She typed:
Riya: "I can't."
Then paused.
Deleted it.
Tried again.
Riya: "You say you've changed… but how do I believe that?"
Deleted that too.
Her hands trembled as she rested the phone on her lap, breathing deeply. Her heart wanted one thing. Her mind—another. The ache of everything they'd been through was still carved into her, sharp and unforgiving. But now, here he was, promising things he couldn't promise back then.
She hated that she still cared.
She picked up the phone again.
Riya: "I don't want to fall again. Because last time, I fell alone."
The message sent before she could overthink it.
Seconds passed. Then minutes. Then…
Vishal: "You didn't fall alone, Riya. I fell too—I just hit the ground too late."
She stared at those words.
And damn it, her eyes welled up.
But this time… she let the tears fall.
Because even if she didn't say it out loud, part of her wanted to believe him. Part of her wanted to believe that this time, maybe they could fall together.
But could she risk it?
That question sat quietly in the silence between them.
Riya didn't respond right away.
She watched the screen for a while, her heart still tangled in everything unsaid. The silence between them wasn't awkward this time—it was necessary. It was honest.
Then finally, she typed slowly, each word deliberate.
Riya: "I think… that's enough for tonight."
A moment later:
Vishal: "Yeah. You're right."
He didn't push. He didn't beg. And somehow, that made her heart ache even more.
Vishal: "Goodnight, Riya."
She stared at those three words, her thumb hovering above the screen before she typed:
Riya: "Goodnight, Vishal."
And with that, she locked her phone and placed it face down on the bed.
Her chest felt both heavy and light, like she had finally put something down, but didn't know if she'd ever be ready to pick it back up.
Maybe some things weren't meant to be decided in one night.
Maybe some wounds needed time—not promises.
The next morning felt different.
Riya sat by the window, her phone untouched beside her. The sky outside was soft grey, hinting at rain. The kind of weather that made everything feel slower—like the world itself had paused to think.
She hadn't slept much. Vishal's words played on loop in her head, like a song she couldn't stop humming. "Just say yes, and I'll prove it to you."
But she hadn't said yes.
She hadn't said no either.
"Earth to Riya?" a voice called from the hallway.
It was Diya, her sister, peeking into her room with a mug in hand. "You've been staring out that window like a dramatic movie heroine. What's up with you?"
Riya gave a weak smile. "Just... thinking."
Diya walked in and sat beside her. "Thinking about him?"
Riya didn't answer, but her silence was loud enough.
Diya took a sip of her coffee, then nudged Riya with her elbow. "You know you don't have to go back just because he said a few nice things, right?"
"I know," Riya whispered.
"But if a part of you wants to… that's okay too. Just don't lose yourself again."
That struck a chord.
Before she could respond, her phone buzzed. Not a message from Vishal—but a DM from someone unexpected.
Aman.
The guy who used to tease her in class.
Aman: "Hey. Sorry if I ever said anything that hurt you. I didn't mean it. Just wanted to say that."
Riya blinked. That was... weird. But also oddly timed.
She didn't reply, but it made her wonder.
Had Vishal said something to him?
Or was the universe just throwing curveballs today?
She got up, pulling her hair into a quick bun, determination building inside her.
If she was going to move forward, she had to stop letting everything happen to her. It was time she chose what happened next.
And that started... with showing up. At school. At life. At herself.
Perfect. Here's how Riya replies and what happens next:
---
She stared at Aman's message for a while.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, unsure. He had been annoying, sure. Teasing, irritating, loud. But also... never cruel. And his message felt genuine. Something about it softened her.
She finally typed:
Riya: "Thank you. I appreciate that."
Aman replied almost immediately.
Aman: "I know I used to be stupid. Just wanted to say sorry before it was too late."
That last part caught her attention.
Riya: "Too late for what?"
Aman: "Nothing dramatic. Just… you seem different lately. Quieter. Sadder. I noticed. I figured I might've been part of that, so… yeah."
Riya blinked at the screen.
She wasn't expecting that level of honesty. Or attention.
No teasing. No emojis. Just… words. Real ones.
Before she could type again, another message popped up.
Aman: "Look, I'm not saying we should be friends or anything. I just didn't want you to think no one notices when you're hurting."
That line.
It sat there like a quiet truth.
She didn't know what to say. So she just replied:
Riya: "That means more than you know."
And for the first time in a long time, she didn't feel so alone.
Riya stared at Aman's last message, her heart conflicted.
Something about all this… felt off.
She typed quickly.
Riya: "Did Vishal tell you to say all this?"
There was a pause. A long one.
Then:
Aman: "Wow. Seriously?"
Riya: "Just answer."
Aman: "No. He didn't. In fact, I haven't even talked to him since that day. I'm saying this because I wanted to. Not because he asked me to."
Riya: "Why now?"
Aman: "Because you looked like you needed it. And because maybe I'm tired of pretending I don't care when I actually do."
That reply shook her a little.
Before she could think further, Aman sent another message:
Aman: "But hey, if you still think it's some setup, then fine. Forget I said anything."
Riya sat there, staring at her phone.
Aman: "Ok. Bye. See you in school."
The message was short. Final.
No emoji. No sarcasm. Just… plain and direct.
Riya stared at the screen, unsure how to feel. She hadn't expected him to drop it so easily.
Or maybe… he hadn't dropped it. Maybe he just said what he needed to say, and now the rest was on her.
She locked her phone and leaned back, eyes fixed on the ceiling. Her mind was a mess—Vishal, Aman, everything in between.
And tomorrow… she'd have to see both of them again.