Chapter 15

Subhi

The silence had never felt this loud before.

Abhimanyu hadn’t looked at me once today. Not before the exam, not during, not after. He had acted as if I wasn’t even there.

And the strangest part?

I did the same.

At least, I tried to.

I kept my eyes on my paper, my hands busy writing, my mind focused on the questions. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t completely block out his presence beside me.

It was like knowing a storm was coming but pretending the skies were clear.

After the exam ended, I left the classroom quickly. I didn’t wait to see if he would say something. There was no point. He had already decided that yesterday’s moment—whatever it was—meant nothing. And if he had decided that, then maybe I should too.

But then why did it bother me so much?

---

At home, I tried to distract myself.

I scrolled through my phone, flipped through some pages of a book, even attempted to organize my desk—something I never voluntarily did. But nothing worked. The thoughts wouldn’t stop coming.

Why did he change so suddenly?

Did I do something wrong?

Or… was I just overthinking everything?

I shut my book with a sigh and lay back on my bed, staring at the ceiling. Maybe this was for the best. We were nothing to each other. Just two people placed together because of an exam. In a few days, it would all be over.

Then why did that thought make my chest feel heavy?

---

That evening, I sat on the balcony with my tea, watching the sun dip below the horizon. The sky was painted in shades of orange and pink, a sight I usually found beautiful. But today, I barely noticed.

My phone buzzed. A message from Ishita.

"How was the exam? And where were you after school? I waited!"

I stared at the screen before typing a quick reply.

"It was okay. Sorry, I left early."

She replied almost instantly.

"All good! Wanna meet tomorrow after the exam?"

I hesitated before answering.

"Yeah, sure."

Maybe spending time with her would help clear my mind. Maybe I just needed to get out of my own head for a while.

---

That night, as I lay in bed, I told myself I wouldn’t think about Abhimanyu anymore.

I wouldn’t wonder why he had suddenly gone silent.

I wouldn’t wonder if yesterday had meant something to him too.

And I definitely wouldn’t wonder if, just like me, he was lying in bed at this very moment, thinking about the exact same thing.

I closed my eyes.

Tomorrow would be just another day.

At least, that’s what I kept telling myself.