The college day passed slowly, lectures dragging on in a lazy afternoon haze. Aanya sat beneath a tree on campus, sketching random doodles in her notebook when Vedant dropped down beside her with his usual casual energy.
"Hey," he said, brushing a leaf off his shoulder. "You doing anything this weekend?"
She looked up, curious. "Not really. Why?"
"There's this music festival in town. Some indie bands, a couple of soulful artists—you'd like it. Thought I'd go, and… wondered if you'd come with me?"
Aanya paused, surprised. Music had always been her escape, her truth. She hadn't gone to anything like that in years. Not since the dreams faded.
She smiled softly. "Yeah. I'd love that."
From a nearby bench, Meher, sipping cold coffee, raised her brows. "Ahem. Date vibes?"
Vedant rolled his eyes. "It's just music."
Aanya flushed but laughed. "Yeah, Meher. Not everything is a rom-com."
But Meher just smirked. "Mmm-hmm. I'll bring the popcorn anyway."
The weekend arrived with skies painted in gold and indigo. The music festival was set up in an open park, decorated with string lights and colorful stalls. The crowd buzzed with quiet excitement, soft beats filling the air from distant stages.
Aanya walked beside Vedant, both of them dressed casually—comfortable, light, easy. She felt something shift inside her, like the world was gently nudging her toward something unknown.
They visited a small stage where a girl with a haunting voice sang poetry set to soft piano. Her lyrics melted into the air like prayers.
"Music like this…" Aanya whispered, "it feels like memory."
Vedant glanced at her. "What do you mean?"
She hesitated. "Like… it doesn't just sound beautiful. It feels like it knows me."
He didn't say anything, just looked at her a second longer than usual.
Aanya's Thoughts – About Vedant
She watched him from the side as he walked ahead slightly, hands in his pockets, swaying gently to the rhythm of a nearby song.
There was something about Vedant that made her feel safe. At ease. Like she didn't need to pretend to be someone else.
She liked being around him. He was steady, kind, never pushed too far.
But even in his presence, there was a quiet corner of her heart that remained untouched—reserved.
Not by choice, but by something deeper.
By something… destined.
And in that moment, she realized:
Vedant was here in her story, but he wasn't written into her soul.
As the night deepened, they walked through a quieter section of the grounds. A new artist stepped onto a side stage and began strumming a familiar tune. The moment the first line played, something inside Aanya froze.
The lyrics drifted gently:
"Some hearts are waiting across lifetimes,
Calling softly through silence and time..."
Her breath caught.
The air around her shifted—heavy yet comforting.
The crowd blurred.
The stars above seemed to shimmer more clearly.
She felt him.
Her soulmate.
Not in the crowd. Not near. But around.
Like the universe had just cracked open long enough for their connection to stir again.
Her heart began to ache—not from sadness, but from recognition.
She stepped back, needing space. The music pulled her inward, deeper than she'd been in months.
Vedant followed quickly. "Aanya? Are you okay?"
She nodded quickly, blinking away the wetness in her eyes. "Yeah… just needed some air. That song… it hit different."
He looked at her, concerned. "We can leave if you want."
She smiled gently, grateful. "No. Let's stay a little longer."
Vedant's POV – That Night
Vedant sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the blurry lights outside his window.
He couldn't explain it, but something had shifted in the way he saw her tonight.
Not just as a friend.
Not just as the girl who sat beside him in class.
There was something about her—the way she got lost in music, the way her eyes clouded with meaning at lyrics most people would overlook.
He was falling for her.
But what he didn't understand…
Was why she looked so far away when he was standing right next to her.
And why her silence tonight felt like it belonged to someone else.