Chapter 65

Subhi

The sun hung low in the sky as I stepped out of the school gates, my heart fluttering in my chest. I hadn’t expected the day to be so easy, but somehow, everything had felt lighter. I had spent the entire day with a silly grin on my face, a constant buzz of excitement running through me.

Abhimanyu’s message this morning had caught me off guard in the best way possible. He had said he wanted to hang out, and I couldn't help but feel a warmth spread through me at the thought. The last few days, there had been this unspoken understanding between us—something that had been quietly growing, like a plant reaching for the sun. And today, it felt like that plant had finally bloomed.

I glanced over at Abhimanyu as we walked side by side. His face, usually so guarded and serious, had softened around me. He no longer seemed distant, like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. It made me wonder if I had something to do with that change. Had my presence, my understanding, given him a small sense of relief?

“Subhi?” His voice broke through my thoughts.

I looked up, meeting his gaze. There was a slight smile on his lips, one I hadn’t seen in a while.

“Yeah?” I asked, my heart skipping a beat.

“I’m glad we’re doing this,” he said quietly. “I feel like… I don’t know. It’s just nice. You know?”

I smiled back, unable to hold it in. “I feel the same. It’s nice to just be… with you.”

He nodded, and for a moment, there was silence between us, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was the kind of silence that felt right—like we didn’t need words to fill the space.

We walked for a few more minutes before reaching a small café near the park, a place I’d always liked but never had the chance to visit with anyone. Abhimanyu seemed familiar with the place. He looked around and nodded toward a corner table, a small, secluded spot.

“Let’s sit there,” he said, and I couldn’t help but follow, feeling a mix of excitement and curiosity about how things would unfold between us.

Once we were seated, I noticed how different the atmosphere felt compared to the chaos of school. Here, it was quieter, warmer. There was no rush, no pressure to be anywhere else. Just us, sharing a small moment that felt like it could mean so much more.

“So,” I started, fiddling with the edge of my napkin, suddenly feeling shy. “What made you want to hang out today?”

Abhimanyu’s eyes softened as he leaned back in his chair. “Honestly? I think I’ve been overthinking things for too long. But when I’m with you, it feels easy. Like, there’s no pressure to be something I’m not.”

I felt my chest tighten at his words. That was the thing about him—he never tried to hide his vulnerability, even if he thought he did. I could sense the weight that had been lifted from him recently, and it made me realize just how much I wanted to be a part of that.

“I get that,” I said softly. “Sometimes, I overthink everything too. It’s nice to just… be.”

He smiled at me, a real smile that reached his eyes. “Exactly. It’s nice to just be, you know?”

I nodded, my heart fluttering in my chest. For the first time in a long time, I wasn’t afraid of what could happen. There was something about this moment—this simple, quiet moment—that felt like it had the potential to become something real.

The conversation drifted from one topic to the next—everything and nothing all at once. We talked about school, about life, about the things we didn’t usually get to share. And for the first time, I felt like I was really seeing him. Not just the guarded version of him that I had always known, but the real Abhimanyu—the one who was starting to trust me.

As the evening wore on, I found myself feeling more and more comfortable in his presence. And when it was time to leave, Abhimanyu walked me to the park, where we lingered under the stars.

Before I could say anything, he turned to me, his eyes searching mine. “Thanks for today, Subhi. I didn’t know how much I needed this until now.”

My heart swelled at his words. “Me too,” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.

And before I could even think about it, he pulled me into a hug—his arms wrapping around me in the most unexpected, but perfect way. I leaned into him, feeling safe, feeling seen. In that moment, everything felt right, and I knew that no matter what happened, we had just taken a step toward something that was truly ours.

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