The final bell of the day had already rung, but its echo still lingered somewhere in the corridors as students poured out of their classrooms. The usual chaos followed—laughter, unfinished conversations, the sound of footsteps rushing toward the gate as if staying even a minute longer would make them late for something important. For most, it was just another school day ending. For her, it felt the same. Or at least, it was supposed to.
She stepped out of her classroom a little slower than the others, adjusting her bag on her shoulder, letting the crowd pass ahead. She had never liked rushing. There was something oddly comforting about walking out when everything had already started to quiet down. It made the day feel complete.
Just as she reached near the gate, her best friend came running toward her, slightly out of breath. There was always a certain urgency in her presence, like she carried her own little storm everywhere she went.
"Mumma aa gayi, I have to go," she said quickly, glancing toward the entrance where her mother was waiting.
Before she could even respond, her friend added "Listen, tell him to bring my purse to tuition."
She frowned slightly, confused. "Why me?"
"He took it! I'll deal with him later, you just tell him, okay?" she said, already stepping back.
And just like that, she was gone—running toward her mother, leaving behind a simple message that suddenly didn't feel so simple.
She stood there for a moment, watching her disappear into the crowd, then sighed softly to herself. It wasn't a big deal. Just passing a message. Still, she couldn't help but feel a little awkward about it.
The area near the gate was still crowded, but slowly thinning. Vans were lined up on one side, students gathering in groups on the other. She walked toward her scooty but didn't start it. Instead, she waited.
She wasn't sure why she felt like she had to.
A few minutes passed before she saw him.
He was walking out casually, like he always did, with no hurry in his steps. There was something effortless about the way he carried himself—nothing loud, nothing attention-seeking, just… calm. The kind of presence that blended in and yet somehow didn't.
He walked past her.
Didn't stop. Didn't look.
Didn't even notice.
She frowned slightly. "Hello?" she called out, not too loud at first....
No response.
He kept walking.
"Ae!" she called again, a little sharper this time.
Still nothing.
Now she was slightly annoyed. "Seriously?" she muttered under her breath. Taking a small step forward, she called again, louder this time, "Hey!"
He slowed down.
Not immediately, but enough to show he had heard something.
Then he turned.
And looked at her.
For a second, the noise around them faded into the background. It wasn't a dramatic moment, not something that would stand out to anyone else, but to her, it felt… noticeable. Maybe because he had taken his time to turn. Maybe because of the way he looked at her—slightly confused, slightly curious.
She walked a little closer, trying to keep her expression normal.
"Your 'sister' told me to tell you something," she said, folding her arms lightly, still carrying a hint of irritation from being ignored.
He didn't say anything, just waited.
"You took her purse. She said bring it to tuition."
There was a brief pause before he replied, almost instantly, "Tell her I won't give it back."
She blinked, caught off guard. "What?"
"I won't give it," he repeated, calm as ever.
For a moment, she just stared at him, then shook her head slightly. "I don't know what you both want to do with each other," she said, a small smile forming despite herself, "she told me to tell you, so I told you."
There was a short silence between them.
And then—
He smiled.
It wasn't anything big or exaggerated. Just a small, effortless smile. But it was enough to make her smile back without even realizing it.
For a second longer than necessary, neither of them moved.
They just stood there.
The distance between them wasn't much. Not uncomfortably close… but not entirely distant either. Close enough for her to notice things she wouldn't have otherwise. Close enough to feel slightly aware of his presence in a way she hadn't before.
It was a simple moment.
Too simple to matter.
And yet, it lingered.
She stepped back first. "Okay, I told you," she said, turning slightly toward her scooty.
He nodded once. "Hmm."
That was it.
Conversation over.
She walked toward her scooty, unlocking it, trying to move on from the moment like it hadn't meant anything.
He walked toward his van.
Everything should have ended there.
But just as she was about to start her scooty, she heard his voice again.
"Hey."
She turned, a little surprised.
"Haan?"
"She left?" he asked, referring to her best friend.
"Yeah," she replied, "aunty came, so she went."
He nodded slowly, as if that was all he needed to know.
Another small pause..
Another small smile.
She returned it, almost instinctively.
And then, without anything more to say, they both turned away again.
This time for real.
She started her scooty and drove out of the gate, merging into the familiar roads that led home. Everything outside looked the same as it did every day—the traffic, the people, the noise. Nothing had changed.
But her thoughts weren't as still.
It wasn't about what they talked about.
It wasn't even about him.
It was something else.
Something small.
Something she couldn't quite explain.
The distance.
Or maybe… how there wasn't much of it.
She frowned slightly as she rode. "Does he stand that close to everyone?" the thought slipped in before she could stop it.
She exhaled softly, almost annoyed at herself. "Or was it just with me?"
The question stayed..
Unanswered....
By the time she reached home, everything fell back into routine. Her mother called out from the kitchen, asking about her day. She gave the usual reply—"Theek tha"—and left it at that. There was nothing to explain anyway.
Because nothing had really happened.
Evening passed quietly, blending into night the way it always did. Books lay open in front of her, untouched for longer than they should have been. Her phone rested beside her, lighting up occasionally with notifications she barely checked.
Everything was normal.
Her life was normal.
And he?
He was still just someone she barely talked to.
At least, that's what she told herself.
Later that night, as she lay on her bed staring at the ceiling, her mind drifted back again.
Not to the words.
Not to the conversation.
Just to that one thing she couldn't ignore anymore—
The closeness.
She turned to her side, pulling the blanket slightly closer.
"Maybe I'm just overthinking," she whispered.
But even that didn't convince her fully.
Because somewhere between that small conversation and that quiet moment…
A question had stayed with her.
Was it just the situation… or was he really that comfortable with her?
Or maybe… he was just like that with everyone.
She closed her eyes slowly.
But the thought didn't leave.
And somehow, that small distance—
or the lack of it—felt like something she wasn't ready to understand yet... 🙌🕊💕