**EPISODE 10 – *"The Distance Between Us"***
The day after the staircase incident felt heavier than usual.
The hallways were buzzing with noise, but to Bhanu everything sounded muted, as if she was hearing it from under water.
Arjun didn't look at her.
Goutam didn't approach her.
And she felt caught in the middle of a storm she never meant to create.
---
## **Arjun's Silence**
During the first class, Bhanu kept glancing at Arjun.
He was right there.
So close.
Yet… miles away.
He wasn't angry.
He wasn't blaming her.
That hurt the most.
Anger could be dealt with.
But quiet heartbreak?
That was unbearable.
At one point, she whispered his name softly.
"Arjun…"
He froze for a moment, fingers tightening around his pen.
But he didn't turn.
He didn't answer.
He just kept staring forward.
Bhanu felt her heart sink deeper.
---
## **Lunch Break – The Tension Grows**
At lunch, she finally gathered the courage.
She walked up to Arjun who sat alone under a tree, lunch box untouched.
"Can we talk?" she asked softly.
He looked up reluctantly.
His eyes were red and tired.
Not from anger.
From sadness.
"About what?" he asked, voice calm but distant.
"About yesterday," she murmured.
Arjun's jaw tightened.
"There's nothing to talk about, Bhanu. It's your life. Your choices."
Her throat tightened.
"But you're my friend—"
"I know," he whispered, looking away.
"And that's exactly why it hurts."
Her breath hitched.
He continued quietly, "I thought… maybe you felt something too."
Bhanu blinked, heart pounding.
"I… don't know what I feel," she whispered honestly.
Arjun finally looked at her.
His eyes softened in a way that made her chest ache.
"That's what scares me," he said softly.
"You're confused… and I'm falling."
Before she could respond—
Someone approached.
Goutam.
Great timing.
Terrible timing.
Inevitable timing.
He stood a few steps away, looking at the two of them.
"Am I interrupting?" he asked coldly.
Arjun gave a humorless smile.
"No. You're right on time."
Goutam stiffened.
Bhanu could feel another storm approaching.
---
## **Goutam vs. Arjun – A Breaking Point**
Goutam crossed his arms.
Arjun stood slowly, expression blank but eyes sharp.
"What do you want?" Arjun asked.
Goutam exhaled. "We need to talk."
Arjun's tone hardened. "About what?"
"About yesterday," Goutam said.
"About the misunderstanding."
Arjun's laugh was short and bitter.
"Oh, it was a misunderstanding?"
"You leaning close to her?"
"You staring at her like she's the only girl in the world?"
"That was misunderstood?"
Goutam swallowed, struggling to keep calm.
"I didn't plan it. It just happened."
"That makes it worse," Arjun snapped.
Bhanu took a step forward, voice shaky.
"Please stop—both of you."
But the boys weren't listening.
Arjun's eyes burned with emotion.
"You always get everything, Goutam.
The attention.
The popularity.
The confidence."
He pointed weakly at himself.
"And me? I'm just the quiet friend. The safe one."
Pain shot through Bhanu.
That was exactly how she used to describe herself.
Goutam stepped closer, tone low.
"I didn't choose this, Arjun.
I didn't ask for it.
And I didn't want to hurt you."
Arjun's next words hit like a slap.
"But you like her."
Goutam froze.
Bhanu gasped.
Arjun's face crumbled slightly.
"You like her," he repeated, softer this time.
"And I'm terrified… because I know she'll like you back."
Goutam clenched his jaw, eyes flickering to Bhanu for a second—just a second.
That was enough.
Arjun saw it.
His heart cracked audibly.
He forced a breath and stepped back.
"I need space," Arjun whispered.
"From both of you."
Then he turned and walked away.
Bhanu reached out instinctively, "Arjun—!"
He didn't look back.
This time, he was truly gone.
---
## **Goutam's Confession Without Words**
Silence flooded the area.
Bhanu stood there, throat tight, heart aching.
Goutam slowly moved closer.
His voice barely above a whisper.
"I didn't mean for this to happen."
She shook her head, eyes stinging.
"I didn't want this either."
He hesitated.
Then very quietly—
"I like you, Bhanu."
Her breath stopped.
He wasn't dramatic.
He wasn't teasing.
He wasn't flirting.
He was confessing.
Raw.
Unfiltered.
Afraid.
"I tried not to," he said.
"I really did. But yesterday… something changed."
Bhanu felt dizzy.
"I'm already losing Arjun," she whispered.
Goutam's voice broke.
"And I don't want to lose you."
Bhanu stepped back, overwhelmed.
Everything was spiraling.
"I need time," she whispered.
"I need to understand what I want."
Goutam nodded slowly, even though the acceptance looked painful.
"Take all the time you need."
"I'll wait."
And with that—
He walked away.
Leaving Bhanu alone.
More confused than ever.
More scared than ever.
More wanted than ever.
Two boys.
Two hearts.
Two people who saw something special in her.
But what did *she* see?
Who did her heart pull toward?
She didn't know.
Not yet.
But a message that night… would give her the first clue.
---
# 🌙 **END OF EPISODE 10**