He closed his eyes.
Not to sleep. Just to stop thinking.
It worked for a bit.
The thoughts were still there. They just got softer. Like the volume was turned down. He could breathe without noticing it.
He must have dozed off.
When he opened his eyes the room was different. It wasn't night. A pale morning light was there. It came through the curtains. Spread across the floor.
Vaqzy blinked. He stared at it. His mind was blank.
Then it came back.
It wasn't sharp. It just came back.
He exhaled slowly. He pushed himself up. His hand ran through his hair.
"Right " he muttered.
"Vaqzy! Are you up?"
His moms voice was from outside. There was a knock.
"Yeah " he said. His voice was rough.
The door opened. "Get ready. We're leaving in an hour."
"For?"
She looked at him. "You forgot?"
He frowned.
Then he remembered.
The trip.
"Oh."
"Exactly " she said. "Now move."
He sat there. Then he stood up.
No argument.
No hesitation.
That felt new.
He closed his eyes.
Not to sleep. Just to stop thinking.
It worked for a bit.
The thoughts were still there. They just got softer. Like the volume was turned down. He could breathe without noticing it.
He must have dozed off.
When he opened his eyes the room was different. It wasn't night. A pale morning light was there. It came through the curtains. Spread across the floor.
Vaqzy blinked. He stared at it. His mind was blank.
Then it came back.
It wasn't sharp. It just came back.
He exhaled slowly. He pushed himself up. His hand ran through his hair.
"Right " he muttered.
"Vaqzy! Are you up?"
His moms voice was, from outside. There was a knock.
"Yeah " he said. His voice was rough.
The door opened. "Get ready. We're leaving in an hour."
"For?"
She looked at him. "You forgot?"
He frowned.
Then he remembered.
The trip.
"Oh."
"Exactly " she said. "Now move."
He sat there. Then he stood up.
No argument.
No hesitation.
That felt new.
The car ride started quietly.
Vaqzy leaned his head against the window again watching the city go by slowly. The shops were opening one by one. People were moving around with a purpose. Bikes were going through the traffic like it was easy for them.
His father adjusted the mirror a bit. "You look really tired " he said.
"Thanks " Vaqzy said back to him.
"I am serious " his father said. "Did you get any sleep all?"
Vaqzy said "A little."
His father did not think that was true. "That does not sound right to me " he said.
Vaqzy did not say anything back, to his father. He just kept looking at the road
His mother said something from the seat. "You have not said a word since morning " she said.
"I did say thanks " Vaqzy said.
His mother did not think that counted.
"It should count " Vaqzy said.
His father laughed quietly. "We came all this way. He only says a few words. This is really something " his father said.
Vaqzy let out a breath. It sounded like he was laughing. He turned to look out the window so nobody would see him. Vaqzy was trying not to smile. His mother and father were talking about him. Vaqzy was looking at the trees and houses, outside the window. Vaqzy did not want to talk to his parents now.
Are you even listening to me?"
Vaqzy opened his eyes, his head against the car window. The road was making a humming noise through his cheek. He turned a bit getting used to the light, inside the car again.
"Huh? Yeah… what was it?"
His mother let out a sigh and a small smile appeared on her face. "I just asked if you want to stop for breakfast or keep driving."
"Oh." He sat up straighter. Rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm fine either way."
"That doesn't tell me anything " she said
He said it is and looked out again. Vaqzy does not mind.
His father laughed a little. That is what Vaqzy says now. He always says I do not mind. It is what he does.
His father was trying to be funny. Vaqzy said it was very funny.
They stopped at a roadside place after a while.
"Get down " his father said, stretching his arms as he stepped out. "Chai break."
Vaqzy followed his movements slower like his body was still catching up to him.
The place was simple. Plastic chairs, a metal table slightly tilted on one side steam rising from a pan where tea was being poured into small glasses.
They sat down.
For a moment no one said anything.
The chai. Vaqzy wrapped his fingers around the glass almost immediately holding it steady as the heat pressed into his skin.
"Be careful " his mother said. "The chai is hot."
"I know it is " Vaqzy said.
Still he did not let go of the glass.
His father watched him for a second. "You have been holding things tighter lately Vaqzy."
Vaqzy glanced up at his father. "What do you mean?"
"The glass, your phone, yourself Vaqzy " his father replied calmly.
"That does not make any sense " Vaqzy said.
"It does make sense " his father said. "You just do not want it to make sense Vaqzy."
Vaqzy looked away his thumb brushing lightly against the rim of the glass.
