Hey cuties ♡

I’m really really really sorry for updating so late. My exams were going on, and since I have my board exams coming up, I’ve been super busy studying and preparing. That’s why I couldn’t update earlier.

I also have some exams in November, so I won’t be able to update at all that month. But after the 20th of November, you’ll start getting daily updates, pinky promise.

This month, I’ll try my best to give you three chapters, and the same goes for my other book too.

Please please please understand, I’ve been really busy with studies, and it’s been hard to manage everything at once.

Thank you so so much for all the love and support. I’m genuinely grateful to every single one of you. You guys mean a lot to me ♡

Also, do not forget to follow me on wattpad and instagram.

Enjoy the chapter:

The celebration plan starts with Aryan yelling.

“Club tonight. We won. No excuses.”

He says it like it’s an order, standing on one of the benches in the cafeteria, pretending to be some kind of king. Everyone around laughs, the sound spilling into the corridor. The energy is bright, wild, unstoppable. Their team won, and of course, Aryan wants a party.

Hira claps from the side. “Club night it is then. Who’s in?”

Everyone’s in, obviously. Except me.

I sit there with my bottle of water, pretending to scroll through my phone. The last thing I want right now is to see Ivansh again. One football match was enough. Watching him play was already too much.

He had looked too calm, too focused, too magnetic. Every time he ran across the field, the crowd screamed his name, and even though I told myself I didn’t care, I couldn’t look away. That stupid intensity. That stupid smirk when he scored. I hated that it made my chest twist.

So, yeah. No club. No party. No more seeing him.

“I’m not coming,” I say finally, lifting my head. “You all go ahead.”

Aryan groans. “You always say that, Maya. Then you show up last minute looking like you stepped out of a magazine.”

“Flattery won’t work today,” I say, hiding a smile.

Then Hira leans forward. Her tone is soft, the kind that always makes me lose arguments. “Come on, Maya. It’ll be fun. Just this one. You need a break.”

I sigh. She’s using her full convincing power now—the tilted head, the small pout, the gentle voice. It’s impossible to say no to that.

“You’re evil,” I mutter.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” she chirps, victorious.

The others cheer and move on to discussing the details. Aryan is already planning who’s bringing what and what time they’ll meet. I just sit there, wondering why I keep letting myself be dragged into these things.

When college ends, Aryan offers to drop me off.

“I can swing by your place, it’s on the way.”

I stiffen immediately. No way. He cannot know that I live with Ivansh. That secret has a short life already.

“It’s fine,” I say quickly, pulling the strap of my bag over my shoulder. “I’ll walk.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

He shrugs and waves before driving off. I start walking, my footsteps echoing on the quiet road.

The sun melts into the horizon, orange fading to purple. The air feels heavier somehow, like the evening is holding its breath. For a while, everything is fine. The same streetlights, the same stray dog by the corner shop, the same sound of bikes passing.

Then I hear it.

A faint shuffle behind me.

I stop and turn around. Nothing. Just the empty lane and the whisper of the wind brushing against the leaves.

Maybe it’s just in my head.

I start walking again, a little faster this time. My phone buzzes in my hand—Hira texting me about what to wear and I glance at the screen, typing a quick reply. Then I hear it again.

Footsteps. Soft. Slow. Matching mine.

My heart stumbles in my chest. I whirl around, scanning the road. The shop lights flicker in the distance, but there’s no one. Only shadows stretching across the pavement.

“Get it together, Maya,” I whisper to myself. “You’re imagining things.”

Still, I can’t shake the feeling that something isn’t right. I quicken my pace, my sneakers tapping faster. The moment I reach the house gate, I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.

Inside, it’s quiet. The air smells faintly of lemon and detergent. Safe. I lock the door behind me and lean against it, trying to laugh at myself.

Creepy footsteps. Really? I’m officially overthinking life.

My room looks like a battlefield ten minutes later.

Half my clothes are on the bed, the other half on the floor. Every top I own suddenly feels wrong. Too casual, too loud, too plain. I groan and flop onto the bed, my head buried in a pillow.

This is why I hate parties. They turn me into a mess before they even start.

I grab my phone and hit call.

Hira picks up instantly. “Tell me you’re getting ready.”

“I’m trying,” I say, sitting up. “But nothing looks right.”

“Okay, breathe. What’s the vibe you want?”

“I don’t know. I want to look good but not like I’m trying to look good.”

She laughs. “Classic Maya dilemma.”

