Aarav glanced at the phone screen
9:15 pm
He's still not back.
I don't know why I keep checking the clock - it's not like I care where he goes.
Maybe it's just the silence. The room feels different when he's not in it.
I scroll through my phone, trying to ignore the weird tightness in my chest, but nothing on the screen is even registering.
Forget it. I'll just go eat.
The mess was nearly empty when Aarav walked in. The air smelled faintly of curry and steam, but the food didn't look inviting anymore. He sat down, tried to eat, but his appetite had disappeared somewhere between the first and second bite.
The mess aunty looked over from the counter.
"Beta, your roommate didn't come for dinner?"
Aarav shook his head. "No, he's out somewhere."
She smiled knowingly. "Fights happen. Should I pack some for him? He'll come back hungry."
He hesitated, staring at his plate. "Yeah… keep a tiffin for him, I'll handover it. He'll eat later."
The aunty nodded, quietly setting aside a steel container on the counter.
Aarav finished a few more bites and stood up. He didn't bother pretending to be full - just tired.
Back in the room, he placed the tiffin on the table beside Aveer's books.
The lid clicked softly against the metal, echoing in the quiet.
He didn't leave a note. Didn't have to.
For a while, he sat on his bed, scrolling through songs, anything to drown out the sound of waiting.
Then the door opened.
Aveer stepped in quietly, looking tired, his hair slightly out of place. He didn't even glance at Aarav, just walked straight to his cupboard.
"There's food on the table," Aarav said, keeping his tone even. "Eat if you want."
No reply.
Just the sound of drawers opening and closing.
Aarav exhaled and leaned back against the wall.
He didn't expect a thank-you, but for some reason, the silence still stung.
The tiffin stayed on the table, untouched for a long time, until much later that night, when Aveer finally opened it, ate in silence, and muttered something under his breath that even he couldn't hear.
The alarm buzzed at seven next morning, slicing through the quiet.
I groaned, reached for my phone, and turned it off before it woke Aveer.
For a few seconds, I just sat there, staring at the sunlight creeping through the curtains.
The room looked different in the morning , calmer, softer. Even he looked less irritating when he was asleep.
I stood up, stretched, and glanced around.
That's when I noticed it ; the tiffin on the table. The lid was slightly off, the spoon resting inside, empty.
So he did eat.
I don't know why that made me smile. Maybe because I didn't waste food. Maybe because he hadn't ignored it completely.
Either way, I caught myself grinning like an idiot before shaking my head.
"Get a grip, Aarav," I muttered under my breath. "It's just food."
I packed my bag for college quietly, trying not to wake him, but my eyes drifted toward him once more.
He was still asleep, one arm under his pillow, his hair a mess. He looked… human.
Not the same loud, angry boy from yesterday.
For a second, I just stood there, watching him breathe softly, his face half-hidden behind the pillow. The room felt too quiet, like even the air didn't want to disturb him.
I noticed his blanket had slipped to the floor sometime during the night. Without thinking, I bent down, picked it up, and pulled it gently over him.
He shifted slightly, murmuring something in sleep , something I couldn't catch. I waited, afraid I'd wake him, then smiled faintly when he turned his face away, curling deeper under the warmth.
"Still dramatic, even while sleeping," I whispered, shaking my head.
I grabbed my bag, checked my ID, and left the room quietly. The door clicked shut behind me.
Aarav left the room.
The sunlight hit my eyes, pulling me out of sleep. I groaned, burying my face into the pillow, unwilling to wake up yet.
Something felt different. Warm.
When I blinked my eyes open, the first thing I noticed was the blanket covering me.
I froze for a second. I didn't remember using it last night.
My gaze fell on the empty side of the bed. Aarav's things were gone. He already left for college.
Did he…?
No. There's no way he'd do that. Not after the kind of things he said to me.
I sat up slowly, brushing my hair back. "Idiot," I muttered, though I wasn't sure if I meant him or myself.
Because for a moment, I couldn't stop thinking about how gentle that small act felt and how much I hated that it mattered.
