Under The Same Moon

episode 2

UNDER THE SAME MOON

Episode 2 — Tension & Teasing 🌙

Mumbai mornings were cruel.

Especially after sleeping at 3 a.m.

Kiara groaned dramatically as her alarm blasted beside her head for the fifth time.

“Die,” she mumbled into her pillow.

Her roommate, Sana, threw a cushion at her instantly.

“If you don’t wake up right now, I swear I’ll pour cold water on you.”

Kiara slowly lifted her head with pure betrayal in her eyes.

“You’re toxic.”

“And you’re late.”

That woke her up immediately.

“What?!”

She grabbed her phone.

8:37 a.m.

Her first lecture started at 9.

“OH MY GOD.”

The hostel room became chaos instantly.

Clothes flying everywhere. Makeup bag falling. One earring mysteriously disappearing into another dimension.

Sana sat calmly eating chips while watching the disaster.

“You know,” she said thoughtfully, “normal humans prepare before sleeping.”

Kiara pointed at her dramatically while trying to wear eyeliner.

“Silence.”

Twenty minutes later, Kiara sprinted across the college campus holding coffee in one hand and her bag in the other.

The huge glass buildings of St. Xavier’s Media College looked stunning under the morning sunlight, but she barely noticed.

Because she was late.

Again.

“Move move move—”

She rushed through the crowded hallway—

—and crashed directly into someone.

Coffee spilled everywhere.

“Oh my GOD—”

The cup fell to the floor.

Kiara looked up instantly, ready to apologize—

Then froze.

Black hoodie.

Sharp jawline.

Cold eyes.

Aarav Malhotra.

Of course.

Of course it was him.

For one second, both stared at each other silently.

Then Aarav slowly looked down at the coffee stains on his shirt.

His expression remained terrifyingly calm.

“Interesting,” he said softly.

Kiara swallowed nervously.

“I can explain.”

“You attacked me with caffeine.”

“It was an accident!”

“That’s exactly what criminals say.”

She blinked.

“Are you always this dramatic?”

Aarav stepped slightly closer.

“Are you always this dangerous?”

Kiara hated the fact that her heartbeat suddenly betrayed her.

Why did this man speak like every sentence belonged in a movie trailer?

Before she could respond, footsteps echoed nearby.

A group of girls suddenly entered the hallway.

The moment they saw Aarav, their expressions changed instantly.

Whispers spread.

“Oh my God, it’s him.”

“That’s Aarav Malhotra.”

“He actually came to college today?”

Kiara frowned slightly.

Wait.

He studied here?

Aarav clearly looked annoyed by the attention.

One girl approached nervously.

“Hi Aarav… I loved your latest song.”

He nodded once.

Nothing more.

The poor girl looked emotionally destroyed.

Kiara almost laughed.

Rude.

Hot, but rude.

Aarav noticed her expression immediately.

“What?”

“You rejected that girl like a customer care email.”

“I didn’t ask her to approach me.”

“Wow. Your personality is literally a red flag.”

“And yet you keep talking to me.”

Again.

Again with these annoying replies.

Kiara crossed her arms.

“You know what? Maybe I enjoy irritating you.”

For the first time, Aarav smirked slightly.

A real smirk.

Tiny.

Dangerous.

“Well,” he said quietly, “you’re very good at it.”

Unfortunately for Kiara’s sanity, that sentence stayed in her head the entire day.

—

By evening, rain clouds covered Mumbai once again.

Kiara sat inside the college library pretending to study while actually stalking Aarav on i********:.

“What are you doing?” Sana whispered.

“Research.”

“That man has 12 million followers.”

“And emotional issues.”

Sana leaned closer to the screen.

Every post looked aesthetic and painfully attractive.

Concert clips.

Black-and-white pictures.

Rain.

Guitars.

Moody captions.

One photo showed Aarav sitting alone on a rooftop with the caption:

Some people carry storms inside them.

Kiara stared at it longer than necessary.

“That’s suspiciously poetic,” Sana said.

Kiara quickly locked her phone.

“I’m not interested in him.”

“Sure.”

“I’m serious.”

“Mhm.”

“He’s arrogant.”

“Correct.”

“Annoying.”

“Absolutely.”

“Emotionally unavailable.”

“Obviously.”

Kiara sighed dramatically.

“…and extremely attractive.”

Sana burst out laughing.

“There it is.”

Kiara covered her face with her book immediately.

“This is embarrassing.”

The truth terrified her slightly.

Because she barely knew him.

Yet somehow, every interaction with Aarav felt intense.

Like standing too close to something dangerous and exciting at the same time.

And she had no idea why.

—

Later that night, Kiara stopped near a small café outside campus to buy coffee.

The weather had turned colder now.

Soft music played inside while rain drizzled outside the windows.

She waited near the counter absentmindedly scrolling through her phone—

Until a familiar voice spoke behind her.

“You’re following me now?”

Kiara turned instantly.

Aarav.

Again.

Wearing a black jacket this time.

Looking unfairly attractive under warm café lights.

She rolled her eyes.

“Please. I have standards.”

“And yet here you are.”

“Unfortunately.”

Aarav ordered coffee calmly before leaning against the counter beside her.

Silence settled briefly between them.

Not awkward.

Just… strange.

Comfortable.

Kiara noticed several people secretly staring at him again.

Some were whispering.

Some taking pictures.

But Aarav ignored everyone completely.

“How are you so calm?” she asked suddenly.

“Hm?”

“With people constantly staring at you.”

Aarav looked uninterested.

“You get used to it.”

“That sounds sad.”

His eyes shifted toward her slowly.

“Not everything sad needs fixing.”

Something about the way he said it made her chest tighten unexpectedly.

For one brief second, the teasing disappeared.

And she saw loneliness again.

The same loneliness from the studio that night.

Before she could say anything, Aarav’s phone rang.

His expression changed instantly after seeing the caller ID.

Cold.

Distant.

He rejected the call immediately.

Everything about his energy shifted now.

Kiara noticed.

“You okay?”

“Why do you ask so many questions?”

“Why do you avoid answering them?”

Aarav stared at her quietly.

Rain tapped softly against the café windows.

The tension between them felt heavier suddenly.

Then—

“Your coffee,” the cashier interrupted awkwardly.

Kiara grabbed it quickly.

“Thanks.”

She looked back at Aarav.

“You know… you’re confusing.”

“So are you.”

“That makes no sense.”

“You smile even when you’re sad.”

Her breath caught slightly.

How did he notice that?

Kiara looked away immediately.

“That’s creepy.”

“It’s observant.”

“No, it’s serial killer behavior.”

Aarav laughed softly.

Actually laughed.

And for a moment, the entire café felt quieter.

Because that sound—

That rare, genuine laugh—

Changed his entire face.

Kiara stared at him accidentally.

Aarav noticed immediately.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Liar.”

She grabbed her coffee dramatically.

“I’m leaving.”

“Running away?”

“Protecting my peace.”

“You don’t look peaceful.”

She pointed at him accusingly.

“This is your fault somehow.”

Aarav smirked again.

“See you around, Problem.”

Kiara tried ignoring the butterflies in her stomach.

“Bye, Rockstar.”

She walked away toward the rainy streets outside.

But after a few steps—

She turned back slightly.

Aarav was still watching her.

And for the first time in a very long time…

His eyes didn’t look empty anymore. 🌙