The silence between us

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Aarav never confessed.

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Not because he was afraid of rejection…

But because he was afraid of losing the one thing he already had—her presence.

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It began on a rain-soaked July morning. The kind where the sky feels heavy, and everything smells like fresh beginnings. Aarav sat in the last row, half-listening to the teacher, when the classroom door creaked open.

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And she walked in.

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Meera.

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Her hair slightly damp, raindrops still clinging to the ends, eyes searching for an empty seat. She wasn’t trying to look beautiful—but somehow, she was. Effortlessly.

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She chose the seat beside him.

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“Hi… is this seat taken?” she asked softly.

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Aarav shook his head, forgetting how words worked.

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That was the first moment.

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And somehow… it never left him.

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---

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Days turned into weeks, and silence slowly turned into familiarity.

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They weren’t loud friends. No constant laughing, no dramatic bonding. Just small, quiet moments that meant more than anything else.

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Sharing one umbrella on rainy days.

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Passing notes during boring lectures.

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Arguing over the smallest things—pens, assignments, silly misunderstandings.

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And then making up without saying sorry.

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Sometimes, their fingers brushed while exchanging notebooks.

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Sometimes, their shoulders touched when the class got crowded.

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And every time… Aarav felt it.

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That soft spark.

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That dangerous warmth.

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But Meera?

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She just smiled like it was normal.

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Like it didn’t change anything.

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---

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One afternoon, the power went out during class. The fans stopped. The room grew warm, restless.

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“Let’s go to the terrace,” Meera whispered.

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They sneaked out quietly, climbing the stairs, laughter barely contained. The terrace was empty—just wind, sky, and a city stretching endlessly below.

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Meera stood near the edge, closing her eyes as the breeze played with her hair.

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Aarav watched her.

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Not the way people usually look at someone—but like he was trying to memorize her existence.

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“Why do you stare so much?” she suddenly said, eyes still closed.

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Aarav froze.

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“I don’t,” he lied.

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She opened her eyes, turning to him, stepping closer.

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“Liar.”

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There was a teasing smile on her lips… but her eyes held something deeper. Something that made his heartbeat uneven.

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They stood closer than usual.

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Too close.

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Aarav could hear her breathing.

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Could feel the warmth of her presence.

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For a second—just one second—he imagined what it would be like to hold her hand… not accidentally, but intentionally.

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His fingers moved slightly.

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But then he stopped.

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Because crossing that line meant changing everything.

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And he wasn’t ready to lose what they already had.

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---

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Time didn’t wait.

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It never does.

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Exams came. Pressure built. Moments became shorter, conversations less frequent.

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But feelings?

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They only grew heavier.

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One evening, after their last exam, they sat on the empty playground. The sky was painted in shades of orange and purple, fading slowly into night.

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“Do you ever feel like… some things are meant to stay incomplete?” Meera asked suddenly.

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Aarav looked at her.

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“Yeah,” he said quietly. “Some things are beautiful because they’re incomplete.”

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She turned toward him, her expression unreadable.

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“Or maybe… people are just too scared to complete them.”

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That hit deeper than he expected.

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The air between them changed.

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Aarav’s heart raced.

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This was it.

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The moment.

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The confession sitting on the edge of his lips, waiting to fall.

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He could say it.

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He could finally tell her—

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That every small moment with her meant everything.

That every accidental touch stayed with him longer than it should.

That she wasn’t just a part of his life… she was his favorite part.

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His hand slowly moved closer to hers.

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Just inches apart.

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So close that he could feel the warmth.

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But then…

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He pulled back.

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Because love, for him, wasn’t about taking.

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It was about protecting—even if it meant protecting the silence.

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---

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A week later, she told him.

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“I’m leaving.”

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Just two words.

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Simple.

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But they shattered something inside him.

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“My dad got transferred,” she added, trying to sound normal. “Next week.”

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Next week.

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That’s all the time he had left.

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Seven days.

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Seven days to either confess… or stay silent forever.

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The last day arrived too quickly.

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The school felt different. Empty. Like it already knew she was leaving.

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Aarav found her near the gate, standing with her bag, the wind gently moving her hair across her face.

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For a moment, neither of them spoke.

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Because some silences are louder than words.

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“Take care, Aarav,” she said finally, her voice softer than usual.

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“You too,” he replied.

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Too simple.

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Too incomplete.

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She stepped closer.

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Closer than she ever had before.

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Close enough that he could see the tiny details in her eyes—the ones he had memorized over months.

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Her hand slowly reached out…

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And this time, when her fingers touched his—

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She didn’t pull away.

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Neither did he.

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It wasn’t accidental.

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It wasn’t brief.

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It stayed.

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A quiet, lingering touch.

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A moment that said everything they never did.

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“Some things…” Meera whispered, her eyes locked with his,

“…don’t need words.”

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Aarav felt his chest tighten.

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Because in that moment, he realized—

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She knew.

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Maybe she always had.

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And maybe… she felt something too.

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But just like him—

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She chose silence.

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She left.

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No dramatic goodbye.

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No confession.

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No promises.

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Just a memory.

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---

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Years later, Aarav would still remember her.

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Not as a regret.

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But as a feeling that never needed an ending.

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Because some love stories aren’t meant to be spoken.

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They’re meant to be felt…

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In stolen glances.

In almost touches.

In words that never leave the heart.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKB5L63ulXP

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