As I stepped out of the PG gate, I caught sight of Arsh, standing near his bike with that same irritating grin plastered on his face.
"Well, look who's up early," he said, tilting his head. "Aarav's fiery roommate or dear cousin. Thought you'd still be sulking under the blanket."
I frowned, already regretting not taking a longer route. "I don't have time for your jokes." - Aveer
Arsh chuckled, leaning closer. "You're just too serious for your own good. Aarav told me you're the kind of guy who needs to be handled carefully."
I froze. "What did you just say?"
He shrugged. "Nothing big. He just said you've got a temper and someone has to teach you a bit of… adjustment."
The air felt heavier all of a sudden.
Teach me a bit of adjustment?
"So he told you to handle me?" My voice came out lower than I expected.
Arsh's smirk wavered for a second. "Does it matters to you"?
I stepped closer, eyes locked on his. "Did he also tell you to poke fun at me in the mess that night? Or was that your own brilliant idea?"
Arsh looked taken aback. "Dude, chill. I didn't mean—"
"Save it." I cut him off, my tone sharp enough to make him flinch. "Tell your friend I don't need anyone to handle me. And next time, keep my name out of your mouth."
I walked away before he could respond, fists clenched, blood buzzing in my ears.
Every step I took felt like walking over a memory I was trying to bury.
Aarav still trying to play the same old games.
The anger sat heavy in my chest.
People don't change. They just learn new ways to pretend they have.
By the time I reached the coaching centre, the anger had dulled into a steady hum beneath my ribs.
The corridors were alive with chatter - students running between rooms, clutching files, searching for roll numbers pinned to boards.
I stopped near the notice board, scanning for my name when someone tapped my shoulder.
"Hey, we meet again."
I turned and saw Shivi, holding the same umbrella she'd lent me yesterday, her smile soft but bright enough to cut through the noise.
"Looks like luck's on your side lately," she teased. "Or maybe I'm just everywhere."
"Maybe you're stalking me," I said, half-smiling without realizing it.
She laughed. "If I were, I'd pick someone more interesting. You're too quiet for that."
Before I could reply, another voice joined in, a guy about my age, tall and slightly goofy-looking, wearing specs that kept slipping down his nose.
"Shivi, you found your umbrella thief!" he said, grinning. "I was wondering who stole your heart - I mean, umbrella."
Shivi rolled her eyes. "Aveer, this is Reyansh, my batchmate. Don't mind him, he's allergic to seriousness."
"Clearly," I said, shaking hands with him.
The three of us entered class together.
The professor started with orientation, talking about expectations, exam patterns, the usual talk no one really listens to.
Reyansh leaned closer and whispered, "So, Aveer, you from Lucknow?"
"Nope," I replied softly. "Just moved in."
"Oh, new city, new chaos. You got a place to stay?"
"Yeah. PG."
He grinned. "Roommate stories incoming?"
I sighed. "Don't even start. Mine's already a disaster."
Shivi turned from the next seat. "What happened?"
"Let's just say," I muttered, "he's someone I hoped I'd never see again. But fate has a sick sense of humour."
Reyansh chuckled. "Ah, enemies under one roof, sounds like a TV serial. So when's the love confession episode?"
"Never," I said instantly, my glare enough to make him laugh harder.
Shivi smiled, resting her chin on her palm. "Sometimes the people who annoy you the most end up teaching you something important."
"Yeah," I said dryly, "like how much patience I don't have."
They laughed again, and somehow, the tension I'd been carrying since morning started to fade.
Maybe this city wasn't all bad - at least, it had a few faces that didn't remind me of the past.
After class ended, we walked out together. The air smelled of samosas and rain-soaked roads. Reyansh waved goodbye halfway, mumbling something about an extra bio lecture.
Shivi and I walked the rest of the way to the gate.
"So," she said softly, "since you owe me for the umbrella, how about coffee tomorrow after class?"
I blinked. "You're calling that a debt?"
