Vivaan, Harsh, and Kashvi were walking toward their rooms after the long, tiring night when they suddenly stopped. Aarav was coming out of Haniya's room, quietly closing the door behind him.
All three of them stared at him.
Harsh smirked instantly. "Ohooo… someone had a busy night."
Vivaan crossed his arms dramatically. "At this point, bro, just tell us the truth. Are you two married secretly?"
Kashvi raised her eyebrows and leaned closer. "Why did you come back so early? Usually, if you sneak to her room, you stay longer."
Aarav rubbed the back of his neck, eyes serious. "She's… not well."
Their teasing expressions disappeared immediately.
Kashvi stepped forward. "What happened? I saw her fine at the party."
Aarav shook his head. "No. She wasn't fine at all. She… cried a lot. She's exhausted. Just let her rest."
All three looked at each other, then nodded softly.
Harsh whispered, "We'll check on her tomorrow."
They all quietly walked to their rooms. No more jokes. No more teasing. Just worry.
The night passed in heavy silence.
---
Morning came, but the atmosphere in the dorm felt strange. Usually, Haniya was the first one at breakfast, scolding Vivaan for eating too fast or teasing Harsh for waking up late.
But today… her chair was empty.
Kashvi kept staring at the door, waiting.
Vivaan tapped his spoon. "She isn't coming?"
Harsh frowned. "Maybe she overslept?"
Aarav stayed silent, staring at his untouched food.
Just then, the coach entered, looking unusually irritated.
"Where is Haniya?" he asked sharply.
No one answered.
Coach slammed his notebook on the table. "You guys were celebrating last night instead of sleeping on time, and now she's missing from breakfast and practice. What's going on?"
Still, silence.
Kashvi looked down.
Vivaan tried, "Sir, maybe she's just tired—"
"No excuses!" the coach snapped. "You all came unprepared today. Your focus is broken. And if one team member falls behind, the whole team suffers."
They all felt the pressure of his words. But behind all of it, they were just… worried.
After practice got cancelled, they sat in the training room, talking softly.
"Why didn't she even text?" Harsh asked, pacing.
"She always tells me if she's skipping breakfast…" Kashvi murmured.
"Something's wrong," Vivaan said seriously. "She didn't even show up for practice. That has never happened before."
Aarav didn't speak, just stared at the floor, clenching and unclenching his fist.
Kashvi placed a hand on his shoulder gently. "She'll be okay. She needs rest."
Aarav nodded silently, but he still looked troubled.
All of them kept returning to the same thought—whatever happened last night left Haniya drained.
---
Night came.
The dining hall was quiet. Everyone was sitting, but half-hearted. Even the coach seemed irritated and tired.
Then suddenly, the door opened.
Everyone turned.
It was Haniya.
But she didn't look like the Haniya they knew.
Her hair was messy, tied loosely like she didn't care. Her eyes were swollen and dark under the lashes, clearly from crying. Her face looked pale, her expression empty.
Kashvi stood immediately. "Haniya… are you okay?"
Haniya didn't look at her. "No," she said simply, her voice low and blunt.
Vivaan opened his mouth to tease her as usual, but stopped instantly when he saw her face.
Harsh tried lightly, "You ignored us all day. What happened—"
She didn't respond. Didn't tease back. Didn't even smile faintly.
She just walked past them, took her plate, sat alone on the corner table, and quietly began eating. Slow. Mechanical. Like she wasn't even tasting the food.
No jokes. No sarcasm. No energy.
Vivaan whispered to Harsh, "Bro… this is serious."
Harsh nodded. "She looks broken."
Aarav kept watching her from across the room, heart squeezing at every tiny movement. He knew every reason behind her silence… every tear she cried… every fear she was still carrying.
Kashvi walked over and sat beside her. "Do you want to talk?"
Haniya didn't look up. "Not now, Kashvi… please."
Kashvi nodded sadly and went back.
Vivaan leaned toward Aarav. "You know something, don't you?"
Aarav didn't answer.
Because if he spoke… he wouldn't be able to stop himself from going straight to her and hugging her in front of everyone.
He kept his distance. Because she needed space.
Because she was hurting.
Because she wasn't ready.
Haniya finished her food quietly, stood up, and without saying a single word to anyone… she left the dining hall.
Everyone watched her go.
Vivaan sighed. "I've never seen her like this."
Harsh shook his head. "Whatever happened last night… it messed her up."
Kashvi frowned. "We need to be there for her. But she's shutting all of us out."
Aarav stood slowly, looking at the direction she left.
His fists clenched again.
He whispered under his breath, "I'll fix this. Whatever it takes."
The others heard him but didn't stop him. They trusted him.
Because if anyone could reach Haniya right now…
It was Aarav.
But for tonight, she needed to be alone.
And he respected that.
He looked at her empty seat one last time before walking out.
The night ended quietly… heavily…
with the whole team carrying the same worry.
And Haniya, behind her closed door, carrying something even heavier.
---