"Hi," I whispered back.
A small laugh came from the other side. Pavani's for sure. Then another voice, lighter, teasing—Aditi.
"You sound like you're hiding in some secret mission," Aditi said.
I grinned in the dark. "Well, I am. Operation Cupboard."
I heard both of them laugh at the same time, and for a second, it didn't feel like we were in the middle of exam season or hostel rules. It just felt… easy.
Aditi: How are you?
Sid: Good good till now.
Sid: Aditi, I know a bit about Pavani… but what about you? Where are you from?
Aditi (laughs softly): Finally you ask me something. I'm from Mumbai. But my parents are from Andhra.
Sid: Oh, okay… I used to live in Mumbai.
Aditi: Oh , Now?
Sid: Now I'm living in vizag with my grandpa.
Aditi : okay. Actually I was good in almost everything… except studies. So my parents decided hostel might fix that. My grandparents stay here in Hyderabad too, but they live a little far from the city. That's why I'm stuck in hostel.
Sid: Ahh, got it. So hostel life wasn't really your choice.
Aditi (half-laughing): Exactly. More like a punishment.
Sid: Pavani, what about you? Was hostel your choice or did someone else decide for you too?"
Pavani: I actually decided it myself. At home, my family doesn't give me much freedom—I had to go straight from school to home every day. So I thought hostel would be a good change, maybe a little freedom. But honestly… it's not exactly what I imagined.
Pavani:What about you, Sid?
Sid: My case is kind of similar to Aditi. My grandpa thought I was getting spoiled hanging out with my friends in Vizag… so he sent me here, far away from them.
Sid: so… are you both prepared for tomorrow's exam?
Aditi: yeah, pretty much. I think I'll be fine.
Pavani: same here.
Pavani: what about you, sid? I feel like you're the front-bench topper type.
Sid: not at all a topper or frontbencher… but yeah, I'm good for tomorrow.
Pavani: so tomorrow after the exam, let's all meet.
Sid: okay, I don't have anything after the exam.
Aditi: yeah… (her voice a little shaky, almost as if she's nervous or shy).
after hearing that, I felt a little taken aback. I was used to Aditi being loud and clear, always the confident one. That faint nervousness in her tone caught me off guard, almost like I was hearing a different side of her for the first time.
Sid: what happened aditi, do you have any other work?
Aditi: (her voice now clear, steady) no… nothing like that. but yeah I will be waiting.
Pavani: I will tell—
Aditi: (cutting in gently) it's already late… let's talk tomorrow after the exam.
There was a brief pause, and then both said goodnight and I wished the same and ended the call.
I kept the earphones aside, climbed down the cupboard, lay on the bed and let the quiet of the night settle in.
Morning came, and the hostel buzzed with the usual rush. I washed up, but my mind was elsewhere. Pavani had almost said something last night before Aditi interrupted. What was it?
The thought kept circling in my head as I grabbed everything and left for the exam.
At the center, I spotted Pavani. She noticed me too and gave a small wave. I waved back, and we walked inside.
I leaned slightly toward her.
"You were about to say something last night, right? what was it?" I asked
Pavani looked at me, then smiled faintly. "Can't explain everything now. And if I stop in the middle, you won't be able to concentrate on the exam. Let's talk after it's done."
I nodded slowly, though her words only made me more curious.
The exam was done. I tapped my foot impatiently, waiting for invigilator to finally say the words.
"You may leave."
"Okay," I said, turning to her as we moved with the crowd, "now tell me. You left me hanging last night."
She chuckled softly, covering her mouth with her hand. "Sorry for making you curious. It wasn't exactly what I had in my mind."
"Oh really?" I said
She gave a little head shake. "Let's go outside first."
Pavani adjusted her dupatta and said, "Let's walk towards Aditi while talking."
"Okay," I nodded, smiling. "Show me the way."
A strange mix of relief and excitement sat in my chest—I was happy I'd see Aditi, and curious about how she'd be outside the phone call world.
"So?" I nudged Pavani, reminding her.
She glanced at me, then spoke slowly. "Okay… you know we both use the same number, right? And as a girl, I couldn't just decide on my own to give that number to you."
I said "I didn't get you."
