episode 3
1405 Words
UNDER THE SAME MOON
Episode 3 — Midnight Calls 🌧️📞
The worst thing about Aarav Malhotra was that he stayed in Kiara’s mind long after he left the room.
And she hated it.
Absolutely hated it.
Yet somehow, three days later, she still found herself thinking about the way he looked at her inside that café.
Like he was trying to figure her out.
Like she was a puzzle he didn’t want to solve… but couldn’t stop touching anyway.
“Kiara?”
“Hm?”
“You’ve been staring at the same page for ten minutes.”
Kiara blinked and looked up from her notebook.
Sana sat across from her in the library with narrowed eyes.
“You’re doing it again.”
“Doing what?”
“That thing where your soul leaves your body.”
Kiara sighed dramatically.
“I think Mumbai heat is damaging my brain.”
“Mhm,” Sana said. “Or maybe a certain emotionally unavailable guitarist.”
Kiara immediately threw a pen at her.
“Shut up.”
Sana laughed loudly.
“You LIKE him.”
“I absolutely do not.”
“You literally smiled at your phone yesterday.”
“That was a normal smile.”
“You looked possessed.”
Kiara buried her face into the table.
This was getting embarrassing.
Because unfortunately…
Sana wasn’t wrong.
Something about Aarav felt addictive.
Not in a safe way.
More like standing near ocean waves during a storm — beautiful enough to admire, dangerous enough to drown in.
And deep inside, Kiara knew boys like him never came without damage.
—
That evening, the entire campus buzzed with excitement.
The annual music festival auditions had officially started.
Students crowded outside the auditorium while posters covered every wall.
Kiara walked through the noisy hallway with Sana beside her.
“I still don’t understand why everyone is obsessed with him,” Kiara muttered.
Sana looked horrified.
“You mean Aarav?”
“Yes.”
“He’s literally famous.”
“He’s also rude.”
“He writes songs that emotionally destroy people.”
“That sounds unhealthy.”
Before Sana could reply, loud cheering suddenly echoed through the corridor.
Girls rushed toward the auditorium entrance instantly.
Kiara frowned.
“What now?”
Then she saw him.
Aarav walked through the hallway wearing a black oversized hoodie and headphones around his neck.
And somehow the entire atmosphere shifted.
People stared openly.
Some whispered.
Some secretly recorded videos.
But Aarav ignored everyone with the same cold expression he always carried.
Until his eyes found Kiara.
And paused.
Her heartbeat betrayed her immediately.
Annoying.
Very annoying.
Aarav slowly walked toward her while students moved aside automatically.
Sana looked ready to faint beside her.
“Why are people acting like he’s the president?” Kiara whispered.
“Because he’s hot,” Sana whispered back.
Fair point.
Aarav stopped directly in front of Kiara.
“You look stressed.”
Kiara crossed her arms instantly.
“You look arrogant.”
“Good observation.”
“What do you want?”
Aarav tilted his head slightly.
“That’s a rude way to greet your favorite musician.”
Kiara almost choked.
“You’re unbelievably confident for someone with emotional issues.”
For one brief second—
Aarav smirked.
That tiny dangerous smirk again.
And God, it should honestly be illegal.
“I have rehearsal,” he said calmly.
“Congratulations?”
“You’re coming.”
Kiara blinked.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“No, I definitely didn’t.”
Aarav stepped slightly closer.
“You talk too much for someone who’s curious about me.”
Kiara opened her mouth to deny it—
But failed.
Because unfortunately…
She was curious.
Aarav noticed her hesitation instantly.
“Exactly.”
And before she could recover, he walked away toward the auditorium.
Kiara stared after him in disbelief.
Sana grabbed her shoulders dramatically.
“OH MY GOD.”
“Why is he like this?!”
“He literally invited you personally.”
“That wasn’t an invitation. That was a threat.”
“Same thing.”
—
The auditorium lights glowed softly in the darkness.
Empty seats stretched across the hall while musicians prepared near the stage.
Kiara sat in the last row pretending she wasn’t nervous.
