15

14. Black saree and silent love

The college the time for the freshers' party approached, students started arriving on the college campus in excitement and happiness. The entrance became lively as groups of students walked in wearing colorful and stylish outfits. The surroundings were filled with cheerful conversations, laughter, and the sound of footsteps as everyone gathered for the celebration.

New students entered the decorated venue with curiosity and excitement, admiring the beautiful arrangements around them. Some students stopped near the entrance to take photographs, while others greeted their friends and explored the decorated areas. The corridors and pathways became crowded with students moving around, creating a joyful and energetic atmosphere.

The auditorium slowly filled with students, and the bright lights, music, and decorations made the environment more attractive. Friends gathered in groups, sharing smiles and enjoying the festive mood. The freshers looked happy and confident as they entered the beautifully decorated hall. The entire campus was full of excitement, making the beginning of the freshers' party a memorable sight.

ge campus looked completely transformed on the day of the freshers' party. The entrance was beautifully decorated with colorful balloons, flowers, and welcoming banners that created a cheerful atmosphere for the new students. pathway leading to the venue was covered with bright lights and creative decorations, making the surroundings look attractive and festive.

Inside the auditorium, the walls were decorated with ribbons, posters, and sparkling fairy lights. The stage was the main attraction, decorated with elegant curtains, flowers, and a large welcome banner. The colorful lighting around the stage added charm and excitement to the entire hall. Rows of chairs were arranged neatly for students and guests, while the open spaces were decorated with artistic displays and photo booths.

The refreshment area was set up in one corner, surrounded by beautifully arranged tables and decorations. Soft music played in the background, filling the environment with happiness and energy. The entire college campus was filled with a festive spirit, with every corner reflecting creativity and celebration. The pleasant surroundings, bright decorations, and lively atmosphere made the freshers' party venue look attractive and unforgettable

slowlyy

As the time for the freshers' party approached, students started arriving on the college campus in excitement and happiness. The entrance became lively as groups of students walked in wearing colorful and stylish outfits. The surroundings were filled with cheerful conversations, laughter, and the sound of footsteps as everyone gathered for the celebration.

New students entered the decorated venue with curiosity and excitement, admiring the beautiful arrangements around them. Some students stopped near the entrance to take photographs, while others greeted their friends and explored the decorated areas. The corridors and pathways became crowded with students moving around, creating a joyful and energetic atmosphere.

The auditorium slowly filled with students, and the bright lights, music, and decorations made the environment more attractive. Friends gathered in groups, sharing smiles and enjoying the festive mood. The freshers looked happy and confident as they entered the beautifully decorated hall. The entire campus was full of excitement, making the beginning of the freshers' party a memorable sight

Then, Riyan entered the auditorium.
He was wearing a black shirt paired with white pants. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up neatly, revealing the veins on his forearms. A simple yet classy watch rested on his wrist, while his messy hair and spotless white shoes completed his effortlessly handsome look.



Riyan look

Truth be told, he never wanted to attend the freshers' party.

He had already started preparing for the UPSC and was never interested in parties or college events. If it weren't for his family's constant insistence, he would have happily stayed at home with his books.

But there was another reason he came.

A reason named Kaira.

He didn't want to miss the chance to see her perform.

He wanted to wish her good luck...
To cheer for her...

To tell her how beautiful she looked while dancing.

He came only for her.

For almost three years, he had loved her silently.
Three years...

And Kaira didn't even know.

Not because he never got the chance to confess, but because he never expected her to love him back. Deep down, he knew Kaira had never looked at him the way he looked at her.
To her...

He was just a friend.

Riyan lazily scrolled through his phone while waiting. A few girls tried talking to him, while others desperately attempted different ways to grab his attention.
But his eyes kept drifting back towards the entrance.

Patiently waiting...

Only for Kaira..

After a few minutes...

She finally walked in.

For a second...
Riyan forgot how to breathe.

Kaira was wearing a gorgeous black net saree that hugged her figure perfectly. Matching black Kashmiri bangles adorned her wrists, while silver earrings beautifully completed her look. Her nude brown lipstick made her beauty look even more effortless.

She looked...

Absolutely breathtaking.
Riyan simply stared at her.



Kaira look

Before he could admire her any longer, Kaira walked straight towards him with a bright smile.

"Hello, Mr. Padaku... How am I looking?" she asked playfully.

"H-Huh..."

He cleared his throat before answering.

"Very... very pretty."

His words barely escaped as he caught his breath.

"Hehe... Thank you, thank you!" she giggled, her excitement clearly visible.
"Achha, ek baat notice kari?" she asked.

Riyan raised an eyebrow.
"Nahi..."

"Dekho... hum dono ne coincidence se black pehna hai!"

She pointed at both of them excitedly.
A small smile appeared on his lips.
How could someone find happiness in such little things?

Just then, a cheerful voice echoed through the auditorium.

"So, hello Freshers! Are you excited for your Freshers' Party?"

The female professor's voice filled the hall.

"So please, Freshers and Seniors, it's time for our Rajasthani dance performance by the seniors. Everyone, please take your seats and enjoy the performance."

