Literature Week — Day 1
The college auditorium buzzed with excitement. Students gathered near the stage, some with notebooks, some with nerves. The event was called "Voices Unfolded", a celebration of words, emotions, and anonymous truths.
Ruhi sat in the third row, her knees bouncing under her white palazzo pants.
The emcee read from the program list, calling names one by one.
Simran leaned in. "You're up last?"
Ruhi nodded slowly. "Why did I do this?"
"Because for once, you want him to hear what you've never dared to say."
"But what if he doesn't know it's me?"
Simran smiled. "He will."
🧣 Outside — Rudra Returns, Unexpected
Rudra wasn't supposed to leave for Mumbai until the next morning.
But he came back to campus one last time. For her.
He had heard whispers about the Literature Week readings. He didn't know she had submitted anything — but something told him she'd be there.
He stood at the back of the hall, arms folded, scanning the crowd.
Then he saw her.
Third row. Hair in a bun. Clutching her notebook like it held her heartbeat.
He smiled, but didn't call her.
Instead, he waited.
🎤 Performer After Performer
Spoken word. Poetry. Diary pages. Confessions.
Laughter, tears, cheers.
Then silence as the emcee walked up again.
"And our final performer — an anonymous writer, but a voice we think you'll all remember."
Ruhi's breath caught.
She stood, her legs shaking as she walked to the stage.
She didn't look at the crowd. Not yet.
She opened her page.
And began.
📓 Ruhi's Reading — Page 80, Beyond the Buzzer
*"They say first love is about butterflies.Mine was about silence.And storm.And a basketball court I once hated.
He wasn't the boy I expected.He was loud. Arrogant.But he listened when no one else did."*
*"This isn't a happy ending poem.Not yet.
This is about showing up — when you could've disappeared.About standing beside someone,Even when the world tells you you're from different galaxies."*
*"If he's listening...I still choose you.
Even when I'm scared.Even when I write in secret.Even when the buzzer's long gone."*
📣 Thunderous Applause
The hall erupted.
Ruhi stood frozen for a moment, then bowed lightly and walked off stage, cheeks flushed.
She avoided looking at the audience.
But one pair of eyes never left her.
Rudra.
He stood at the back, completely still.
Heart pounding.
He knew.
🌃 After the Event — A Quiet Encounter
As Ruhi exited through the side door of the auditorium, the evening breeze cooling her skin, she heard footsteps.
She turned.
Rudra stood there, hands in pockets.
"You lied," he said softly.
She blinked. "What?"
He stepped closer. "You said you never performed before. That you didn't have the courage."
Ruhi looked down. "It wasn't about courage. It was about you."
Silence.
Then Rudra pulled out a small white envelope and handed it to her.
Her fingers trembled.
"Letter one," he said."I wrote it last night. Even if you hadn't read yours out loud today, I was still going to give it."
She opened the letter, slowly.
💌 Rudra's Letter — Page 1
Ruhi,
I'm leaving tomorrow. But I'm not walking away.
I'm writing to remember all the versions of us — even the ones we hated. The library fights, the sarcasm, the cold shoulders.
I'm writing so that one day, when we're far, we'll have something more real than Wi-Fi.
I'll miss you. I already do.
—Rudra
📓 Beyond the Buzzer – Page 81
"His letters smell like coffee and ink.Like memories bottled in paper.Like promises without shouting them."
🧡 Meanwhile: Simran and Aarav Prepare
At the PG, Simran stood in front of the mirror in a soft peach salwar.
"I can't believe you're meeting my parents," she whispered.
Aarav adjusted his collar. "They're just people. And I love their daughter."
Simran laughed nervously. "Don't say that in front of them. Start with 'hello'."
He winked. "Copy that."
⚠️ A Twist in the Tale
As Ruhi and Rudra sat under the tree near the college fountain, a shadow approached them.
It was Kunal, a student from the Literature department — quiet, observant, known for his poetry.
He handed Ruhi a folded paper.
"I heard your piece. It was... raw. Beautiful."
Before she could respond, he turned and walked away.
Rudra watched silently.
A new name. A new ripple.
🌟 End of Chapter 16