Aira Kapoor spent the next morning avoiding Reyhan like he was a pop quiz she hadn't studied for.
She left home early.
Took a longer route.
Entered school from the back gate.
Sat at the farthest bench during assembly.
Sia caught her by the elbow.
"Ma'am. Babe. Bestie. Why are you acting like a criminal escaping custody?"
Aira didn't stop walking. "I'm not avoiding him."
"You're literally HIDING BEHIND THE SCHOOL BUS."
Aira groaned. "Sia, please. If he talks to me today, my brain will implode."
"Ohhhh," Sia said knowingly. "It's because he said the word 'yet,' isn't it?"
Aira turned red instantly. "SIA—"
Sia smirked. "Oh honey, you're GONE."
Aira covered her face with both hands.
"I'm not ready to deal with him. Not after yesterday. My heart needs a battery replacement."
But fate did not care.
Because as she walked toward her classroom, she heard footsteps behind her.
Confident.
Familiar.
Irritatingly calm.
Aira didn't turn around.
She prayed to every god in every religion that it wasn't—
"Aira."
She stopped walking.
Slowly turned.
Reyhan Malhotra stood there, hair messy, eyes steady, expression unreadably serious.
"You're avoiding me."
Aira's mouth went dry. "No, I'm not."
"You are."
"I'm not avoiding you."
"You came through the back gate."
Aira froze. "How did you know that??"
Reyhan shrugged. "I didn't see you at the front."
"That doesn't mean—"
"You sat four rows behind your usual spot."
"I just wanted a different view—"
"You left the cafeteria before breakfast even STARTED."
Aira sighed in defeat.
"Fine. Maybe I'm avoiding you a little."
Reyhan took a step forward.
Aira backed up instinctively.
He stopped immediately, raising his hands slightly like he didn't want to scare her.
"Why?" he asked gently.
Aira looked down. "I just… need space."
"From me?"
She hesitated.
"Yes."
Something flickered across his face—so fast she barely caught it.
Hurt.
He covered it with a smirk almost instantly.
But she saw it.
Aira panicked. "I didn't mean it like— I just… everything's confusing right now. I'm confused."
Reyhan took a slow breath.
"Okay."
Aira blinked.
…Okay?
He nodded again.
"If you need space, I'll give you space."
She wasn't expecting that.
At all.
"But," he added quietly, "don't shut me out completely."
Aira's heart twisted. "I'm not shutting you out."
He tilted his head. "You're trying to. And you're not good at it."
She glared. "Stop knowing everything."
"I don't know everything," he said, voice surprisingly soft. "Just you."
Her knees nearly collapsed.
"Aira," he said gently, "I'm not asking for anything. I'm not trying to push you. Just… don't run from me."
"I'm not running—"
"You are," he whispered. "But you don't have to."
Aira swallowed hard. "Why do you even care?"
Reyhan looked at her for a long, quiet moment.
Then he answered,
"Because you're the first person I don't want to lose before I even get the chance to know them."
Aira's heart did something violently emotional.
Before she could say anything, a group of students walked past them, whispering loudly.
"Are they fighting?"
"Are they breaking up?"
"Wait—were they even dating??"
Aira stepped back instantly. "See? THIS is why I want space."
Reyhan looked away. "People talk. They'll talk no matter what."
"That doesn't make it easier."
"I know."
Aira pressed her fingers to her temples.
"I'm just… overwhelmed, okay? With school. With everything."
Reyhan nodded once. "Then let me help."
"No," she said quickly. "Space doesn't mean you fixing things."
He hesitated.
Then, slowly, he stepped aside—giving her physical space too.
"Okay," he said quietly. "Take whatever space you need."
Aira blinked again.
This wasn't the Reyhan she expected.
This wasn't the sarcastic one.
The teasing one.
The confident one.
This Reyhan looked… careful.
Soft.
Almost scared to push too far.
Aira turned to walk away, but he called after her—
"Aira."
She looked back.
He wasn't smiling.
Just watching her like she mattered too much and he didn't know what to do with that.
"Even if you're avoiding me," he said,
"I'll still be here."
Her breath caught.
"But I'll give you the distance you want."
Aira exhaled shakily and nodded.
Then she walked away quickly before her eyes could get embarrassingly emotional.
RULE #17: Don't try to avoid Reyhan Malhotra.
Because he'll notice immediately…
and he'll still stay, even when you ask him not to.