Sometimes the most ordinary conversations end up becoming memories you replay again and again in your mind.
It was during our school leaving time when this small incident happened.
Nothing dramatic, nothing special — just a simple and casual conversation. But somehow it stayed with me.
My best friend was waiting for someone that day. He had taken her purse earlier and was supposed to return it. She was standing there after school, waiting for him to come so she could collect it before leaving.
But things didn't go as planned.
Her mother suddenly arrived to pick her up. Since she couldn't stay any longer, she quickly told me, "If he comes, just tell him that my mom came and I had to leave."
There was a small problem.. there was a chance that her mother might check her bag. That would definitely get her scolded.
So the plan was to give it to her later in tuition instead of returning it there at school.
So I stayed back for a few minutes, waiting for him to arrive so I could pass the message.
While I was standing there, one of my friends came and started talking to me. We were just casually chatting when I suddenly noticed him walking past.
He didn't stop.
He simply walked by as if he hadn't noticed me.
I quickly called his name once.
No response.
I called him again.
Still nothing.
The third time, my voice was a little louder.
I was just about to call him for the fourth time when he suddenly stopped in the middle of his steps.
He paused.
Then slowly turned back and looked at me.
For a moment it felt like time had slowed down.
I walked towards him and told him what my friend had asked me to say — that her mother had come to pick her up, so she had to leave, and that he should give the purse in tuition instead because otherwise her mother might check the bag and she could get scolded.
He listened and nodded.
Then he casually said that i should tell her and that he wouldn't give it back not even in tution.. Just in a teasing manner
I smiled a little and replied, "Tum log jano… kisko lena hai aur kisko dena hai, kya karna hai. Tum log jano."
He smiled back.
It wasn't a big moment.
Just a small exchange of words and a quiet smile between two people who barely knew each other. Cause we didn't have that much convo in school...
After that, I started walking towards my scooty so I could leave.
But before I could go, he suddenly asked, "Chali gai ?"
I replied, "Haan. Aunty lene aayi thi, isliye vo chali gayi. Mujhe bolke gayi thi ki bata dene ko ."
He nodded again and smiled.
I smiled back.
And just like that, the conversation ended.
He walked towards his van, and I walked towards my scooty.
Two people heading in different directions.
At that moment it felt like just another normal school interaction — something that would probably be forgotten by the next day for him..
But when I later thought about that moment while writing it down, I realized something small yet strange.
When we were talking, there was not much distance between us.
But it wasn't the usual distance people keep when they talk to someone they barely know.
There was a gap between us… but not as much as there normally should be between a girl and a boy having a casual conversation.
Kya vo hamesha essa hi rehta h?? With everyone or it was... ???
It was subtle.
Barely noticeable.
But it was there.
And even today, I sometimes wonder…
Was it only something I noticed?
Or did he notice it too?