Pooja was sitting at her desk with Neena, glaring at Sanjana who was giggling with Karan in her seat.
Neena: (sighing) "It's obvious Karan likes her."
Pooja glared at her.
Neena: "What? Didn't you see them hugging each other and being all lovey-dovey in the courtyard?"
Pooja scoffed in disgust and looked back at Sanjana.
Pooja: (angry) "What does she think of herself? Karan definitely doesn't like her!"
Neena: "You should do something instead of sitting here and being jealous."
Pooja: (thumping on the desk) "I will. She would pay for this."
Sanjana was trying to study and Karan was constantly flipping over the book, not letting her study.
Sanjana: (giggling) "What are you doing? I have to study."
Karan: (keeping away the book and holding her hand) "You can study afterward. Spend some time with me."
Sanjana gave up and looked at him.
Sanjana: (smiling) "Okay, what do you want to do?"
Karan: (tilting his head) "Look into your eyes."
Sanjana looked down, hiding the blush that crept upon her cheeks.
Karan chuckled seeing her red face.
After school, Sanjana and Karan went to the library to study.
They were sitting across each other, books and notebooks opened in front of them. Karan was immersed in his work. However, Sanjana was taking occasional glances at Karan from behind her book, which she held in front of her face.
'He is such a sweet distraction. How can I concentrate?'
'Okay one last look and then I will study with full concentration.'
Sanjana peeked from above her book only to meet Karan's eyes who were looking straight at her. He arched his eyebrow and smirked. Sanjana immediately kept the book down, straightened her position on the chair, and clearing her throat started studying.
Karan chuckled at her reaction and went back to studying.
Sanjana, taking a short glance at him, slapped herself mentally.
It was past 7 p.m. when Karan and Sanjana reached the latter's home.
Sanjana: (smiling widely) "I had a great time today. Thank you."
Karan: (returning her smile) "No problem."
Sanjana: (looking down) "Well then, meet you tomorrow."
Karan nodded and looked at her house.
Karan: (furrowing his eyebrows) "Isn't anyone home today?"
Sanjana got confused by his question so she turned towards her house. Unlike other days, none of the lights were on.
Sanjana looked at other houses to check whether there was a power cut. But there were lights in the rest of the houses.
Sanjana: (walking towards the door) "This is weird. Everyone should be home."
Sanjana turned the door knob but it was locked. Karan had followed her and stood behind her.
Karan: "Is the door locked?"
Sanjana nodded and took out the spare keys from her backpack.
She opened the door and met with the dark and silent house. Sanjana switched on the lights of the living room.
Sanjana: (keeping the keys on the shoe cupboard) "Karan, you can come in."
Karan came inside and looked around the house.
Karan: (surprised) "Wow! Your house is huge."
Sanjana giggled but then her eyes fell on a yellow paper kept on the cupboard.
She picked it up and read it.
Note: "We are going out for a family occasion. We will be late. Order something for dinner. -Mom"
Sanjana's heart ached reading the note.
'How can they leave me alone like this? Oh yeah, I would ruin their reputation in front of their friends.'
Sanjana was pulled away from her thoughts by Karan's voice.
Sanjana: (crumbling the paper behind her back) "Huh?"
Karan: "Did you get to know where your parents and sister are?"
Sanjana: (giving a fake smile) "Oh, yeah, I just remembered. Mom messaged me after school that they would be attending a family wedding."
Karan: (nodding) "Okay, then what about you?"
Sanjana: "I told them that I would come home late so they could go by themselves. I'm going to order pizza. Will you, have it?"
Karan: (smiling) "Sure."
They were in the kitchen. Karan was sitting on a stool looking at Sanjana who was searching for a coffee mug to offer Karan a cup of coffee.
'Where did Mom keep those mugs?' She opened the upper cabinet and saw the mugs kept on the highest shelf.
Sanjana: (sighing) "Found it!"
Sanjana stood on her toes and extended her hand to reach the mug but it was too high for her. She jumped a few times but still could not reach it.
While her hand tried to reach the mug frantically, another hand came from behind her and reached the mug easily.
Sanjana felt Karan's presence behind her, so she turned around, only to bump into his chest. Karan brought the cup down and kept it on the kitchen slab behind Sanjana. As he turned his face towards Sanjana, his eyes met with her dark brown eyes. Both felt the closeness between them, their bodies pressed against each other, faces inches apart as Karan was looking down at her. Sanjana could feel her heart pounding in her chest and blush creeping on her cheeks. Sanjana dared, not to look at his lips. But Karan could not help but look at her lips and then back into her eyes.
Karan's mind went totally blank. He did not want to think about the right and the wrong at that time. He could feel his heart pounding like crazy. Shifting his gaze back to her lips, he leaned closer. Sanjana, sensing where this was going, closed her eyes involuntarily. Taking that as a cue, Karan brought his face even closer, noses touching each other. Sanjana felt Karan's breath fanning near her lips. Taking one last glance at Sanjana's face, Karan closed his eyes and placed his lips on hers. As soon as they felt their lips touch each other, the doorbell rang bringing them back to their senses. Karan immediately moved away from her and turned around hiding his red face.
Sanjana was still trying to process what just happened. The doorbell rang again.
Sanjana: "I-Iw-will g-get it."
Sanjana hurriedly exited the kitchen to get to the door.
Karan cursed under his breath. 'Shit! What was I even thinking?'
Sanjana opened the door to see the delivery boy.
Boy: (handing her the pizza box) "Here's your order, ma'am."
Sanjana paid him and closed the door. She kept the box on the cupboard beside the doorway and leaned against the door, breathing heavily.
'No, I must act normal. It was just an accident. We were not in our right minds. Nothing should be awkward between us.'
'Calm down my heart!'
Sanjana took several breaths before going into the kitchen with the pizza.
Karan: (noticing Sanjana) "Sanjana that- "
Sanjana kept the box on the table and turned to him.
Sanjana: (smiling) "Don't worry, we will pretend that never happened. Let's not make anything awkward between us."
Karan did not expect such an answer from her. He stood in his position with widened eyes.
Sanjana made coffee for Karan and during the whole time, Karan stared at her, not knowing what to talk about.
After giving him the coffee mug, Sanjana sat across him and opened the pizza box.
Sanjana: "I love chicken pizza so I ordered that. I hope you don't mind?"
Karan: (shaking his head) "No, I love chicken pizza too."
Sanjana smiled widely and gestured for him to take the slice first.
They talked endlessly while eating. Sanjana seemed normal so Karan too, after some time, felt the awkwardness draining out of him.