We go through my wardrobe together, her voice filling the room as she gives instructions like a stylist on a mission. “Black always works.”

I pull it out. The soft fabric catches the light, dark emerald that looks almost black in dimness. “This one?”

“Yes, black suits you.”

I grin despite myself. “I love you.”

“I know,” she says. “Now go slay.”

The call ends, and I get to work.

When I’m finally ready, I catch my reflection in the mirror. For a second, I don’t move. My hair falls loose, brushing my shoulders. The green satin gleams softly, the jeans hug just right. My lips are tinted a faint rose.

I look confident. But under that, there’s a strange unease I can’t name. Like the quiet before a storm.

I shake it off, grab my bag, and head downstairs.

Ivansh is by the car when I reach outside.

He looks up, keys twirling in his fingers. “You’re going now?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll drop you.”

“No, thanks.”

His brow lifts slightly. “Daisy.”

“I said no. I don’t want people to talk.”

He studies me for a moment, then sighs. “Fine. We’ll go separately.”

“Good.”

But as he turns to leave, something flickers in his expression. A look I can’t quite read—protective, almost. Like he’s already thinking of every possible thing that could go wrong.

I pretend not to notice.

The club is alive when we reach.

Lights flash, music pulses through the floor, laughter spills everywhere.

Aryan and the others are already on the dance floor. Hira waves when she spots me, dragging me straight into the chaos before I can even blink.

For a while, it’s easy to forget everything.

We dance, we shout lyrics, Aryan spills a drink and gets yelled at, someone starts a chant for their team’s name. It’s loud, bright, and carefree.

Then, somewhere in the middle of it all, I feel it again.

That pull. That quiet awareness of eyes on me.

I turn slightly, scanning through the crowd. People, faces, lights. Nothing unusual. But the sensation doesn’t leave. It lingers, curling at the back of my neck.

I try to laugh it off. Maybe it’s because Ivansh is here somewhere. Maybe he’s watching from the side. It shouldn’t make me nervous, but it does.

The lights flash red, blue, white. Someone brushes past me, close enough for my shoulder to bump. I flinch, but when I turn, there’s no one there.

It’s nothing. I tell myself again. Just noise. Just movement.

Still, when Hira goes to get drinks, I stay close to the group. My smile stays, but it feels tight. My eyes keep scanning the crowd.

At one point, I catch sight of Ivansh near the bar, talking to Aryan. He looks calm, but then his gaze flicks up and meets mine across the distance. For a second, I think I see something there—concern maybe.

Before I can look again, the lights cut low. The music shifts. Someone cheers.

The night goes on, laughter louder, glasses clinking. But the feeling doesn’t fade. It moves with me, shadow to shadow.

When the party ends, everyone filters out slowly. Aryan hugs everyone, Hira keeps humming, half asleep already.

Outside, the night is colder. The air carries that silence that comes after too much noise.

“We’ll go together home, Daisy,” Ivansh says quietly.

I want to refuse, but something in his voice makes me stop. Maybe it’s because the streets are too empty now. Maybe it’s because of that lingering unease curling inside me.

“Okay,” I say finally.

We walk to the car together. The road is empty, the streetlights flickering like they’re tired too. I keep my arms crossed, my steps quick.

Neither of us talks much. The silence isn’t awkward though. It feels necessary.

At one point, I glance sideways. His jaw is tight, eyes on the road, alert. I don’t know if he feels it too—that strange heaviness in the air but he looks like he does.

We reach home, and I step out first. The quiet here feels deeper, heavier.

He locks the car and looks around before walking behind me.

I pause at the door and look at the empty street once more. It’s completely still. Nothing moves.

Yet I can’t shake it. That prickle at the back of my neck. That gut feeling.

I whisper, barely audible, “I don’t know what it is. I can’t name it. But I can feel it. Something’s watching me.”

—

The morning sun feels heavier than usual as it slowly enters my room through the curtains. The light touches my bed, warm and soft, but I don’t move. I just lie there, staring at the ceiling. My mind keeps going back to last night. The loud music, the flashing lights, people laughing and dancing. Everything felt normal on the outside, but deep inside, I felt something strange. Like someone was watching me the whole time. Not just looking, but really watching. Waiting.

I try to tell myself it’s nothing. Maybe I’m overthinking or just tired. But the feeling does not go away. It sits in my chest like a heavy stone.

Getting ready for college feels harder today. Every small thing takes extra effort. My arms feel slow, my mind distracted. Even when I step outside, the world feels different. The same street, the same houses, but everything looks quieter than usual. The shadows seem longer, like they are following me.

