The days that followed felt like a blur. After that first "hi" and exchanging contacts, things slowly began to shift. At first, it was just a few casual messages,"How are you?" "Did you finish your registration?" "When's your medicals?"simple conversations that barely scratched the surface. But soon, the words grew longer, the pauses shorter, and suddenly, I found myself looking forward to my phone buzzing.
It was strange how quickly he became a part of my day. His name flashing on my screen was enough to make my heart skip. Sometimes it was a joke, sometimes a random thought, and other times, it was just silence filled with comfort. We didn't need to say much. Just knowing he was there felt enough.
Weeks passed, and our friendship grew. He was easy to talk to, the kind of person who listened without judgment and made you laugh without trying too hard. We'd chat about classes, hostel life, lecturers, even silly things like the best snacks to survive late-night reading. There was a calmness in him that balanced out my nervous energy.
Little by little, he became my safe space.
On campus, our paths often crossed, sometimes by chance, sometimes planned. We'd sit together in the cafeteria, or he'd walk me halfway to my hostel, teasing me about how slow I walked. Sometimes, I caught him looking at me when he thought I wasn't paying attention, and each time, I pretended not to notice, though my heart raced like it wanted to betray me.
But as much as we grew closer, neither of us said anything about what we were really feeling. Maybe it was fear. Maybe it was timing. Maybe it was just easier to stay in the bubble of "friends" than risk breaking it with the truth.
Three months slipped by. Then five. Our conversations had become a rhythm I didn't even realize I'd grown used to,until everything changed.
One morning, rumors spread across campus: the school was shutting down. It happened faster than anyone expected. Hostels emptied, lecture halls locked, and before I could even process it, I was back home, away from everything familiar. Away from him.
At first, we tried. We texted, we called, but distance has a way of making even the simplest words feel heavier. Conversations dragged. Replies slowed. Calls became less frequent. Until, one day, there was nothing at all.
Silence.
I told myself not to overthink it. We were just friends. He had his life, I had mine. Still, I couldn't help but wonder,did those months mean as much to him as they did to me? Or was I just someone he passed time with until reality got in the way?
Nights were the hardest. I'd lie in bed, staring at my phone, scrolling through our old chats. The jokes, the late-night rants, the little compliments he probably didn't even remember saying. It hurt, realizing how much space he had taken in my heart without even trying.
Days turned into weeks, weeks into months. I told myself I was fine. I buried myself in chores, family, anything to keep busy. But every time I saw a boy in town with the same height, the same easy stride, my chest tightened. I hated how much I missed someone I wasn't even sure I had.
And just like that, the months passed.
Then, the announcement came,school was reopening.
The night before I was to return, I couldn't sleep. My suitcase was packed, my books ready, but my mind was anything but calm. A thousand questions raced through my head. Would I see him? Would he even acknowledge me? Or would we just pass each other like strangers, pretending those months never happened?
The first week back on campus was overwhelming,new timetables, new faces, the chaos of settling back into hostel life. I tried not to think about him, but deep down, I couldn't stop searching. Every crowd, every corridor, every laughter in the distance,I caught myself hoping it was him.
And then, it happened.
One evening, after a long day of classes, I walked back to my hostel, tired and distracted. I was halfway up the stairs when I froze.
There he was. Standing just a few feet away.
Our eyes met.
For a moment, the world fell silent. All the noise of the hostel,the laughter, the shouts, the clatter of buckets,faded into nothing. It was just him. And me.
I didn't move. Neither did he. It was as if those months apart collapsed into that single second, pulling every memory, every word, every unsent message back to life.
He smiled. That same smile I thought I'd forgotten. And my heart reminded me,it never left.
I should have said something. Anything. But all I could do was stand there, my lips parted, my breath caught.
Because in that moment, I realized this wasn't over. Not even close.