boards of architecture students.
And then… he saw her.
Anaya stood near her booth, dressed in a simple white dress with her hair tied in a clean braid, her notebook clutched in one hand. She was smiling, explaining her design to one of the professors. Her model was stunning—full of creativity and detail, just like her.
He stopped in his tracks.
She hadn't changed. And yet… she looked more confident, more focused, stronger.
His heart paused.
Suddenly, her eyes met his.
Just for a moment.
Both froze.
Anaya's smile faded slowly. Her voice trembled as she turned her head back toward her model, hiding her reaction from her team.
Before Aarav could even move, Nitya appeared beside him.
"Aarav?" she asked quietly, placing a hand on his arm. "What are you doing in the Architecture zone?"
He blinked, shaken back into the moment. "Just… looking around."
But his voice lacked conviction.
Nitya followed his gaze and noticed Anaya.
"That's her, isn't it?"
He didn't respond.
He didn't need to.
Nitya's hand slipped off his arm as her heart sank silently.
Meanwhile, one of Anaya's classmates leaned in and whispered, "Do you know that guy? He's staring."
Anaya cleared her throat. "Just someone I used to know."
Back in the Tech Zone, Aarav returned—but the shift in his mood didn't go unnoticed. Nitya stayed professional, but something had changed between them.
Across the fest, in the Architecture zone, Anaya stayed focused on her model—but her mind… it wasn't fully present. She kept wondering why he was there. Why he looked like he had so much to say.
Both of them, now in different departments, standing just zones apart, were lost in memories.
The fest was in full swing. Projects were being judged, cameras were clicking, and announcements echoed across the ground. But for Aarav and Anaya, time seemed to move slowly, like the world had quieted down just for a while.
Back at the Tech Zone, Aarav tried to focus on presenting his team's innovation. He explained the mechanics, answered questions, and smiled for photos—but in the corner of his mind, her face kept coming back.
That one look.
Those few seconds.
It said a thousand things they never put into words.
Meanwhile, in the Architecture Zone, Anaya was receiving praises from the judges. Her model was unique, inspired by sustainable urban housing. Her confidence and clarity were impressive. Yet, behind her smile, her thoughts kept rewinding to that moment. Why was he there? Why was he looking at her like that?
After the final presentations, the crowd was allowed to freely explore other departments. Students wandered from zone to zone, networking, exploring ideas, and clicking selfies. Anaya's group decided to take a round of the fest before the final results.
As fate would have it, she found herself in front of the Tech Zone, scanning the impressive setups. And there he was—Aarav—talking to his team. He didn't notice her at first.
But Nitya did.
She stepped a little closer to Aarav and handed him a water bottle, trying to look natural. Anaya noticed the gesture. Her heart clenched. She turned to leave quietly, not wanting to disturb anything—or feel more than she already was.
But Aarav spotted her just as she was turning.
He excused himself quickly and walked toward her.
"Anaya…" he called, gently.
She stopped.
The noise of the fest faded around them. For a few seconds, it was just the two of them.
"Hi," he said, softly, a nervous smile playing on his lips.
Anaya looked at him, still unsure how to react. "Hi."
"I… I saw your model. It was amazing," he added, genuinely.
"Thanks," she said, giving a small smile. "Your tech presentation was impressive too."
They stood in silence for a moment.
"I know I messaged you… and maybe I shouldn't have," Aarav said, voice quiet, "but seeing you today… I just couldn't stay away."
Anaya hesitated, then calmly replied, "Yeah… I was really busy with my project. Honestly, I didn't get time to check my phone."
He nodded, trying to hide his disappointment. "Right. That makes sense."
Before either could say anything more, Anaya's group called her from a distance.
"I should go," she said gently.
"Yeah… sure," Aarav replied, stepping back.
As she walked away, Aarav just watched, processing every word and expression.
And for now, that was it.
To be continued.....