No one really noticed when she started sitting there.
Last bench. Window side. Every single day.
At first, people thought it was just a preference.
Some students liked the front. Some liked the back.
But she never changed her seat.
Not once.
Her name was Aarohi.
She wasn't new. She had been in the class for years.
But somehow, it felt like she had slowly disappeared… without actually leaving.
She spoke less.
Laughed less.
Even her friends stopped calling her to sit with them.
Not because they didn't care.
But because she always said the same thing—
"I'm fine here."
From the window, Aarohi could see everything.
The basketball court where everyone rushed during breaks.
The group of girls who always clicked pictures.
The boys arguing loudly over nothing.
She watched it all like it was a different world.
A world she used to belong to.
One day, a new student joined.
His name was Vivaan.
He walked into class like most new students do—slightly awkward, trying to figure out where he fit in.
The teacher pointed to the only empty seat.
Right next to Aarohi.
For the first time in months, someone sat beside her.
Vivaan glanced at her. "Hi."
She nodded. "Hi."
That was it.
No conversation. No smiles.
Just silence.
Days passed.
Vivaan tried talking a few times.
About homework. Teachers. Random things.
Aarohi always replied.
But never continued.
It was like talking to someone who had already decided to stay distant.
Until one day…
It started raining heavily during the last period.
Students rushed to the windows, excited.
Some ran out to the corridor.
Vivaan stayed back.
So did Aarohi.
"You don't like the rain?" he asked.
She looked outside for a long moment.
"I do," she said softly.
"I just don't like the memories that come with it."
Vivaan didn't ask anything else.
But something changed after that.
The next day, he didn't try to force a conversation.
He just sat there. Quietly.
And somehow… that felt different.
A week later, Aarohi spoke first.
"Why do you sit here?" she asked.
Vivaan shrugged. "Because this seat was empty."
She looked at him. "You could've changed."
"I know," he said.
"But then you'd be sitting alone again."
For the first time, she smiled.
Just a little.
But it was real.
After that, things didn't magically become perfect.
She still sat by the window.
Still stayed quiet most days.
But now, there was someone beside her.
Not asking too many questions.
Not trying to fix anything.
Just… staying.
And sometimes, that's all someone needs.
Not solutions.
Not advice.
Just someone who doesn't leave.