The night didn't end with the teasing.
It never did.
After Harsh's dramatic announcements and Vivaan's relentless commentary, the common room slowly settled into a calmer rhythm. Phones came out, someone turned the TV on low volume, and the exhaustion from practice finally began to show on everyone's faces.
Haniya sat curled on one end of the couch, knees drawn up, absentmindedly scrolling through her phone. Aarav sat a little away from her—not because he wanted distance, but because too much closeness right now would just give the others more ammunition.
Vivaan noticed, of course.
He always did.
"Why are you two sitting like you've had a fight?" he asked casually, tossing a cushion in the air and catching it again. "After all that drama, I expected at least hand-holding."
Haniya didn't even look up. "Maybe we like peace."
Harsh snorted. "Peace? From you two? Impossible."
Aarav leaned back, arms crossed. "You're unusually interested in our personal space."
Vivaan grinned. "Because it's entertaining."
Kashvi glanced between them, sensing the shift. The laughter was still there, but something else sat underneath it—something unspoken, heavier.
She nudged Haniya gently. "You tired?"
"A little," Haniya admitted.
Not physically. Emotionally.
The day had been full—practice, teasing, stolen looks, unguarded moments. It all piled up faster than she wanted to admit.
Harsh stood and stretched. "Alright, I'm done for the day. If I hear even one more romantic sigh, I'm leaving this planet."
"Please do," Haniya muttered.
One by one, they began to disperse. Vivaan dragged Harsh toward their room, still laughing about the mark on Haniya's neck. Kashvi followed after wishing them both goodnight, her smile lingering a second longer on Haniya.
Soon, only Aarav and Haniya were left.
The silence felt different without the others—thicker, warmer.
Aarav glanced at her. "You okay?"
She nodded. "Just… thinking."
"About?"
She shrugged. "Everything. Nothing."
He didn't push. Instead, he stood and offered his hand—not dramatic, not rushed. Just there.
Haniya looked at it for a second before taking it.
They walked slowly toward the balcony, the night air cooler and quieter. The city lights glowed in the distance, soft and distant, like they belonged to another world.
Haniya leaned against the railing. "Do you ever feel like things are moving too fast?"
Aarav rested his elbows beside hers. "Sometimes."
She turned to him. "Does that scare you?"
He shook his head. "No. What scares me is stopping."
That made her smile—a small, honest one.
She traced an invisible line on the railing with her finger. "I'm not used to… this."
"This?"
"Being seen," she said softly. "Not for what I do. Just for who I am."
Aarav looked at her then—really looked. "You don't disappear here. Even when you try."
She laughed quietly. "Is it that obvious?"
"To me," he said.
They stood there, shoulder to shoulder, not touching but close enough to feel each other's warmth.
"Haniya," he said after a moment, "you don't have to carry everything alone."
She swallowed. "I know. I'm just… learning how not to."
He turned slightly, facing her. "And if you fall back into old habits?"
She met his eyes. "Then I hope you'll remind me."
He smiled. "I will."
The wind lifted a few strands of her hair across her face. Without thinking, Aarav reached out, brushing them aside gently. His touch was light, careful—like he was afraid of crossing a line.
She didn't pull away.
Instead, she stepped closer.
The kiss wasn't rushed. It wasn't intense like before. It was slow, grounding, filled with everything they hadn't said out loud. A pause. A breath. A promise without words.
When they pulled back, foreheads resting together, Haniya whispered, "We should sleep."
Aarav laughed softly. "Probably."
They walked back inside, stopping at her door.
"Goodnight," she said.
"Goodnight," he replied, then added, "And… thank you."
"For what?"
"For trusting me," he said.
She nodded, heart full. "Don't make me regret it."
"I won't."
As she closed the door behind her, Haniya leaned against it for a second, exhaling slowly.
The teasing would continue tomorrow. The chaos too.
But tonight, in the quiet between laughter and silence, she felt steady.
And that was new.