Unwritten Pages
845 Words
The morning sunlight poured into the Kapoor balcony, painting the room gold. Aanya Kapoor sat cross-legged on the floor, laughing as her little brother, Ishaan, chased after a paper plane they’d made together.
“Hey! That’s cheating!” she giggled as Ishaan snatched it midair.
“All’s fair in paper wars!” he shouted, running in circles.
Their mother peeked in from the kitchen doorway, smiling at the sight. “You two will be late if you don’t stop your battle.”
“Relax, Mom,” Aanya said, grinning. “We’re creative people, we need a warm-up before facing the world!”
Her father, sitting at the dining table, raised an eyebrow. “Creative or chaotic?”
“Both,” Aanya said proudly, hugging Ishaan before grabbing her bag. “Wish me luck, champ. First real day of college!”
“Go conquer the world, Didi!” Ishaan yelled, waving as she left.
☀️ At Silverwood College
Today felt different. The nervous excitement of her first day had faded — replaced by curiosity and comfort.
In class, Jiya waved her over. “Hey, Aanya! Sit here!”
She joined Jiya and two other girls — Simran and Tanya — who quickly clicked with her.
Between lectures, they laughed about professors, shared snacks, and gossiped about random campus stories. Aanya felt lighter than she had in weeks.
“So, how’s Devgarh treating you?” Tanya asked.
Aanya smiled. “Honestly? Better than I expected. Feels like the place has its own rhythm — loud, messy, but… kind of real.”
Jiya grinned. “You sound like you’re falling in love with the city already.”
Aanya laughed. “Maybe I am.”
As the last bell rang, Jiya nudged her. “Hey, we’re going to the library. Need to grab some books for the Lit assignment. You in?”
“Sure!” Aanya said, picking up her bag.
📚 The Library Corridor
The hallway outside the library was quieter than usual — almost too quiet.
Aanya walked beside her new friends, chatting softly, when she noticed a group of boys at the far end of the corridor. The familiar tension in the air made her pause.
“Who’s that?” she asked quietly.
Jiya followed her gaze — then froze. “Oh no… not again.”
At the end of the hallway, Raghav stood with his group, blocking the path. In front of him — calm, unreadable — was Rudra Mehra, hands in his pockets, his gang standing just a few steps behind.
“Look who’s acting all cool again,” Raghav sneered, his voice echoing. “You think you can embarrass me in front of everyone and walk around like you own this place?”
Rudra didn’t move. His expression didn’t change.
“You done talking?” he asked flatly.
Raghav took a step forward. “You think everyone’s scared of you, right? Let’s see how brave you are without your gang.”
Kabir chuckled from behind. “Oh, this is going to be good.”
Aman folded his arms. “Five seconds before this guy regrets his life choices.”
Dev just sighed. “Four seconds, actually.”
Raghav’s face turned red. “You—!” he lunged forward, shoving Rudra’s shoulder.
For a moment, no one breathed.
Rudra slowly looked down at the spot where Raghav’s hand had been — then back up, eyes sharp but calm. He didn’t shout, didn’t flinch. Just stepped closer until the air itself felt heavier.
“Touch me again,” he said quietly, “and you’ll regret waking up this morning.”
Raghav froze. The corridor was silent except for the faint ticking of the library clock. Then, without another word, Rudra turned and walked away — his friends following behind, unfazed.
It was over. No fight. No chaos. Just power in silence.
👀 Aanya’s View
From where she stood near the library door, Aanya hadn’t moved an inch. Her friends whispered nervously, tugging at her sleeve.
“Let’s go, Aanya,” Jiya murmured. “You don’t want to get caught near this.”
But Aanya couldn’t look away. The way Rudra handled it — not with anger, but with quiet control — fascinated her even more.
He could’ve fought back.
He didn’t need to.
She felt her heart race, not out of fear — but out of something else. Something she didn’t understand yet.
When Rudra walked past, their eyes met for just a second — his calm, hers curious.
He looked away first.
But that one second was enough.
🌙 That Night
Back home, Aanya sat on her bed with her sketchbook open again.
This time, she wasn’t sketching the fight. She was sketching his eyes — calm, unreadable, mysterious.
She smiled faintly, shaking her head. “What’s your deal, Rudra Mehra?”
Somewhere in Devgarh, under the same sky, Rudra was laughing with his friends, pretending the day hadn’t even mattered.
But if someone had looked closely, they’d have seen that same faint smile on his face too — one he couldn’t explain.
- Writer
