Aruna noticed Dhruv before he noticed her.
He stood near the gate of her grandmother's house, talking politely, his hands folded, his voice calm. He looked comfortable there too comfortable. Her grandmother smiled at him as if he were just another familiar face, and that made Aruna's chest tighten.
She hadn't expected him to come here.
When Dhruv saw her, he smiled. "Hi, Aruna. I hope it's okay I came by. Your grandma said visitors are always welcome."
Aruna nodded, forcing a small smile. "It's… fine."
They talked for a while about small things, about the weather, about the festival. Dhruv spoke easily, like he belonged in the conversation. Aruna answered, but her thoughts weren't there.
They kept drifting.
To the garden.
To the tree.
To Maira.
Aruna saw her then.
Maira sat alone under the big tree at the edge of the garden, her head lowered, her hands clasped together tightly. She wasn't crying but she looked like someone holding too much inside.
Something twisted painfully in Aruna's chest.
She looks so far away, Aruna thought.
And it's my fault.
Dhruv was saying something, but Aruna barely heard him. Her eyes stayed on Maira, on the distance growing between them even though they stood in the same place.
"I need to check on something," Aruna said suddenly. "Excuse me."
She walked away before Dhruv could respond.
At the same time, from a little distance away, Maira felt a presence beside her.
She looked up.
Aruna's grandfather stood there, holding a walking stick, his expression calm and kind.
"You look like someone who doesn't know where to put her feelings," he said gently.
Maira tried to smile. "I'm okay."
He chuckled softly. "That's what everyone says when they are not."
She stayed silent.
After a moment, he asked, "Would you like to walk with me to the riverside?"
Maira hesitated, then nodded.
The path to the river was quiet. Birds called from the trees, and the water moved slowly, patiently. They sat on a large rock near the edge, the same place Aruna and Maira had once sat together.
"You know," her grandfather said, staring at the water, "this river has heard many secrets."
Maira laughed weakly. "I don't think mine are that important."
He turned toward her. "Every heart thinks its pain is small until it becomes too heavy to carry."
She swallowed.
"Do you have a problem, dear?" he asked softly. "If you do, you can tell me. I may be old, but I listen well. Think of me as your grandfather too."
That was all it took.
Maira's control shattered.
"I messed everything up," she said, her voice breaking. "I told Aruna that I like her. I didn't mean to pressure her. I just… I couldn't keep it inside anymore."
Tears streamed down her face. "Then a boy asked her out at the picnic. I saw it. I thought she accepted. I walked away before she could explain."
She wiped her face angrily. "And now he's here. At her house. And I keep thinking maybe this is how it's supposed to be. Maybe I was just… a mistake."
Her grandfather listened quietly, not interrupting.
When she finished, he spoke slowly.
"Many years ago," he said, "I loved someone too."
Maira looked up, surprised.
"He was my friend first," he continued. "We spent our days together, laughed together, dreamed together. But the world was not kind to feelings like ours. So I stayed silent."
He smiled sadly. "I watched him marry someone else. I smiled for him. And I carried that love quietly for a long time."
Maira's chest tightened. "Did you regret it?"
"Every day," he said honestly. "Not for loving him but for never giving my heart a chance to be known."
He looked at her gently. "Liking someone is not a mistake. Saying it is not a mistake. Love is only painful when we treat it like something to be ashamed of."
Maira's tears slowed.
"Aruna is confused," he continued. "Not rejecting you. Confusion is not the end. Silence is not the end. Giving up too early is.
Maira looked at the river again, her breathing unsteady.
"Then what should I do?" she whispered.
"Stay honest," he replied. "And stay kind to her, and to yourself."
Back at the house, Aruna stood at the doorway, watching the path that led to the river.
Her heart was racing.
She didn't know what would happen next.
But she knew one thing
She didn't want to lose Maira to silence.
Not without trying.