"Why are you running like a crazy person?"
It was Anin.
The moment I saw his face, my mind went blank. Without thinking, I threw my arms around him and held him tightly. "I was so scared..." I whispered.
The words barely left my mouth before tears started pouring down my cheeks.Anin immediately became anxious.
"What happened? Why are you crying? Did someone do something to you?"
I tried to explain between sobs.
"It's been a long time... someone has been sending me..."
"Speak clearly!" he shouted. "I can't understand anything you're saying!"
His voice startled me.I abruptly unwrapped my arms from around him and shoved him away with all the strength I could muster. "Don't block my way!" I cried out, aggressively wiping the hot tears from my cheeks.
Just then, another voice interrupted us.
"What's going on here?"
My entire body froze. The moment I saw Neel standing in front of the gate, my heart nearly stopped. A sharp ache pressed against my chest.
What was he doing here? My breathing became uneven.Without saying another word, I ran straight into the house and locked myself inside my room.
About half an hour later, someone started knocking on my door.
Again. And again. I finally opened it.
The moment the door opened, both Anin and Neel rushed inside. Anin shut the door behind them and grabbed my shoulders.
He slowly pushed me toward the bed until I sat down.
"Now tell me what happened."
But I couldn't focus on his question. Neel was standing there. In my room.
After everything that had happened between us. My heart felt strangely heavy. The pressure in my chest returned. I couldn't even think properly. Instead, I found myself asking the first thing that came to my mind.
"When did you come here?" I stared directly at Neel. Before he could answer, Anin interrupted.
"What is wrong with you? I've been asking you questions this whole time!"
His raised voice irritated me. I pushed his hands away.
"Why are you shouting at me?" I yelled back. "And stop acting like you care so much!"
The room fell silent. Anin immediately stood up.
"Fine. Then I'll go tell your sister."
"No!"
I quickly grabbed his arm.The last thing I wanted was for my family to worry.
"I just got scared," I admitted. "The road was empty, and I felt like someone was following me. That's all."
Anin looked unconvinced, but at least he stopped arguing.
I turned toward Neel again."Now answer my question."
Neel nodded. He explained that he had managed to find a job here. But that wasn't all. He was also in the middle of applying for a visa to Italy. "If I get the visa," he added softly, "I'll be leaving this September."
Hearing those words, a strange sense of clarity and relief washed over me. I simply nodded, acting as though everything made perfect sense now. "Congratulations," I said, forcing a polite smile. "Look, you guys should probably go back now. I'm really tired and I just want to sleep."
They didn't argue. Both of them turned and walked out, closing the door behind them.
The moment they left, I collapsed backward onto the bed, letting out a long, exhausted sigh. But the peace lasted for less than a second. The door suddenly burst open again, and Neel rushed back into the room.
"I forgot to give you something," he said quickly.
I jumped straight back into a sitting position, my defenses immediately going up. I looked down at his hands and saw he was holding two bars of chocolate.
An overwhelming wave of awkwardness washed over me. My mind completely blanked on how to react or what face to make. Sensing my hesitation, Neel didn't wait for permission. He reached out, grabbed my right hand, firmly pressed the chocolates into my palm, and then turned around—vanishing from the room like a ghost into thin air.
I sat there, frozen, staring down at the chocolate bars in my hand. My chest ached so badly that I instinctively pressed a hand against it, trying to ease the pain.Slowly, my brain began to recall the exact words he had written on that note.