Everyone settled into their seats.
Meanwhile, Kaira looked around, trying to find Kartik.

She wanted to ask him how she looked.

But he seemed completely uninterested.

He was busy talking to a few senior boys and several girls from her course.

Kaira watched as he complimented almost every girl standing there.
Everyone...

Except her.

A strange pain pricked her heart.
She quietly ignored the feeling and went to sit beside Riyan.

A few seconds later, several girls dressed in beautiful Rajasthani attire entered the stage.

The music started.

Their graceful performance filled the entire campus with excitement, whistles, loud cheers, and endless applause.

As soon as they finished, another group of girls dressed in traditional Haryanvi outfits stepped onto the stage.

They performed on "Ghoonghat Ban."
The audience erupted with cheers.
Some students recorded videos while others clicked countless pictures to capture the beautiful moment.

Everyone looked happy.

Everyone
...
Kaira.
Her attention wasn't on the performances anymore..

She kept checking her phone.

She sent another message to Kartik.
No reply.

On the other hand, Riyan wasn't watching the stage either.
His entire world was sitting beside him.
He was too busy admiring Kaira

To him...

She looked like the most beautiful person in the world.

After a few performances, the host spoke again.

"And now... it's time for our Freshers' performances!"

A group of freshers came onto the stage and performed a hilarious drama.

The entire auditorium burst into laughter.

Even the professors couldn't stop smiling.

But unlike everyone else...

Kaira's heartbeat kept getting faster.
The next performance was hers.
She had practiced countless times.
She knew every single step.
Yet...

Fear had completely taken over her mind.

What if I forget the steps?

What if I fall?

What if everyone laughs at me?

It was her first time wearing a saree.
She was more comfortable in short dresses, oversized hoodies, jeans, and tomboy outfits..

Walking in a saree itself felt like a challenge.

Her thoughts refused to stop...

Until a calm voice interrupted them.
"Itna mat socho."
"Tum kar logi."
"I trust you."
"Aur agar koi step bhool bhi gayi, toh bhi kuch nahi hota."
"Bas confident rehna."

Riyan said softly.

His calm voice somehow erased half of her fear.

"Nahi yaar..."
"Main nahi kar paayi toh?"
"Mujhe dance bahut pasand hai... par stage par perform karna alag baat hoti hai."

"Main apna naam hata kar aati hoon."
She whispered nervously.

"Nahi.".

"Aisa mat karo."

"Agar tum try hi nahi karogi, toh tumhe kaise pata chalega ki tum kar sakti ho ya nahi?"

"Aur agar tumne aaj perform nahi kiya..."

"Toh tumhe hamesha regret hoga."
"Sab tumhari performance zaroor dekhenge."

"Aur main tumhara dost hoon na."
"Main tumhari poori performance record karunga."
"Aur jab bhi darr lage..."
"Meri taraf dekh lena."

His words carried so much reassurance that they instantly calmed her racing heart.
Kaira remained silent.
She slowly nodded, realizing he was right

A few moments later...

The HOD stepped onto the stage.
"And now..."

"Please welcome..."

"Kaira Maheshwari!"

Kaira stood up from her seat.
"Best of luck."

Riyan smiled warmly.

She returned a small smile before instinctively looking towards Kartik.
But...

He didn't even notice that she had walked onto the stage.

A few seconds later...

Kaira stood under the bright spotlight.
The music started.

Her first song-
"Chammak Challo."

She neatly tucked her pallu to one side and began dancing.
The moment she performed her first step...

The entire audience was stunned.
Loud cheers echoed throughout the auditorium.

Students started whistling.
Several phones were instantly raised to record her performance.

Her confidence grew with every beat.
As the song ended, the second track-
"Billo Rani"

began to play.
With a playful smile, Kaira danced towards the boys' section, pointing towards them according to the lyrics while matching every beat flawlessly.

She gracefully moved towards the boys' side of the audience, pointing at them as she danced to the lyrics.

"Yeh jo Majnu hain, inhe kya main samjhun...
Roz ho jaate hain yeh kisi na kisi pe fida.
Aaj uske peeche, kal uske peeche...
Kya thikana hai unka, ke ho jaaye kab laapata..."

The crowd erupted into laughter and loud cheers as she playfully teased the boys through her expressions.

Without giving anyone a chance to recover, the music changed once again.

Her final performance began.

"Kala Chashma."

With perfect timing, she stylishly wore a pair of black sunglasses exactly on the beat of the music. The audience whistled loudly at the move.

Every step...

Every expression...

Every beat...

Everything was perfectly in sync.

Her confidence lit up the entire stage as she danced effortlessly, making it impossible for anyone to look away.

On the other side...

Riyan was completely speechless.

His eyes never left her.

His heart skipped a beat.

For a few moments, he forgot where he was.

The loud music...

The cheering crowd...

Everything around him faded away.

All he could see...

Was Kaira.

When her performance finally ended, thunderous applause echoed throughout the auditorium.

The entire crowd stood up, cheering and clapping for her incredible performance.

