Episode 8 – "What If We Were More?"
The day was dull. Classes dragged on, assignments piled up, and the weather outside looked like it hadn't made up its mind.
Tanishka sat by the window, chin resting on her palm, watching raindrops race down the glass. A soft notification broke her daze.
Hemant:
"Wanna skip the world and run away for a while?"
She smirked.
Tanishka:
"And go where? Mars?"
Hemant:
"Nah. Somewhere better. Where no one asks dumb questions and we can just be... us."
There it was again — that "us" thing.
It wasn't the first time he'd said it. But today, it felt heavier. Softer.
She replied after a moment.
Tanishka:
"So what are we doing in this imaginary place?"
Hemant:
"Easy. You're reading something weird. I'm pretending to hate it. We fight. You call me dumb. I call you dramatic. You pout. I lose."
She laughed out loud.
He knew her too well.
Tanishka:
"You're not supposed to describe real life, idiot."
Hemant:
"That's the thing... real life with you already feels like a dream sometimes."
Pause.
She read the message twice.
Not flirty. Not forced. Just… honest.
And that scared her a little.
They weren't dating. They'd never said anything real. But it was always there — floating between lines, hiding in jokes, wrapped in "just friends" excuses.
Later that evening, during a lazy video call, they played the "What If" game.
"What if we never met on Instagram?" she asked.
"I'd still be yelling at random people online," Hemant grinned.
"What if you never replied to my first insult?"
"Then we wouldn't be sitting here pretending not to fall for each other," he said without missing a beat.
She froze.
"You're such a drama king," she mumbled.
"But a cute one, right?" he teased.
She rolled her eyes but smiled anyway.
"What if we're still talking like this five years from now?" she asked quietly.
"Then I'll probably have 10 more embarrassing selfies of you, and you'll still call me dumb every day."
"And if we're not?"
He looked at the screen, his voice dropping a little.
"Then I hope wherever you are, someone makes you laugh the way I do."
Silence.
A soft, warm silence that didn't need to be filled.
In another world, maybe they'd say what they were both holding back. Maybe they'd admit it. But for now, the game gave them enough space to speak without pressure.
What if this was already love?
What if neither of them was ready to risk it?
What if… this unspoken bond was perfect just the way it was?
They didn't need answers yet.
Just the comfort of each other's presence — through every question, every laugh, and every "what if."
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