She had no idea why she even came.
Maybe curiosity.
Maybe stupidity.
Maybe both.
Aarav stood near the center of the stage adjusting his guitar.
Even from far away, he carried this strange energy around him.
Like someone permanently disconnected from the world around him.
The room slowly fell silent.
Then—
He started playing.
The melody filled the auditorium softly.
Slow.
Beautiful.
Heartbreaking.
Kiara felt goosebumps rise across her arms instantly.
Because this version of Aarav felt completely different.
No sarcasm.
No arrogance.
No walls.
Just emotion.
Raw emotion.
And then he began singing.
His voice wasn’t loud.
It didn’t need to be.
Every lyric sounded intimate enough to feel dangerous.
The song carried loneliness inside it.
The kind that quietly destroys people over time.
Kiara couldn’t look away.
And somewhere in the middle of the performance—
Aarav looked directly at her.
Not at the crowd.
Not at anyone else.
Her.
The eye contact lasted barely three seconds.
But it felt longer.
Far too long.
By the time the song ended, the entire auditorium exploded into applause.
Kiara stayed frozen in her seat.
Because suddenly she understood why millions of people loved him.
Aarav didn’t just sing songs.
He felt them.
—
Later that night, heavy rain covered Mumbai once again.
Kiara sat near her hostel window wrapped in a blanket while thunder echoed outside.
Her phone buzzed suddenly.
Unknown Number.
She frowned slightly before answering.
“Hello?”
Silence.
Then—
“You looked terrified during my performance.”
Kiara sat upright instantly.
“Aarav?!”
“You scream very loudly.”
“How did you get my number?!”
“You ask too many questions.”
“That’s literally illegal behavior!”
A soft chuckle came through the phone.
And for some reason…
Hearing his voice this late at night felt strangely intimate.
Kiara looked outside at the rain quietly.
“You were good today,” she admitted softly.
“Good?”
“Fine. Annoyingly talented.”
“Better.”
She smiled accidentally.
The conversation flowed easier tonight.
Lighter.
Softer.
They spoke about random things for hours.
Favorite songs.
Childhood memories.
Worst food combinations.
Dream cities.
And slowly, the silence between them stopped feeling awkward completely.
At one point, Kiara found herself laughing so hard she nearly dropped her phone.
Aarav stayed quiet for a moment afterward.
“What?” she asked.
“Nothing.”
“You keep saying that.”
“You laugh differently when you’re genuinely happy.”
Her heart skipped unexpectedly.
Nobody noticed things like that.
Nobody.
Kiara suddenly felt shy for the first time around him.
Which was deeply concerning.
To distract herself, she changed the topic quickly.
“So why do you always look sad?”
Silence.
The mood shifted instantly.
Kiara regretted the question immediately.
“You don’t have to answer.”
Aarav’s voice became quieter now.
“Some things are easier buried.”
Before she could respond—
Another voice suddenly appeared faintly in the background near him.
A girl’s voice.
“Aarav… who are you talking to?”
Kiara froze.
Something twisted painfully inside her chest.
Aarav’s tone changed immediately.
Cold again.
“I’ll call you later.”
The line disconnected.
Kiara stared at her phone screen silently.
Her stomach tightened strangely.
Who was that girl?
Why did hearing her voice bother Kiara this much?
And most importantly—
Why did she suddenly feel jealous?
—
Miles away, Aarav stood alone on his penthouse balcony overlooking the rainy city skyline.
His phone rested loosely in his hand.
Behind him stood a tall blonde girl wearing an irritated expression.
“You disappeared for two hours,” she said.
Aarav looked emotionless again.
“What do you want, Maya?”
The girl crossed her arms.
“You’re avoiding me.”
“No,” Aarav said calmly.
“I’m tired of you.”
Meanwhile, far away inside her hostel room—
Kiara stared out at the same moon shining weakly through the rain clouds.
And for the first time…
She realized this was no longer harmless attraction.
Something deeper was beginning.
Something dangerous.
Something neither of them would be able to stop. 🌙
- Writer
