I could feel his pain through the screen. Even when he didn't say much, it was there—in the silence between his words, in the way his replies felt heavy, almost tired. Those few days after everything was revealed were harder for him than I could imagine. Priyanka knew about it too now. She was shocked—just like me—because none of us had ever seen Shresth as that kind of boy.
To everyone else, he was the carefree one. The one who flirted lightly, joked about life, and moved on. But that was a façade. Behind it was a boy who believed in old-school love. The kind of love that happens once—the kind that stays.
And that's when it hit me. If for him love could only happen once, what did that make our bond? Was it friendship? Attraction? Something unnamed, undefined? If it was just friendship, then why would I be writing all this now? Why would it hurt so much?
No… things between us were never simple.
Soon his sister knew too. His best friend knew. Even his father had caught glimpses of the truth. Shresth told me how his dad had seen him talking on the phone late at night, standing in the balcony with that lost look. Everyone who thought he was this strong, unshakable guy now saw the cracks. The boy who always claimed "I don't care that much" had cried over a girl who left.
And strangely, everyone around us behaved more mature than our age. We were just young adults—still figuring out who we were—yet life had already started testing us like we were older.
---
A few days later, the festival was near. Rakshabandhan.
That evening, I came home after school and my never-ending maths coaching. My bag felt heavier than usual, maybe because my mind was tired more than my body. The smell of home—faint masala from the kitchen mixed with the coolness of the AC—felt comforting.
I threw myself on the bed and lazily unlocked my phone. His name was there.
> "You can call if you want. No problem."
It wasn't much. Just a simple text. But my heart skipped like it always did.
I hesitated for a second, staring at the message, then quietly went to my room. I shut the door, switched on the AC, dimmed the lights, and dialed his number.
The call connected almost immediately.
"Yes, Charu? Say." His voice was calm, but it carried that strange tiredness I couldn't ignore.
I tried to sound casual. How are you? Didn't go to the shop today?"
He sighed. "The weather's too nice. I'm out at the balcony… just feeling the wind."
For a moment, I imagined him there. Leaning on the railing, the city lights faint in the background, the breeze tangling his silky hair. There was a loneliness in that picture that made my chest ache.
"Really?" I whispered. "Then… let me go to the terrace too."
I stepped out. The evening sky was painted in soft hues of orange and pink. The clouds hung low, as if the world was slowing down for just a moment. The breeze was cool against my skin, carrying the faint smell of rain that hadn't fallen yet.
I looked up at the sky and smiled softly. "At least," I whispered, "we're under the same sky."
He was silent for a second. Then he said something that stayed with me for a long time.
What if our prayers work in opposite ways?"
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
And then it clicked. He was praying for her to come back. I was… silently hoping to keep him close.
I swallowed hard. "Shresth, I actually want you guys to be together," I confessed. "It hurts to see you like this."
There was a pause on the other end. Then he spoke, softer than before.
"You said that without even thinking about yourself. That's… brave of you. Thank you."
He didn't know how much courage it took to say that. To put his happiness above my own.
Just like that, the call shifted. He mentioned he was going out with his friends later that evening. Vidya would be joining too. I simply said, "Enjoy."
We ended the call.
---
That same evening, I told Mom about him.
We were in the living room when his call came earlier, so later I just said casually, Mom, this is Shresth." I showed her a picture from his account.
"Who's he?" she asked, not suspicious, just curious.
"We studied together when we were kids," I said lightly. "Now he's in Border Academy, helps with his family business. We've been friends lately."
She nodded. "I see"
I didn't know why I told her. I just… did. Maybe some part of me wanted her to know he existed.
What I didn't know then was how much of a special bond Shresth would eventually share with my mom. But that's for later.
---
After that, my mind was restless.
I hoped he was handling himself. But I knew better. He always said, "No, I don't have emotions. I'm strong." But I knew he wasn't as cold as he claimed. He was someone who didn't back off from promises. Someone who stayed loyal even when it hurt.
And maybe that's what made him dangerous for my heart.
His shop was near my maths coaching—exactly like the silly delusion I had earlier. I often looked for him while passing by, hoping to catch a glimpse. But fate didn't let it happen.
We still chatted occasionally, but I could feel the difference. His replies felt empty. Like he was just responding, not really there.
And yet… if he was so lost, so detached… then how did everything that followed happen?
The late-night walks.
The long drives.
The secrets.
The moments that would blur every line between friendship and something more.
How?
You'll know soon.
Because after that came the day we met
The day in the middle of the pouring rain.
---
Cliffhanger: "But that day… that rain… it wasn't just a coincidence. It was the beginning of everything we couldn't stop."