A dangerous line

Crescent Hill Academy — The Library

The air in the library was thick with whispered gossip. Meher could hear snippets of it as she browsed the shelves.

“…did you see Arav Malhotra today?”

“He actually talked to someone. That Sharma girl.”

“She must be really brave—or really stupid.”

Meher sighed. She was used to people talking, but this felt different. He wasn’t just any boy. He was the Malhotra heir—the untouchable one.

And yet, somehow, she had become the center of this strange, silent storm.

Her phone buzzed.

ARAV:

"Project submission tomorrow. Be there after class."

Short. Cold. Direct. Like always.

But underneath every short text, Meher could sense it now—his attention. His growing presence. The way he was always there even when he wasn’t.

---

Later That Day — Empty Classroom

The classroom was quiet except for the faint hum of the fan.

Arav sat at their usual desk, already finishing the wiring diagram.

“You could’ve waited for me, you know,” Meher said as she dropped her bag.

“You were late.”

“I was five minutes late.”

“That’s late.”

Meher rolled her eyes and sat beside him. As they worked, she noticed how close he sat today, his arm brushing hers occasionally. He didn’t seem to notice—or maybe he did, and simply didn’t care.

But she noticed. Every single time.

“Arav?” she finally asked, voice softer.

“Hmm?”

“Why do you always avoid people?”

He paused, pen hovering above the paper.

“It’s easier,” he said flatly. “Less noise. Less disappointment.”

“But you don’t avoid me.”

His hand stopped moving.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Then quietly, he said, “You’re different.”

Her heart jumped.

“I talk too much,” she joked nervously.

“You make the silence tolerable.”

Meher’s breath caught. She never expected something so… honest from him.

Before she could reply, the door slammed open.

Kabir.

“There you are, Sharma! I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

Meher stood up, startled. “What happened?”

Kabir smiled, completely ignoring Arav’s cold stare. “Movie night with everyone. You’re coming, right?”

She hesitated. “I—I don’t know—”

“She’s busy,” Arav said suddenly.

Kabir turned, raising an eyebrow. “I wasn’t asking you.”

Meher stepped between them, nervous. “Guys, it’s okay—”

But Arav’s voice cut through, cold and sharp. “She has work. With me.”

The tension thickened instantly.

Kabir chuckled. “Jealousy doesn’t suit you, Malhotra.”

“I don’t get jealous,” Arav said, eyes narrowing. “I get possessive.”

Kabir’s smile faded for a moment, sensing the edge beneath Arav’s calm voice. But he quickly covered it with a casual shrug.

“Relax, man. She’s free to do whatever she wants.”

Kabir left, but the air stayed heavy even after the door closed.

Meher turned to Arav, annoyed. “What was that?”

“You’re wasting time with people who don’t deserve your attention.”

“And you decide who deserves me?”

“Yes,” he said without hesitation. “At least, when it concerns me.”

Meher stared at him, chest tightening. The dangerous side of him—the controlling one—was starting to show.

“You can’t control who I talk to.”

He leaned in slightly, voice lowering. “No. But I can control who comes near you when I’m around.”

For the first time, she saw it clearly.

This wasn’t just quiet obsession anymore.

It was dangerous desire.

And yet, despite the warning bells ringing in her head, her heart betrayed her with one undeniable truth—

A part of her didn’t want him to stop.

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