In her eyes,he was the perfect boy she ever met
But in his eyes, she was just " an another girl"

Alia PoV:

I am at the airport heading back to London, already running late because I booked a 5 AM flight to save £75. It felt like a great idea when I clicked "confirm booking," but now, with my eyes heavy and my head throbbing, I'm regretting every pound saved.I'm in a state where if I sat down for a moment, I'd fall asleep right there, Missing this flight isn't an option, so I'm running purely on survival instincts.

Thinking a coffee might improve my mood even though I am not a very coffee person, I bought one after the immigration check and leisurely drank it while reading a book. I even started to feel like I could get through this morning without snapping at anyone. Small victories.

I grabbed my bag with the book in hand and throwing coffee cup in the bin. I swiftly moved toward the security queue and stood in line, waiting for my turn.

I'd gotten into the line when a loud scream broke through the hum of chatter and rolling suitcases. Turning around, I saw a little girl in pigtails yelling at her older brother for some ice cream. Her determination was amusing. It made me smile and reminded me of Anna, my little brother. He's my go-to person for everything. Whether I'm happy, sad, or confused, he's always there with his endless questions and, somehow, the right answers.

Dropping me off at the airport this morning wasn't easy for him. He'd insisted on staying until I boarded, but I knew how tired he was from pulling an all-nighter. Convincing him to go home and get some sleep took a lot of effort, including a mild threat that I wouldn't call him for a week if he didn't leave. It worked, eventually. I hate that he's alone back home now. I've been away for so long that it almost feels like I'm missing out on being there for him.

As I turned back,Moving along in the line, I noticed a tall man ahead in the adjacent line. Our eyes met, he is looking at me.I couldnt believe it .

Is it really him or the giant coffee cup didn't help my sleep deprived brain?

was it really him??

I always thought about how I might react even I meet again, maybe a small, shy smile, a quick wave, or even saying hello. I remembered the way he made me feel, and my heart began to race. Looking at him, I noticed his eyes and the confident way he stood.

my brain kept asking my heart and my heart without missing a beat yelled yes!!!!!!!A smile almost instinctively appeared on my face upon seeing his happily amused smile.

Was he glad to see me?

Was I the reason behind that smile?

I raised my palm, waving a greeting to him, and he nodded and went ahead in the queue and didn't turn back.

Just a nod?

anduke ekkuva excite avvadu ani cheppedi nanna niku I thought

(This is why dad tells you not to get over excited)

Would he wait for me or simply leave after security? Why would he wait? It's not as if he likes you or anything.

After four years, seeing him again brought back so many memories of us. Us solving math problems, playing Astro Party, and me claiming victory even when I terribly lost against him. Playing truth or dare and arguing just for the sake of it, me falling for him again and again.

I still remember the first time I met him, when I saw him for the first time. There was no love at first sight. In fact, I loathed him because he was good at everything especially math,and how he made fun of my poor mathematical skills. But eventually, I didn't even realize I had fallen for him until losing against him in games didn't bother me anymore (mind you, I'm very competitive). It was a gradual climb.

As time passed by, I began to notice him—his personality, his sense of humor, his hair, that thick, dark brown, silky hair of his shining in the light, his amber-colored eyes. Every little detail about him showed me he was exactly what I needed. He turned out to be everything I wished for. He was really kind and funny, sarcastic, and a tease. I believe he still is. His jokes made me laugh, even though I pretended to detest them.

He always managed to capture me effortlessly, and I fell for him unknowingly. It's him I dream about all day and all night. He somehow manages to give me butterflies without even knowing. Just a simple smile from him, and I would be swooning until he did something else worth drooling over. He doesn't know what he is doing to my heart, and I'm scared to let him know.

Each and every time i see him, my heart jumps and my stomach stops because I get a little nervous and excites at the same time. I felt incomplete like a part of me is missing when we are not arguing. Its funny how much a person can influence you and get into your head like this.

We studied together from 6th grade in the same school until I changed schools after my 10th. Since then, there wasn't much communication, though we followed each other on Instagram, and he would reply to my stories with a sarcastic comment. After 12th grade, he stopped replying to my stories. I miss all of it. I miss him calling me Gabi. I want to hear that again.

Gabi - Idiot in Arabic

Lost in my thoughts, I realized it was my turn for the security check. Hands down, this is the most stressful part of the whole traveling process. After I collected my bag, phone, and other accessories, I moved forward only to see him waiting for me outside, making my cheeks turn red.

Why am I so easy to impress and so terrible at controlling my emotions?!

As I stepped out after the security check, my eyes met his calm, unreadable, expressionless. I searched for something in them, anything, but he gave nothing away. No surprise, no recognition, just a carefully guarded stare.

And yet, he looked effortlessly perfect.

The light beard suited him, adding an edge to his already sharp features. Dressed in a black sweatshirt, grey sweatpants, and Nike Jordans, with a black Balenciaga bag slung over his shoulder, he looked even more handsome than I remembered. His jawline was sharper now, more defined, and for a brief, utterly ridiculous moment, I wondered if he had abs too.

That was my cue to stop.

I needed to rein in my thoughts before I accidentally said something embarrassing—because, knowing me, that was a very real possibility.

