Vedant's POV
I should've been taking notes.
Professor Sharma's voice was clear, the board was full, and the topic—quantum tunneling—was one I usually devoured.
But I didn't hear a word.
Arohi sat beside me.
Her presence was quiet, deliberate.
She underlined the same sentence three times, and I watched her hand move like it was choreographed.
I didn't mean to focus on her.
But I did.
And now, the lecture was over, and I hadn't written a single line.
Aryan dropped into the seat next to mine, stretching like he'd just finished a marathon. "You good?"
I nodded. "Yeah."
He glanced at my notebook. "You didn't take notes."
"I didn't need to," I lied.
Aryan smirked. "Right. You were too busy watching Arohi underline the same sentence three times."
I blinked. "What?"
"She sat beside you. You froze. I counted."
I looked away. "It's not like that."
Aryan leaned in. "Then what is it?"
I hesitated. "I got distracted."
"By her?"
I nodded. "She sat beside me and I couldn't focus. I kept thinking about how close she was. How intentional it felt."
Aryan didn't laugh. He didn't tease. He just watched me.
"I'm supposed to be better than this," I said quietly. "I lost three marks. And today I didn't even hear half the lecture."
"You're human," came a voice from behind me.
Meher.
She slid into the seat on my other side, her tone soft but steady. "You're allowed to be thrown off sometimes."
I looked at her, and for a second, I saw Vanya di.
Not her face.
But the way she used to sit beside me after a bad exam, saying nothing until I was ready to speak.
"You're not weak because someone got under your skin," Meher continued. "You're just in a game you didn't realize had started."
Aryan nodded. "And she's good at it. Strategic. Controlled. You're not the first person she's studied."
"I feel stupid," I admitted.
Meher shook her head. "You're not. You're just exposed. And that's okay."
Aryan added, "You're still Vedant Kapoor. You'll recalibrate. But stop pretending you're unaffected. That's not strength—it's denial."
I exhaled. "I didn't expect her to be this… precise."
"She's not just trying to win," Meher said. "She's trying to shift the balance."
I looked at her again.
She didn't flinch.
She reminded me of Vanya di in the way she held space—firm, but never forceful.
Aryan stood. "So shift it back. But don't fight her. Understand her."
"You think I can?"
Aryan grinned. "You already are. She wouldn't have sat beside you if you weren't worth the effort."
Meher touched my arm lightly. "Just don't lose yourself trying to beat her. That's not the point."
I nodded. "Thanks."
We walked out together.
And for the first time in days, I didn't feel alone in this.