Setting: College Courtyard. Morning light filters through the trees. Birds chirp faintly. Students are walking to class, chatting, sipping chai and iced coffees. Aahi walks alone across the cobblestone path, calm but thoughtful.
She adjusts the strap of her bag and hums softly — the wind brushing against her hair.
> "Aahi!"
She turns at the familiar voice.
Red jogs toward her, panting lightly. No rose in hand today. Just… a troubled expression on his face. He stops right in front of her.
> "Can we talk? Just for a second?"
Aahi blinks. Her instinct says to walk away. But his face — today — wasn't full of games.
She nods slightly and steps to the side, near the garden wall.
Red scratches his neck, clearly nervous.
The boy who could flirt with a statue now struggled to find words.
> "Look… about that box…"
He pauses. "I was stupid. I don't know why I did it. I was angry. Not at you — just… at everything."
Aahi folds her arms gently. Calm.
He continues.
> "I thought it would be funny. I thought Aarif would freak out and it'd be a story. But—"
His voice softens.
"Then you cried. And I remembered."
Her eyes narrow slightly.
> "Remembered?"
He swallows, heart thudding.
> "Do you remember Surat?"
She freezes for a heartbeat.
> "You fell in the pond."
Red smiles faintly.
> "And you pulled me out even though you were smaller than me."
Aahi's lips twitch — the tiniest smile.
> "You looked like a soaked squirrel."
They both chuckle.
> "You laughed so hard that day," Red says, eyes softening. "You used to call me Pond Boy."
> "You used to follow me around and steal my mango candy," Aahi adds.
They laugh again. For a second, the years melt away.
> "I missed that," Red says. "You… me… before everything got complicated."
Aahi looks down, a gentle breath escaping her lips.
> "I did too."
> "So," Red says, trying to be brave, "can we start over?"
Aahi looks at him, long and thoughtful.
> "It's okay, Red. I already forgot about it."
Her voice is honest… but distant.
He nods.
Just then, from a little distance, Aarif steps into the corridor — heading toward class.
He stops.
Sees them.
Sees Red and Aahi laughing.
His hands clench at his sides.
He watches for a moment longer — her smile, Red's eyes — then turns without a word.
And walks away.
His mind boiling.
> So she was one of them after all.
> I should've known… I should've never looked back.