Riverline College auditorium at 7 a.m. looked like a dream that hadn't decided what it was yet.
Lights half on. Chairs half full. Voices echoing. Seniors shouting instructions.
Ananya stood near the stage, mic in hand.
This wasn't excitement.
This was responsibility.
Aarush was already there, guitar on his back, joking with the dance team.
Kabir stood near the tech desk, helping connect wires.
When he saw Ananya, he walked over.
"Nervous?" he asked.
"Terrified," she replied honestly.
He smiled. "Good. Means you care."
She took a breath.
Then stepped onto the stage.
The mic squealed.
Someone clapped.
Someone whistled.
And suddenly, everyone was looking.
She introduced the rehearsal.
Her voice steadied after the first sentence.
By the third, she felt… anchored.
During a break, a girl from the dance team approached her.
"Can you announce our names properly? Last anchor didn't."
A boy complained about timing.
A senior asked her to handle a fight between two clubs.
Without realizing it, Ananya started doing.
Listening.
Fixing.
Balancing.
She didn't notice Meher watching from the side.
Not with anger.
With distance.
Later, they sat on the canteen steps, sharing cold coffee.
Pihu leaned her head on Ananya's shoulder.
Nandini read out a poem she was writing secretly for the fest.
Meher scrolled through her phone.
"You were good," Meher said suddenly.
Ananya smiled. "Thanks."
Meher nodded. Then added, casually, "You're changing."
Ananya looked at her. "So are you."
Meher didn't reply.
She stood up. "I have a meeting."
She left.
Pihu frowned. "She's pulling away."
Nandini said softly, "She's protecting something."
Ananya watched Meher's back disappear into the crowd.
Leadership was louder than she expected.
And loneliness was quieter.
That night, Kabir messaged her for the first time.
You handled chaos well today.
She stared at the screen.
Then typed.
I'm learning not to run from it.
Three dots appeared.
Then:
Just don't forget to sit sometimes.
She smiled.
And in Room 407, between fairy lights and scattered scripts, Ananya felt the story of her life widen.