Pavani gave a quick smile. "It was Aditi. She told me to give you our number."
I was confused. "But… you gave me your number instantly when I asked you."
"Yeah," she admitted, laughing lightly. "Because Aditi told me to. And after talking to you a little, I thought… you're not a bad guy."
I stopped for a second, staring. "Wait. Aditi was there? In the coffee shop that day?"
Pavani laughed, shaking her head. "No, she wasn't there. You'll know when we reach. We're almost there."
"Wait," I said, bridging small gap between us. We turned the corner, and then my eyes caught a familiar face in the crowd. My heart skipped. Is it… her?
I leaned forward, weaving my head between people just to be sure. And then I saw her clearly—Aadhya.
A rush hit me all at once. My heartbeat raced, my chest tightened, and before I knew it, a wide smile spread across my face. Pavani glanced at me, puzzled. "Why are you smiling like that?"
"Where's Aditi?" I asked quickly, trying to steady my voice.
"She should be around here somewhere," Pavani replied.
I pointed toward the bookstore just behind where Aadhya was standing. "There. Can you meet me there with Aditi? I'll be waiting. Sorry, just… need two minutes."
Pavani followed my gaze, her eyes flicking to the bookstore and then to the girl nearby. A faint smile curved her lips as she nodded. "Okay. I understand. We'll meet you there."
Without waiting, I started walking toward her, my steps light but my heart thundering louder with each one.
Aadhya's eyes met mine for a moment. I froze, my hand halfway raised to wave. But just as quickly, she looked away—like she hadn't even recognized me.
Did she forget me? How could she forget me… The thought stung as I slowly walked toward her. She kept glancing in the other direction, almost like she was waiting for someone.
who is she waiting for? is adithya also here... I thought.
"Hi," I said softly once I reached her.
She turned, gave me a polite smile. "Hi. Who are you? I'm waiting for my friends."
For a second, everything inside me went still. She really doesn't remember?
Before I could say anything more, Pavani's voice rang out from behind. "Stop it, Aditi— I mean, Aadhya!"
I blinked, confused. My mind raced, trying to fit the pieces together. And then I saw them both burst into laughter, hugging each other.
"So… it's you," I said, pointing at her, my voice caught between relief and annoyance. "Stupid! I knew your voice was familiar—I even said so! You.. you... said I was flirting"
Aadhya grinned, still laughing a little. "Sorry… so, how are you?"
I raised an eyebrow. "You asked that already yesterday. I'm good."
She tilted her head, mischief in her eyes. "That was Aditi. This is Aadhya. So you just give the same answer to both, huh?"
I couldn't stop smiling. "Okay… yeah, there's a lot to talk about. How's Adithya? Where is he now?"
Aadhya rolled her eyes playfully. "You know him, right? Still the topper. They put him in a different college. And since I pulled too many stupid stunts in school, my parents decided hostel life would straighten me out." She smirked. "He's in Mumbai, still topping like always. And you… you were second back then. What about now? Still studying hard, or just running behind girls at the exam center?"
Pavani cut in, "Okay, okay, we're late. Let's talk tonight."
We started walking toward the bus stop. Honestly, I didn't feel like going back to the hostel at all. I just wanted to stay there and talk.
Aadhya looked at me, her eyes glinting. "Why don't we ditch the bus and go to college in the evening?"
I almost said yes right away, but before I could open my mouth, Pavani shot it down. "No. Don't you remember what happened last time you tried that with a fake outing slip and got caught? Just wait. Let the exams get over, then we can meet.
We both fell silent, a little disappointed.
At the bus stop, I waved goodbye. For a moment, I thought I saw her eyes watering, just a little. Then she boarded, and I met Naveen and Deepak to head back to the hostel.
That night, I explained everything to them—every detail. They listened silently and finally nodded. Naveen said, "Okay. You can take the mobile for tonight."
Then, breaking the serious mood, he leaned back and smirked. "So… Pavani is single, right?"
Before I could react, Deepak jumped in. "I call dibs."
Naveen said. "You can't call dibs on a person, idiot!"
And just like that, the two of them started fighting, while I sat there, half-laughing, half-lost in my thoughts about Aadhya.