The library had become their second home.
By now, everyone had stopped asking why the three of them were always there.
Aanya sat at one end of the table, surrounded by books.
Aditi was across from her, highlighting something with the concentration of someone trying to survive.
Sagnik sat beside Aanya.
For almost an hour, nobody spoke.
Only the occasional turning of pages.
The scratch of pens.
The quiet hum of the air conditioner.
Aanya finally leaned back.
She closed her eyes.
"I'm done."
Aditi didn't look up.
"You're never done."
"I am."
"You said that twenty minutes ago."
"I was temporarily done."
Sagnik laughed quietly.
Aanya looked at him.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You laughed."
"I did."
"Why?"
"You."
She narrowed her eyes.
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one you're getting."
Aanya shook her head.
She turned back to her notes.
A few seconds passed.
Then Sagnik reached across the table.
His fingers gently caught the edge of her notebook.
Aanya looked at him.
"What?"
He pulled the notebook slightly toward himself.
"You've been staring at the same paragraph for five minutes."
"I have not."
"You have."
She glanced down.
He was right.
She had read the same sentence so many times that the words had stopped meaning anything.
She sighed.
"Fine."
She closed the book.
Sagnik smiled.
"Good."
Aanya leaned back in her chair.
"Happy?"
"Very."
She looked at him.
There was something about the way he was looking at her.
Not the usual amused expression.
Something quieter.
More deliberate.
Aanya's smile faded slightly.
"What?"
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he reached over and gently moved a loose strand of hair away from her face.
Aanya froze.
His fingers barely touched her temple.
But she felt the movement everywhere.
Sagnik seemed to realize exactly how still she'd become.
He didn't pull away immediately.
He looked at her.
She looked back.
Neither spoke.
Then his hand lowered.
Aanya swallowed.
"You've become very brave."
His mouth curved.
"Maybe."
"Since when?"
"I don't know."
She smiled faintly.
"You're making me nervous."
That made him pause.
His expression softened.
"Do you want me to stop?"
Aanya looked at him.
For a second, she could have said yes.
Instead—
she shook her head.
"No."
Something in his eyes changed.
He leaned a little closer.
Slowly enough that she could move away if she wanted.
She didn't.
His forehead almost touched hers.
Aanya's heart was beating much too loudly.
"Sagnik."
"Yeah?"
"You know we're in the library."
He glanced around.
Aditi was completely absorbed in her notes.
He looked back at Aanya.
"She hasn't noticed anything."
Aanya tried not to laugh.
"That's not the point."
"I know."
He smiled.
Then, very gently, he pressed a kiss to her forehead.
Just once.
Brief.
Warm.
Deliberate.
Aanya's eyes closed automatically.
When he pulled back, she opened them again.
She looked at him.
Her face had gone warm.
He looked almost amused by it.
"Why are you smiling?"
"Because you're blushing."
"I'm not."
"You are."
"Shut up."
He laughed quietly.
Aanya looked down at her notebook, trying desperately to recover whatever remained of her concentration.
Sagnik picked up his pen.
"Study."
She stared at him.
"You did that and now you're telling me to study?"
"Yes."
"You're horrible."
"I know."
She tried to glare at him.
It didn't work.
A tiny smile betrayed her.
And beside her, Sagnik returned to his notes as though he hadn't just completely disrupted her ability to read a single sentence.
Aanya stared at her book.
The same paragraph was still in front of her.
She read it once.
Then again.
Nothing registered.
She quietly closed the book.
Sagnik glanced at her.
"Already?"
Aanya looked at him.
"I'm blaming you."
He smiled.
"I'll take responsibility."
And somehow—
that was enough to make her laugh again.