Anaya stared at her phone screen long after the notification stopped glowing.
"Hey... are you free this weekend? Can we meet at the cafe?"
Her fingers hovered above the screen, uncertain. Her heart beat faster than usual, but not with excitement—more like confusion, nerves, a tangled mess of old memories and new doubts.
Why now?
Why after all this time?
The last time they spoke, her world had felt like it shattered in silence. Now, out of nowhere, a message. A meeting.
She bit her lip, then picked up her phone and did what she always did when her heart was too loud—she called Meera.
"Hello?" Meera answered, her voice still groggy with sleep.
"Meera..." Anaya whispered. "Aarav messaged me."
There was a beat of silence. Then, fully awake now, Meera asked, "What did he say?"
"He wants to meet. At the café. This weekend."
"And you're asking me what to do?" Meera asked gently. "Do you want to go?"
Anaya didn't answer right away.
Meera continued, "Then don't think with your head. For once, Anaya... just listen to your heart. If it wants to see him—go. But go with your eyes open."
After the call, Anaya sat quietly, staring at her sketches, her notebook, the coffee stain from last night. Her thoughts circled endlessly until she finally picked up her phone again.
Message to Aarav:
"Okay."
After the long, anxious wait, Aarav's phone finally buzzed with a new notification.
Anaya: "Okay."
He stared at the screen, reading the single word again and again, as if afraid it would disappear.
A breath he didn't realize he was holding escaped his lungs.
A slow smile spread across his face—soft, relieved, almost boyish. For the first time in a while, something felt right.
She said yes.
He leaned back on his bed, still staring at the message, heart pounding.
There was no plan, no clear outcome in his mind—but in that moment, it didn't matter.
She agreed to meet him.
That was enough for now.
Elsewhere, Nitya was in her room, her face glowing with anticipation as she tried on outfits in front of the mirror. She smiled at her reflection, imagining dates with Aarav, late-night conversations, matching tech events—finally being more than just the girl in the background.
Soon, she thought. He'll come close to me. It's just a matter of time.
But when Aarav met her later that week, he behaved no differently than usual. Just small talk. No sparks. No signs.
Nitya was confused. Why isn't anything changing? Didn't the dare work?
The weekend arrived with a breeze that smelled like nostalgia. Aarav reached the café ten minutes early, fidgeting with his watch, tapping his fingers on the table.
His heart raced.
I haven't seen her in months, he thought. Will she even look at me the same way?
And then... she arrived.
Anaya stepped into the café in a soft pink top and black baggy pants, her hair loose, her eyes searching.
Their eyes met. A moment of stillness. Neither of them spoke right away.
She sat down slowly.
"Should I order something for you?" Aarav asked, his voice softer than she remembered.
"Anything's fine. Whatever you're having," she replied, avoiding his eyes.
A minute passed in silence, then another.
Anaya finally broke it. "Why did you want to meet me?"
Aarav inhaled deeply, choosing his words with care. "I just… wanted to say I'm sorry."
Her gaze lifted.
"For how I treated you. How I ignored you. I wasn't fair. I didn't even try to understand you, Anaya. And now, when you're not around anymore… I don't know, it feels like something's missing."
He looked down at his hands.
"I don't want this distance between us. I miss having you around. I miss you."
Anaya said nothing.
"I know I've hurt you, and maybe we can't go back to the way things were," he continued. "But... can we start again? As friends?"
Before she could respond, Aarav reached into his bag, pulled out a small velvet box, and placed it gently on the table.
"What's this?" she asked, cautious.
"Open it," he said quietly.
Inside was a delicate necklace—silver chain, a tiny charm shaped like a crescent moon.
Anaya's breath caught in her throat. It was the same necklace she'd admired during their trip, on a small street stall. She hadn't said much back then, just a quiet smile—but he remembered.
"I bought it that day," he said. "I was going to give it to you... but I never found the right time."
She stared at the necklace for a long moment, the memory flashing behind her eyes. The late evening, the streetlights, the way she had lingered by that little stall.
She hesitated. "I don't know if I should take this."
"It's yours," he said gently. "It always was."
Aarav smiled nervously. "So... friends?"
Anaya's fingers hovered over the box. Her heart was loud again—confused, aching, hopeful.
She looked at him.
At his eyes.
His hands.
The way he still made her feel everything and nothing, all at once.
But should she let herself fall again?
Could she trust him—after everything?
And what if this wasn't just about friendship after all?
The necklace shimmered in her palm, but the answer was still lost somewhere in her heart.