She shrugged. "A debt or an excuse - depends on how you take it."
I couldn't help but smile. "Then I guess I'll pay it back properly."
"Tomorrow, then," she said, walking away, her hair catching the light like a goodbye that lingered a little too long.
For a moment, I just stood there, watching her leave, realizing that for the first time in weeks, someone had managed to make me forget him - even if just for a few minutes.
When I unlocked the door, the familiar hum of the ceiling fan greeted me first. Aarav was already there - sitting cross-legged on his bed, scrolling through something on his phone.
He looked up as I entered.
"So," he said, voice casual, "how was your first day of coaching, buddy?"
I threw my bag on the chair. "I'm not your buddy," I snapped. "And I'm not related to you in any way."
Aarav frowned, half-amused, half-confused. "Easy, man. I was just asking."
"Yeah, right. Like you don't already have your little spies to tell you everything," I muttered, my words sharper than I intended.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Aarav straightened.
"Oh, don't act innocent. Your friend Arsh...." I spat his name like it burned my tongue. "He picked a fight with me today. Said you sent him to 'make me understand things'. Sound familiar?"
Aarav's face twisted. "What? I didn't..... Arsh says things just to get reactions, you know that."
"I don't know anything anymore," I said, meeting his eyes for the first time. "You've always had people to do your talking for you. Back then, it was Vishesh. Now it's Arsh. Maybe you just like watching others do your dirty work."
His expression shifted, caught somewhere between confusion and guilt. "You're dragging the past into this again?"
"Because you never let it end," I shot back. My voice cracked slightly, but I didn't care. "You still act like you were the victim. Like you didn't stand there and believe every word he said."
Aarav looked stunned. "Aveer, I don't even know what you're talking about...."
"Of course you don't," I cut him off. "You never do. You never wanted to know. You just needed someone to blame, and I was the easiest target."
The silence between us felt electric, thick with words neither of us had planned to say.
For a long second, Aarav didn't reply. He just stared like he was searching my face for something familiar that wasn't there anymore.
Then he exhaled. "You really think I'm like him?"
Aveer turned away. "I don't think. I know."
He walked toward his bed, pulled the blanket over himself, and shut his eyes. The argument lingered in the air like the echo of a storm that hadn't ended - just paused.
Aarav sat still, hands clenched, his mind racing.
He didn't fully understand what Aveer meant… but something about the name Vishesh twisted in his chest, like an old scar remembering the blade.
Aveer turned away, pulling the blanket up like a wall between us. His breathing steadied after a while, pretending sleep came easy.
But mine didn't.
I just sat there, watching the dim glow of the bulb flicker on the ceiling. His words kept echoing - "You've always had people to do your talking for you. Back then it was Vishesh."
Back then.
My jaw tightened.
It's been years. We all moved on. At least, that's what I told myself. But the way he said it , sharp, broken, accusing - it felt like something I had buried long ago had suddenly come alive again.
I remember bits and pieces… Vishesh yelling, Aveer walking away, my own voice rising in anger. I don't even remember what the fight was about anymore, just that it ended with silence. A silence that stretched for years.
Did I really believe Vishesh back then? Did I even try to listen to Aveer?
I rubbed my face with both hands, feeling the weight of the thought pressing down.
"Forget it," I muttered under my breath. "It's old. It doesn't matter anymore."
But it did.
Because the anger in his eyes tonight , it wasn't just anger. It was pain that hadn't healed, pain that I might've helped create.
I glanced at him again. He looked calm in sleep - the same calm he used to fake back then, before walking away and never looking back.
Maybe he's right. Maybe I did let someone else do my talking. Maybe I never really knew the whole truth.
The fan hummed, soft and low. Somewhere outside, a dog barked in the alley.
Inside, the room felt colder.
I pulled the blanket closer around me, eyes still fixed on the still figure beside me.
"Why does it still matter?" I whispered to no one.
And the silence, as always, had no answer.
"The past wasn't gone - it just waited a little longer"
To be continued....