"Hey," he said, looking at me.

"Hey! Oh my God, you've grown so tall," I blurted out. Inwardly, I regretted it, but he was so tall—almost 6'1", I guessed.

"Yeah, with age, people grow, Aloo. But you seem to be the same sleepyhead that you were back then" he taunted me

That's when it hit me. I was meeting him again after four years at an airport, at 5 AM dressed like this. An oversized white T-shirt, black lulumelon yoga pants white Nike sports shoes, and a backpack bag slung over my shoulder. No makeup. Dark circles on full display. My hair was a mess, barely held together by my favorite beige flower clutch. I probably looked like I could pass out right there.

The embarrassment was immediate, but I forced myself to play it cool. Nope, he was not getting the satisfaction of seeing me flustered. I straightened up, pretending not to care.

"And you're still the same annoying person, Sannasi" I retorted, seeing a smirk on his face when he heard me calling him Sannasi. I missed calling him that.

"Only when you're around, you bring out my annoying self" he replied almost instinctively.

"Why did I even bump into you?" I questioned, pretending it didn't affect me at all.

"Good question! I suppose you must know the answer for that. Why did you bump into me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. He looks so handsome. God, I need to stop finding him handsome in everything he does. The closer I am to him, the more messed up my thoughts will get

I rolled my eyes. "You haven't changed. Still insufferable."

"And you're still fun to mess with," he shot back

"I have a flight to catch so bye" I said, even though I didn't want him to go away from my sight even for a moment.

"So do I! Where are you flying to?" He inquired with genuine curiosity

He had no idea. He didn't even bother checking my Instagram. Meanwhile, I had practically earned a degree in stalking him and his entire family across every social media platform possible. I had seen everything—his rare pictures, his brother's posts, even his mother's random vacation snaps

His family, on the other hand, was completely different. His father owned a huge construction business, one of the most well-known in the industry.

And yet, he didn't know a thing about me.He was never active on Instagram though. He barely even posted. But still... why did it sting so much that he hadn't cared enough to look?

He was always focused on what actually mattered to him. That's probably why, instead of joining his father's construction business which is mother also helps him with, he started his own cybersecurity company with his childhood friend, Kabir. And the craziest part? They did it all on their own.

Shaking off my thoughts, I focused back on him

"London! You?" even though I knew where he was flying to.

"USA! What are you studying now?" he asked.

"Um, it's boring—Computer Science at the King's college London" I replied curtly.

"Yeah, just like your personality," he blurted out.

"I hate you so much," I announced with anger in my eyes, knowing it was a lie.

"Trust me! I have the same feeling for you as well" he said and that stunged my heart

"Not that it matters to me," it does so much more than he would ever know, but yeah, I couldn't let him know when I know he doesn't have the same feelings for me. That's it. I can't stay here for much longer.I might burst out my feelings for him. But before I could say anything, he said,

"My gate number is 32A... yours must be different."

"Obviously, when our destinations are different, our gates are different. Mine is 14C" I stated, feeling a heaviness in my heart.

"Okay, I will bid you goodbye" he said, and I couldn't manage to look him in the eyes.

"Yeah, Sid" I somehow gathered the courage to put together a few words.

"Well,  good luck with your boring Computer Science. Stop taking naps in class."

"And you don't forget to annoy your professors with your theories" I retorted.

He nodded, his smile lingering a little longer this time. "Take care,Gabi"

Gabi means Idiot in Arabic

"You too, Sannasi," I replied, watching him walk away, a bittersweet feeling settling in my chest.

Sannasi means Stupid in Telugu

"Bye" he said.

"Bye" I replied, wishing he could sense the sadness in my voice.

That's all it took. He went to the left, and I went to the right. My mind couldn't sleep during the flight, thinking about this encounter.

As I boarded the flight, I couldn't stop myself from opening my diary and writing my thoughts.

I still think about Sid all the time. I sometimes really want to text him, call him tell him how much he means to me, love him. I sometimes find myself looking at our old messages and the conversations we have had and can't stop myself from blushing. The books that, make me imagine the things he would do when we are together. I couldn't stop myself from thinking about the conversation I had with him.

Sometimes ,I wonder it would be really easy for me if I try to harbor a another crush, but I don't know why I don't feel that for anybody else, if I do ,they would stand no chance when I compare them with him.

Why is it so difficult for me to forget about this man who doesn't even like me.

how did I get so attached to this man even when all he does is just torment me.

I need to stop thinking about this man, because i know he doesnt think about me.

I sometimes wonder if it is me or him. Is my heart really that easy to fall for any man. If that is the case when I can't forget that man. but  the question is do I really want to forget him.

I don't know I just want to be loved.

Loved by him.

specifically.

CHAPTER AESTHETICS:

Hey readers,

HOW DID YOU LIKE THIS CHAPTER?

I'm sure everyone has had a crush at some point.

Does anyone have a relationship with their crush similar to Alia and Sid's?

I really hope you liked this chapter.I would love to know your thoughts on this book.I finally let my intrusive thoughts win and decided to write this book.😬

Thank you for taking out time and reading this book!!💗

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