The library was quiet, save for the soft rustling of pages and the occasional click of a keyboard. Anaya walked in, her eyes scanning the rows of bookshelves before spotting her friends at a large table near the back. It was a familiar sight—her usual study group, with textbooks and notebooks sprawled across the table, their conversation already in full swing.
As she approached, Neha, one of the quieter members of the group, looked up from her book. Her gaze shifted from Anaya to the empty seat beside her, and with a warm smile, she gestured for Anaya to join them.
"Hey, Anaya!" Neha called out, her voice soft but inviting. "Come sit with us. We're just taking a quick break."
Anaya smiled in response, feeling the comfort of being with her friends after a long, tense class. Without a word, she made her way to the table, pulling out the empty chair next to Neha. As she settled in, Riya, the newest member of their group, shot her a cheeky grin.
"I see we're all here, huh?" Riya remarked, glancing over at Anaya. "Trying to escape the chaos of exams for a little while?"
"Something like that," Anaya replied, her voice light as she opened her book.
Riya, however, was in no mood to study. As usual, she quickly shifted the topic to something more personal. "So, I've got news," she said, making sure everyone's attention was on her now. "You guys know about my new relationship, right?"
The other girls exchanged knowing smiles. Riya had been going on and on about her new boyfriend for weeks now, always eager to share every little detail.
Neha smiled politely. "Yeah, we know. You've been talking about him non-stop."
Riya smirked, eyes twinkling with mischief. "Well, that's not all. I've been thinking. I can't be the only one in the group with love drama. Someone else must have something interesting going on."
Anaya, who had been skimming through her textbook, glanced up, unsure where this conversation was headed. "What are you getting at, Riya?" she asked, a raised eyebrow betraying her curiosity.
Riya leaned forward, clearly enjoying the moment. "Come on, Anaya. Don't tell me you've been keeping your love life a secret from us."
Anaya groaned inwardly. She knew exactly what was coming next, and she wasn't in the mood to entertain it. "There's nothing to tell," she said flatly, her eyes drifting back to the pages of her book.
"Oh, please. I've been watching you," Riya continued, ignoring Anaya's disinterest. "You've been spending a lot of time with someone lately. Care to share who it is?"
Anaya raised her head from her book, glancing at Riya with a smirk. "Really? Is this what we're doing today?"
Neha chuckled softly. "Come on, Anaya. You've been talking about him a lot. Just tell us who he is."
Anaya sighed dramatically. She didn't want to lie, but she wasn't about to get into anything serious with them either. "Fine," she said, throwing her hands up in mock surrender. "We're just friends. Nothing more."
Riya let out an exaggerated gasp. "Just friends? Is that what you're calling it?" She leaned back in her chair, an amused expression plastered on her face. "Hmm, I don't know if I'm buying that."
Anaya rolled her eyes, unfazed. "Really. It's nothing, guys. We're just hanging out sometimes. That's it."
Riya was having none of it. "Yeah, right. You've been spending hours with him, and you're just friends? Not buying it, girl."
Neha, intrigued but still cautious, leaned in. "How did you even meet him, Anaya? I don't think you've ever told us that."
Anaya paused, setting her book aside. She hadn't really thought about it much, but now that the topic had come up, she realized this was the perfect opportunity to share the whole story, especially since they were all so curious.
"Well," Anaya began, her voice casual but with a playful undertone, "if you want to know how it all started, here's the story."
Riya's eyes gleamed. "Here we go!"
Anaya leaned back in her chair, her gaze drifting briefly toward the window before returning to her friends. "It was on the bus, actually. You know how it is with me—always running late. I barely made it on time for the exam that day, and as usual, I had to squeeze past a bunch of people to get on. And then... there he was."
Neha, who had been fiddling with her pen, stopped and looked up. "Wait, are you talking about the guy you hang out with all the time?"
Anaya nodded, not missing a beat. "Yep. So, I'm trying to get past everyone, and when I finally get to him, he moves to make space for me. It wasn't a huge thing, but it stood out because... well, not many people would do that."
Riya raised an eyebrow. "A gentleman, huh? I'm interested now."
Anaya waved her hand dismissively. "It wasn't anything like that, trust me. He just moved over. But it made a difference. We didn't talk much at first, but when I finally got a chance to sit down, I noticed he wasn't weird or anything. It was easy, you know? Like talking to someone you've known forever."
Neha smirked. "Sounds like the beginning of a classic romance."
Anaya rolled her eyes. "It's not like that. We were just two people stuck on a bus, trying to get to class."
Riya wasn't letting up, though. "So, then what? Did you guys start talking right away?"
Anaya grinned. "Not exactly. It wasn't this dramatic 'OMG, I like you' moment. We just kept running into each other in study spaces and around campus. Eventually, we started talking more. Music, life, exams, you name it. It just clicked."
Neha folded her arms and leaned back. "And that's how you became friends?"
Anaya nodded. "Pretty much. It's just been... easy. No pressure, no weirdness."
Riya's grin widened. "Yeah, sure. No pressure at all. But, you know, it sounds like you're holding something back."
Anaya smirked, eyes gleaming with amusement. "Trust me, Riya. It's just a friendship."
Riya leaned back, still clearly unconvinced. "Mm-hmm. We'll see about that. But hey, you've got to admit, that's a pretty good story."
Neha chuckled. "You two just kind of fell into this friendship, huh?"
Anaya nodded, the teasing dying down for the moment. "Yeah, I guess you could say that."
The conversation continued, but now it was clear that the playful teasing had died down—for the moment, at least. Riya was still giving Anaya a look, though, one that clearly said she wasn't done asking questions.
As the conversation shifted to other topics, Anaya couldn't help but feel the weight of her friends' curiosity lingering in the air. She knew they'd be back for more. They always were. But for now, she was content to leave things as they were. After all, she was just friends with Pradeep. Nothing more... or so she told herself.
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To be continued...