"I am fine " Vaqzy said.
His mother nodded. "That is what you always say, Vaqzy."
Vaqzy did not say anything.
He did not argue with his mother.
Vaqzy just took a sip of the chai wincing slightly when it burned his tongue.
By evening the city had changed.
The sky got darker lights turned on one by one. The roads got louder instead of quieter.
When they stepped into DB Mall it felt like stepping into a different world.
Bright.
Crowded.
Alive.
"Stay close " his mother said without thinking.
"I'm not a kid " Vaqzy replied,. His voice didn't sound very convincing.
"Then don't wander off like one."
They moved through the crowd slowly.
People brushed past them voices overlapping, music playing somewhere above all of it.
Vaqzy's eyes moved without focus.
Until they didn't.
Two familiar faces.
From college.
Standing near the food court.
Laughing.
He felt a catch in his breath.
Just a little.
Enough.
"No…" he whispered.
"What?" his father asked.
"Nothing."
His body had already moved.
A step back.
Then another.
Until the pillar was between him and them.
"Why are you hiding?"
The question came from behind him.
He turned quickly.
"I'm not hiding."
His father raised an eyebrow. "You're literally behind a pillar."
"That doesn't mean—"
"It does."
Vaqzy ran a hand through his hair exhaling sharply. "People from my college are here."
And..
"And…" He stopped.
Because explaining it meant admitting it.
"They'll see me."
His father looked at him for a moment. ". "
"And they'll talk."
His mother stepped closer. "Beta people talk anyway."
"That's easy for you to say."
"It is " she said. "Because it's true."
Vaqzy peeked again.
They were still there.
Laughing.
Not looking at him.
Not searching.
Just… being.
"Look properly " his father said.
"I am."
"No " he replied. "You're checking if they're looking at you. That's not the thing."
Vaqzy frowned slightly.
Then forced himself to look
Really look.
They weren't noticing him.
They weren't even close to caring.
"…they don't even know I'm here " he said quietly.
"Exactly."
Something about that felt strange.
Uncomfortable.
Also… lighter.
Inside the store his mother picked up a shirt. "This one looks good."
Vaqzy glanced at it at his reflection behind it.
He looked normal.
Nothing different.
Nothing written on his face.
"Yeah it's fine."
"You always say that " she said. "Do you ever say something is bad?"
"I could."
"Try."
He shrugged slightly. "It's not bad."
His father laughed. "Progress."
At the billing counter his phone buzzed.
He froze for a second before taking it out.
Rohit.
"Where are you bro?? Dead or what?"
Vaqzy stared at the message his thumb hovering before typing.
"Out with family."
Sent.
Instantly—
"Good. Come back soon. College boring without you."
He stared at that for a longer.
"…boring?" huh ?
At the food court they sat with trays of food.
"Eat " his mother said.
"I am."
"You're thinking."
"I can do both."
"Clearly not."
He picked up a bite. Actually ate.
Chewed.
Swallowed.
It felt… normal.
Strangely normal.
so ...."You're going back "? his father said suddenly.
Vaqzy looked up. "To college?"
"Yes."
"When?"...
His father shrugged. "When you stop acting like it's the end of the world."
Vaqzy looked down at his plate again.
"What if it's the same?" he asked quietly.
His mother didn't answer immediately.
"Then it's the same " she said. "But you won't be."
That stayed.
Longer than everything
Back, in the room he lay on the bed staring at a ceiling now.
No cracks.
Nothing familiar.
He opened his phone again.
Scrolled through the group chat.
Nothing.
No one talking about him.
Maybe it had already passed.
He locked the phone slowly.
"…maybe I made it bigger " he whispered.
He turned onto his side pulling the blanket closer.
Not to hide.
Just… to rest.
Tomorrow was still there.
College was still there.
Everything was still there.
Now—
It didn't feel impossible.
End of Chapter 6
Author's Note
This chapter isn't about a big change.
It's about a small realization.
The kind that doesn't fix everything…but makes you pause and think.
Sometimes, we carry things heavier than they actually are.
Not because they are big—but because they feel personal.
Vaqzy thought everyone was watching him.
But were they?
Or was he just… stuck inside his own moment?
Now I want to ask you—
Have you ever avoided a place just because of one moment? Do you think Vaqzy was wrong to hide… or was he just not ready yet?
That moment in the mall—when he realized no one was looking—did it change something? And the most important—Are people really thinking about us as much as we think they are?
Maybe this chapter isn't just about him.
Maybe… it's about all of us at some point.
.