That night, after dropping Sejal off at her hostel, Dean looked into her eyes one last time before starting the engine.
"I love you," he whispered softly.
And then—without waiting for a response, he drove away.
That night felt like a dream to Sejal.
Lying on her hostel bed, Dean's every word echoed in her mind. His eyes… the way he looked at her… it all came rushing back.
Her heart fluttered.
"Dean looked so handsome in that black shirt tonight! How can a guy be this good-looking? After all these years, seeing him again… now he wears glasses too. And somehow that power frame makes him look even more mature, more serious. His eyes… his nose… those soft pink lips…"
She blushed at the thought.
"How can a man be this beautiful?"
Just then, two messages popped up on her phone—
One from Dean, another from Ken.
She opened Dean's message first.
> "Have you fallen asleep? Where's your shift tomorrow? I'll drop you there."
Sejal smiled to herself and replied:
> "No, I haven't slept yet. I don't have a shift tomorrow. I only work four days a week."
Dean replied again:
> "That means tomorrow is Friday. Will you come with me to the beach after college?"
Sejal replied with a soft grin:
> "Okay. Fine."
They both exchanged a sweet "Good night."
Dean added one more message:
> "I love you…"
But before Sejal could reply—
Ken's messages started flooding in.
She opened Ken's texts.
> "Hey, did you reach the hostel safely?"
Sejal responded:
> "Yes, I reached safely."
Ken replied:
> "You going to college tomorrow? I'll come pick you up."
Sejal hesitated.
> "No, no. I'll go on my own."
Ken insisted:
> "You don't have to go alone."
Sejal gave in.
> "Alright then, fine."
Ken ended with:
> "Now get some sleep, it's pretty late. Good night."
And she responded:
> "Good night."
---
The Next Morning…
Ken arrived in front of the hostel on his scooter, ready to take Sejal to college.
On the other side of the street, Dean sat inside his car—
He had planned to surprise Sejal and drop her off himself.
But the moment he saw Sejal hop onto Ken's scooter with a bright smile,
something inside Dean twisted.
"My little girlfriend... riding behind another guy?"
"Why is Ken beside her?"
His jaw clenched, but he calmed himself.
"It's okay… at least I got to see her face today."
He sighed, and drove off towards his office.
---
At College…
Ken and Sejal walked into the classroom side by side.
Before entering, Ken asked gently,
— "Are you free today?"
Sejal lied with a polite smile,
— "No, actually I have plans with a friend."
Ken asked again,
— "Which friend?"
Sejal replied,
— "My hostel roommate."
Ken said nothing. He quietly accepted it.
Truth is, Ken had planned to propose to Sejal today.
He now owned his own company and was earning well.
He had wanted to share all of it with Sejal—he had even offered her a job in his company, but she always avoided the topic.
---
After class…
Sejal returned to the hostel.
That evening, Dean came to pick her up from the front gate.
The moment her roommates spotted him, they couldn't help but giggle and tease:
— "Sejal's future husband is here! Guess it's time for us to disappear!"
— "We won't be third wheels!"
Dean turned red with embarrassment,
while Sejal lowered her gaze, hiding a smile.
---
To be continued… 💫