By the time I reach college, the place is alive with sound. Students are chatting, laughing, and running to classes. But even with all the noise, I feel this quiet tension inside me. Like my body is here, but my thoughts are somewhere else.

It doesn’t take long for Hira and Yashika to notice. They find me near the lockers, and the way they look at me tells me everything. They already know something is off.

“Maya, you look… I don’t know, different today,” Hira says softly. Her eyebrows come together, and she looks worried but gentle.

Yashika steps a little closer. “Yeah, what’s wrong? You can tell us anything. We’re here for you.”

I take a deep breath. Part of me wants to act fine, pretend nothing is wrong. But the other part knows I can’t fool them. These two know me too well. I don’t want to seem weak or scared, but I can be honest.

“There’s this feeling,” I begin slowly. “Like someone’s watching me. Not from far away, but close. So close that I can almost feel it. It started last night at the club, and it hasn’t stopped since. And I feel like I'm going insane.”

They both exchange a quick look. Instead of laughing or brushing it off, they seem to understand.

“You’re not crazy for feeling that,” Hira says quietly.

Yashika nods in agreement. “If you want, we can stick with you today. Just to make sure you feel safe.”

I give a small smile. “Thank you. Really. But don’t start worrying too much. I’m fine. I’m not scared, just… alert.”

Hira’s expression softens, and she touches my arm lightly. “We know you’re strong, Maya. We just don’t want you to carry everything alone.”

Yashika smiles too. “Yeah, we’ve got your back. Always.”

Their words calm something inside me. Throughout the day, I stay close to them. Not because I’m afraid, but because their presence makes me feel steady. When they laugh, I find myself laughing too. When they talk about random things, it feels normal again. The feeling doesn’t completely disappear, but it feels lighter.

Between classes, I keep my head high. I answer questions, I talk to classmates, I listen to lectures. On the outside, I look like my usual self. But deep inside, I stay alert. Like I’m waiting for something to happen, even though I don’t know what it is.

The last bell rings, and everyone rushes out of the classroom like they have been waiting all day for freedom. I take my time packing up my things. My head still feels a little heavy, but not as much as in the morning. Hira and Yashika leave early for their tuition, waving at me before disappearing into the crowd.

As I walk out, I see Ivansh leaning against the wall near the gate, his bag slung over one shoulder. He spots me and straightens up with that familiar teasing grin.

“Daisy, why do you seem off? All good?” he asks casually, falling into step beside me.

I look at him with a frown. “Yes. And stop calling me Daisy.”

He laughs under his breath. “But it suits you.”

“It doesn’t,” I say quickly, trying not to smile. “And my name is Maya. You know that very well.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he says, pretending to think.

I roll my eyes but cannot help the small smile tugging at my lips. He always finds a way to annoy me and make me laugh at the same time.

We walk out of the college gate together. Most students take buses or bikes, but I start walking. It is something I have always liked, the quiet after the noise of classes, the feel of the road under my shoes, the wind brushing against my hair.

“You walking again?” Ivansh asks, sounding half amused.

“Yeah,” I say simply. “It helps me think.”

He nods. “Then I will walk too. Thinking sounds nice.”

“You? Thinking?” I raise an eyebrow. “That’s new.”

He gasps dramatically. “Wow. So rude. I actually do think sometimes, you know.”

I laugh softly. “About what? Football and late assignments?”

“Wrong. About important things like lunch and sleep,” he says proudly, which makes me laugh again.

The road ahead is quiet, with sunlight fading through the trees. The sound of our footsteps fills the space between us. For a few minutes, neither of us speaks. It feels peaceful, simple, but warm.

After a while, he glances at me. “You sure everything’s fine? You’ve been quieter than usual today.”

I hesitate for a second but then nod. “Yeah. Just tired, that’s all.”

He studies my face for a moment, as if he knows there is more I am not saying, but he does not push.

“Alright, Daisy, I mean, Maya,” he says with a small smile. “If you ever need to talk, you know I am not that bad at listening.”

I look at him, a tiny smile forming again. “We’ll see about that.”

The sky slowly turns orange as we walk side by side, talking about random things, a funny teacher, a football match, an inside joke that makes both of us laugh too loudly. For a while, the strange heaviness I have been carrying all day fades into the background.

Maybe it is the calm of the evening. Or maybe it is because, even without asking, Ivansh decides to walk with me.