Meera woke before dawn, heart pounding with a reckless idea.
The air in the dorm was heavy, her chest tight. She hadn't slept properly in weeks, not since every corner of her life had been bent to Aarav's will. She needed air—real air, away from him, even if only for a few hours.
She dressed quickly, grabbed her camera, and slipped out before Priya stirred. The campus gates loomed ahead, still quiet at this hour. For once, the world felt hers.
Maybe, just maybe, she could go to the city. Take pictures of strangers. Drink coffee in peace. Just… exist without his shadow.
She pulled her scarf higher, quickening her pace.
But when she reached the gate, her stomach dropped.
Aarav was there.
Leaning against the guard's booth, blazer crisp despite the early hour, he looked as if he'd been waiting all night.
Meera froze.
He didn't look surprised. Didn't even smirk. He just straightened slowly, slipping his hands into his pockets.
"Going somewhere?"
Her throat closed. "I… I needed air."
He studied her for a long moment, his eyes unreadable in the faint light. Then he said softly, "You don't run from me, Meera."
"I wasn't—"
"You were." His voice didn't rise. It didn't need to. The certainty in it was heavier than a shout.
She swallowed hard. "You can't just decide where I go."
"I don't decide," he said calmly, stepping closer. "I know. And I know you don't need to leave to breathe. You need to stop pretending I'm not the air itself."
Her pulse hammered. His words weren't romantic. They were a cage disguised as truth.
The guard cleared his throat nervously, looking between them. Aarav's gaze flicked toward him, and the man immediately busied himself with his phone, pretending not to hear.
Meera's hands curled into fists. "This is insane. You can't be everywhere. You can't—"
"I already am," Aarav murmured, cutting her off.
The calmness in his tone terrified her more than anger ever could.
He walked past her, slow and deliberate, brushing her shoulder as he moved.
"Go back," he said softly. "Before I lose patience."
Something in his voice made her legs move against her will. She turned, retracing her steps, heat burning behind her eyes.
Back in her dorm, she slammed the door shut, chest heaving. Priya stirred awake.
"Joshi? What happened? You look like you saw a ghost."
Meera collapsed onto her bed, whispering hoarsely, "Worse. I saw him."
Priya rubbed her eyes. "Again? Joshi, maybe if you just—"
"Stop." Meera's voice cracked. "Don't tell me it's sweet. Don't tell me it's care. He was waiting for me. At dawn. Like he knew I'd try."
Priya frowned, finally uneasy. "Okay, yeah. That's… intense."
Meera pressed her face into her pillow, muffling a scream. "I can't breathe, Priya. He won't let me."
Her phone buzzed.
She didn't want to look. She already knew who it was.
But her hand betrayed her.
Aarav: Don't try again. You'll only exhaust yourself.
Her breath caught. Another message followed.
Aarav: I'll always be where you think I'm not.
Meera's tears blurred the screen.
It wasn't a threat.
It was a promise.
And the terrifying part?
She believed him.