Radhika's POV:

I sat there, leaning against the door, tears streaming down my face. The overwhelming rush of emotions brought back memories of the first time I met Samar.

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It was the first day of college, and I was nervously navigating the crowded corridor, trying to find my classroom.

My arms were loaded with textbooks, and I was so focused on the room numbers that I didn’t see the person coming toward me. We collided, and my books scattered everywhere.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” I exclaimed, flustered and embarrassed.

“It’s okay, no harm done,” a friendly voice replied. I looked up to see a tall guy with a warm smile, bending down to help me gather my books.

“Thanks,” I said, taking the books from him. “I’m Radhika.”

“I’m Samar,” he said, handing me the last of my books. “You’re a first-year engineering student, right?”

I nodded. “Yeah, just trying to find my way around.”

“Me too. What a coincidence!” he said, grinning. “What course are you in?”

“Computer Science Engineering. You?”

Samar’s eyes lit up. “Same here! Looks like we’re classmates. How about we find our classroom together?”

I smiled, feeling a wave of relief. “That sounds great. Thanks, Aarav.”

As we walked together, he chatted easily, making me feel more at ease. “So, what made you choose engineering?” he asked.

“I’ve always loved solving problems and working with technology. It just felt like the right path,” I replied.

“Same here. I’ve always been fascinated by how things work and wanted to create something impactful,” Samar said enthusiastically.

We found our classroom and took seats next to each other. From that day on, we were inseparable.

————

A knock on the door jolted me back to the present. "Radhika?" Samar's voice was soft, filled with concern. "Can we talk?"

I wiped my tears, took a deep breath, and opened the door. "What is it, Samar?"

"I know this is a lot, but I just want to make sure you're okay. I never wanted to put you in this position," he said, his eyes searching mine.

"I'm fine," I lied, trying to keep my emotions in check. "I just need some time to process all of this."

"Take all the time you need," he said gently. "I'm here if you want to talk."

I nodded and closed the door again, leaning against it. I wasn't sure how to navigate this new reality, but one thing was clear—Samar still cared deeply, and that scared me more than anything.

I looked at my suitcase and decided to start arranging my clothes in the cupboard. When I opened it, I found his clothes already there, all messy.

Sighing, I moved to the living room and found him in the kitchen chopping vegetables.

I cleared my throat. "Samar, I need to keep my clothes, but your cupboard is messy."

He turned to look at me, surprised. "Sorry about that," he said, turning off the stove. "I'll clear it up."

Within ten minutes, he had tidied up his cupboard. While I waited, I noticed he was making fried rice, dal, and a side sabzi. He came back and told me, "You can arrange your clothes now."

I felt bad that he was doing all this by himself. "Do you need some help?" I offered.

He looked at me and smiled. "If you could make rotis, that would be great. I make them in terrible shapes and even burn them."

I chuckled slightly. "Alright, I can do that."

I went to the room, arranged my clothes, and then came back to the kitchen. "Where's the wheat to make the dough?" I asked.

"It's on the first shelf," he replied, now focused on making the fried rice.

I took out the wheat and started kneading the dough. By the time it was ready, my face had flour on my forehead and cheeks. Samar glanced over and chuckled.

"What's so funny?" I asked, curious.

Instead of answering, he leaned forward and gently brushed the flour off my cheeks and forehead.

Our eyes met, and for a moment, I felt like my soul had left my body at his touch. I struggled to keep my feelings in check, but my heart was pounding.

Just then, the whistle of the cooker blew, breaking the moment. I turned back to making the rotis, while Samar set up the table and finished preparing the food.

We had our dinner in silence. I knew he wanted to ask me so many things, and I could see he had so much to tell me, but he was giving me time to adjust. It had been two years since we last talked. Talked? Ha, we legit yelled at each other.

As I poked at my food, my mind drifted back to that fight specifically his words.

"And you don't see how suffocating you're being! I need space, Radhika. This isn't just about you!"

Did I force him? Was I being suffocating? Did he say those sweet words so i didn't felt bad? Was he acting when he said he felt the same?

No no Radhika focus. Stop overthinking it won't help in this situation.

I shook my head, trying to shake off the painful memory. Samar’s voice brought me back to the present. "So, how’s your job going?" he asked gently.

I looked up, startled. "It’s going well," I replied firmly. "I just got transferred here."

Samar's eyes widened. "Oh,which company are you with?"

"TechNova Solutions," I answered.

His surprise mirrored my own. "No way. I work at TechNova too!"

What? What? Fuck no God why?

I gave him a forced smile at the coincidence. "I guess we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other then."

He smiled, a bit of the tension easing from his shoulders. "Yeah, I guess so."

The irony of our situation struck me. Not only were we living together, but now we would be working together as well.

As much as I tried to suppress it, a part of me felt a flicker of hope that maybe this unexpected turn of events would help us mend the rift that had grown between us.

Stop it, Radhika. Don’t hope for anything, Hoping only leads to more pain.

I finished my food and walked to the basin to clean my plate, but Samar stopped me. "You don’t have to. The maid didi will come tomorrow."

It was still early, around nine, so I decided to distract myself by reading. I took out my new book, "Verity," and lay on the bed, engrossing myself in the story.

After some time, I heard a knock and someone clearing their throat. Tilting my head back, I saw Samar standing upside down near the room entrance.

I quickly sat up, realizing I had been laying on my back with my legs on the bed headboard and the book above me. Internally, I face-palmed. "I’m sorry, it’s just when I read—"

"It’s okay, Radhika," Samar interrupted, a small smile on his face. "You’ve always read books like that."

I relaxed a bit, then remembered the bed situation. Before I could say anything, Samar spoke up. "I’ll sleep on the couch in the living room. Don’t worry about it."

I nodded, relieved and a bit embarrassed. "Okay"

He gave me a reassuring look. "Goodnight, Radhika."

"Goodnight," I replied, watching as he walked out of the room.

As I lay back down, my mind swirled with memories and the reality of our current situation. Sharing a space with Samar was going to be challenging.

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