The school auditorium was alive with music and laughter that night. Bright fairy lights hung across the walls, balloons floated near the ceiling, and the banner stretched wide above the stage read in bold, glittering letters:

"Farewell - Class of 2025"

It was meant to be a celebration of endings and new beginnings, a night of photographs, laughter, and promises that they would all keep in touch.

On the dance floor, students swayed and jumped, their uniforms replaced by shimmering saris and sharp suits.

The DJ's beats echoed across the hall, and for a while, the world outside the walls of the school ceased to exist.
But at the far end of the hall, sitting at a round table near the corner, was Meera.

She nursed a glass of juice quietly, her end of saree neatly folded across her lap, her posture straight as ever. Her classmates danced in groups, clicked endless selfies, and made the most of their last night together, while she simply watched.

It wasn't that she disliked being here-she simply wasn't the kind to push herself into the center of the noise. She had always been the quieter one, the introvert, the girl teachers praised for her brilliance but classmates overlooked in their rush of youthful excitement.

Her eyes wandered across the floor. She tried not to stare too long at him, but her gaze always found its way back.

Yash.

The Head boy. Confident, composed, effortlessly charming. He wasn't just a topper like her-he was the topper, the face of their batch, the boy everyone admired.

Tonight, in a crisp navy suit, with a badge still pinned proudly to his chest, he looked even more untouchable than usual.

Meera sighed softly and lowered her gaze. For years, she had harbored the smallest, most fragile crush on him. Nothing she would ever admit, of course. Yash belonged to the kind of world she only glanced at from the sidelines.. bright, effortless, admired.

Why would he ever notice someone like her?

Across the hall, Yash laughed at something one of his friends said, but his mind wasn't truly there. His eyes, too, kept drifting toward the corner table.

Toward Meera.

The girl who always sat in the first row during classes, who always had her assignments finished before anyone else, who answered questions with a calm confidence he secretly admired.

The girl who had once quietly lent him her notes when he had fallen ill before exams, without expecting a word of thanks. He had wanted to talk to her so many times, but somehow the moment never came.

She was always surrounded by her books, by her calm, silent world.

He had always assumed she wouldn't be interested in someone like him.
And yet, tonight, with the farewell slipping quickly into memory, he realized this might be his last chance.

The DJ's voice boomed across the mic:

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, let's slow things down. before we say goodbye to this wonderful batch. LET'S COUPLE UP..YEHHHH"

The students hooted, scremed in excitement.

The lights dimmed. A softer tune began to play. Pair's slowly drifted toward the center of the floor.

Yash's heart pounded. His friends urged him to pick a partner, but he barely heard them.

His feet had already begun moving.

Toward her.

Meera's eyes widened as Yash stopped in front of her table. For a moment, she wondered if he had come by mistake. But then he extended his hand toward her.

"Meera.." he said gently,

"would you give me the last dance?"

Her breath caught. She stared at his outstretched hand, half-convinced this was some cruel joke. But his gaze was steady, earnest, waiting.

Her fingers trembled slightly as she placed her hand in his.

He smiled, and together they walked to the floor.

The music wrapped around them as Yash guided her hand to his shoulder, his own resting carefully at her waist.

They began to sway, awkward for only a moment before the rhythm settled them into a quiet closeness.

The world blurred. The chatter, the laughter, the lights..all faded. There was only the warmth of his hand and the sound of their breaths mingling in the space between.

For a while, neither spoke. Words seemed too heavy, too dangerous.
But Yash couldn't hold them in anymore.

"You know.."

he murmured, his voice barely above the music,

"I always admired you."

Meera blinked, stunned. Her lips parted, but no sound came.

He chuckled softly at her expression.

"I did. The way you carried yourself. The way you always knew the answers. The way you never cared about showing off like the rest of us. You... were different."

Her throat tightened.

"You.."

She swallowed.

"You noticed?"

"Not notice you?"

He shook his head, smiling faintly.

"Meera, you were unforgettable."

Her heart raced. For years she had hidden her feelings, convinced they were one-sided. To hear him say this now, here, at the edge of goodbye.. felt like something out of the stories she loved.

"I thought.."

she whispered,

"you'd never look at me twice. I thought I was invisible to you."

"Invisible?" His eyes softened.

"Meera, you were the one person I could never ignore. I just... never had the courage to say it."

She let out a shaky laugh, relief mingling with disbelief.

"Seems we were both fools."

"Seems so.."

he said, his gaze steady on hers.

The song swelled, carrying them with it.

They moved slowly, closer now, the silence between them no longer heavy but filled with everything they had left unsaid.

When the music finally faded, the applause of their classmates rang across the hall, but neither let go immediately.

For a moment, they just stood there, holding on, as if afraid that letting go would break the spell.

Yash leaned closer, his voice low enough for only her to hear.

"I guess we figured it out just in time."

Meera smiled softly, her eyes glistening.

"Yes. Before goodbye."

He squeezed her hand, his tone filled with quiet certainty.

"No. Not goodbye. Just the beginning."

And in that crowded hall, under dim lights and soft music, two hearts that had waited in silence for years finally found each other, just before the end, and just in time for a beginning.

..~The End~..

Thank you,
AUTHOR♡