As Kaira looked around with a bright smile, her eyes instinctively searched for Kartik.

Their eyes met for only a second.

Instead of appreciation...

He gave her a cold, deadly glare.

Her smile faded for a brief moment.

Ignoring the strange feeling in her heart, she walked back to her seat.

She looked at Riyan with nervous eyes.

"Kaisa tha?"

Riyan immediately answered without giving himself time to think.

"Best... best... best!"

"Itna achha!"

"Tum dekh rahi thi na sab kitna cheer kar rahe the?"

"Aur tum itni tension le rahi thi?"

His words came out so quickly that everyone around them chuckled.

He simply wanted to tell her how proud he was.

"Hehe... Thank you... thank you..."

She smiled shyly.

Within seconds, several boys and girls gathered around her.

"Kaira! Your dance was amazing!"

"You literally rocked the stage!"

"Your expressions were perfect!"

Even a few senior boys from Kartik's class came forward to compliment her performance.

She simply smiled at everyone and politely thanked them.

A few minutes later, one of the professors came onto the stage.

"So everyone..."

"Now it's time for introductions."

"But there's a twist."

"You all have to introduce yourselves in the funniest way possible."

"Let's begin!"

"Sneha, come on stage."

Sneha confidently walked towards the microphone.

«"Hi everyone! I'm Sneha. I run on coffee, bad decisions, and Wi-Fi. I'm here to learn, make friends, and hopefully not embarrass myself too much."»

The audience burst into laughter.

"Very good, Sneha!"

"Next... Rahul."

Rahul adjusted the microphone dramatically.

«"Hello! I'm Rahul. My talents include overthinking simple decisions, laughing at my own jokes, and pretending I know what I'm doing."»

Another round of laughter filled the auditorium.

"Now Ravi."

Ravi grinned mischievously.

«"Hi! I'm Ravi. I believe in only three things-sleeping, eating, and saying, 'Kal se shuru karunga.'"»

The entire auditorium exploded with laughter.

Someone from the back shouted,

"Uss, bhai, uss!"

Even the professors couldn't stop smiling.

One by one, every fresher came onto the stage and introduced themselves.

Finally...

"Riyan Ranawat."

Riyan calmly walked towards the stage.

"Hello everyone Myself Riyan Ranawat I love reading books I don't believe in competing with people."
I believe in competing with yesterday's version of myself."

"And..."

He smiled slightly.

"Most people here know me as..."
"Mr. Padaku."

The audience laughed and applauded.

"And now..."

"Kaira Maheshwari."

Kaira confidently walked onto the stage.

She adjusted the microphone before speaking with a playful smile.

"Hello everyone I'm Kaira Maheshwari."

"Think of me as a warning label Beautiful to look at..."

"But read the instructions carefully..."
Otherwise, I can become dangerous."

"I have a pretty face..."

"A sharp tongue..."

"And a soft heart..."

"But only for a few people."

"Not for everyone."

Her introduction earned loud whistles, cheers, and applause.

Even Riyan couldn't stop smiling.

After the introduction session ended, the DJ finally took over.

The dance floor instantly came alive.

Some students danced without caring about the world.

Some were busy making new friends.

Others recorded every beautiful memory on their phones.

Meanwhile...

Kaira happily danced with her friends.

On the other hand...

Riyan simply sat quietly, watching her with the same gentle smile.

Seeing her happy...

Was enough to make his day.

After dancing for a while, Kaira stepped away to drink some water.

As she lifted the bottle, her eyes suddenly landed on Kartik.

He was standing alone, busy typing on his phone.

Without thinking much, she walked towards him.

She tried to grab his phone playfully.

Before she could even touch it...

Kartik angrily pulled it back.

"Don't you dare touch my phone!"

His loud voice made her freeze.

"Achha... theek hai... nahi karungi."

She forced a small smile.

"Par tum mera reply kyun nahi de rahe the?"

"Maine pehli baar saree pehni thi..."

"Tumne notice bhi nahi kiya."

"Aur..."

"Mera dance kaisa tha?"

Without answering...

Kartik tightly grabbed her wrist.

Before she could understand anything, he pulled her outside the crowded ground towards a deserted corner where no one else was present.

Kaira look

....,....................

Author's Note 💖

Hello everyone!
Author this side. 💕
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.

I'm really sorry that I couldn't include any scenes of our main characters, Anay and Anaya, in this update. This chapter had already become quite long, so I'll definitely continue their story in the next chapter.

But first...

Tell me honestly-

How did you like Riyan and Kaira's chemistry? 🥹❤️

Which scene was your favorite?

✨ Kaira's dance performance?

✨ Their funny introductions?

✨ The way Riyan comforted Kaira before she went on stage?

✨ Or any other moment?

And one more question...

What do you think Kartik is going to say next?
Will he finally praise Kaira...
Or is he going to shout at her?

Let me know all your theories in the comments! 👀

Don't forget to Vote ⭐, Comment 💬, and Follow ❤️ if you're enjoying the story.

See you in the next chapter! 🫶

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