The college gates loomed tall and familiar, but that morning, Ananya felt something different—a strange heaviness clinging to the air. Usually, she could spot Arav's figure somewhere near the entrance, leaning casually against the wall, waiting for her with that lazy smile of his. But today… he was nowhere to be seen.
Her eyes scanned the crowd of students pouring into the campus. She searched every familiar face, hoping to find him among them. Nothing. The flutter in her chest slowly began to shift into unease.
Maybe he's late, she told herself. Arav wasn't always the most punctual. He liked to keep her waiting sometimes, only to tease her about how eagerly she looked for him. Smiling at the thought, she made her way inside, still holding onto the hope that he would appear any moment.
But as minutes stretched into an hour, and as her first class came and went, the uneasiness tightened its grip on her. Still no sign of him.
By the second period, worry gnawed at her so fiercely that she couldn't sit still. She slipped out of the classroom, pulling out her phone, dialing his number with trembling fingers.
"Come on, Arav… pick up," she whispered under her breath as the call rang endlessly.
No answer.
She tried again. And again. Each time, the silence on the other end only made her pulse quicken.
Her friends noticed her restless movements in the corridor. "Ananya, what's wrong?" one of them asked gently.
"Have you seen Arav?" she blurted out, hope flickering in her voice.
They exchanged confused looks before shaking their heads. "No. Not since yesterday. Why? Is something wrong?"
Ananya forced a weak smile, though her insides were twisting. "No, nothing. Just asking."
But her heart didn't believe her own words.
By lunchtime, the anxiety had settled like a storm inside her chest. She tried messaging him—short texts, long paragraphs, even silly emojis, hoping to pull some reaction out of him. Her screen filled with her words, but the "delivered" tick marks stared back at her lifelessly, mocking her desperation.
There had never been a day like this. Not once, since the day they confessed their feelings, had they gone so long without talking. Even during exams, even when they were busy with family functions, Arav always found a way to check in.
But today? Nothing.
Something is wrong.
The thought wouldn't leave her. It pounded in her head with every passing hour. She couldn't concentrate on her lectures, couldn't laugh with her friends, couldn't eat a single bite from the lunch she had packed. Her phone stayed clutched in her hand, as if her grip alone would force it to ring.
When the final bell rang, Ananya felt as though she had spent a lifetime inside those walls. She walked out of her class slowly, scanning the campus one last time, hoping foolishly that he might suddenly appear with one of his cheeky excuses.
But hope was a fragile thing, and today it failed her.
Her steps carried her toward the group of boys Arav often hung around with. Though she had never liked them, desperation pushed her closer.
"Do you know where Arav is?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady, though her throat was tight.
They looked at each other, shrugging. One of them replied casually, "No idea. Haven't seen him since yesterday evening."
Her heart sank. "Did he say anything? About where he was going?"
"Nope." The boy glanced at his friends, then back at her. "We don't know anything, Ananya. Maybe he's just… busy?"
The word busy hit her like a cruel joke. Arav could be many things, but never too busy for her. She swallowed hard, forcing a nod. "Alright. If you hear anything, please tell me."
As she turned to leave, one of them called after her, "We might go check his place later, just to see if everything's okay."
The words should have comforted her, but instead, they sent a fresh wave of fear through her chest. Why would they need to check on him unless something was really wrong?
The ride home felt longer than ever. Sitting by the window of the bus, Ananya's reflection stared back at her with wide, worried eyes. She scrolled through her messages again, re-reading the words she had sent him, as though searching for a clue.
Why aren't you answering, Arav?
Her mind swirled with questions she couldn't silence. Was he upset with her? Did something happen with his family? Was it his friends? Or worse… was he hiding something from her?
Every scenario felt heavier than the last.
By the time she reached home, exhaustion weighed her down, though she hadn't done much all day. She greeted her parents absentmindedly, retreating to her room as quickly as she could. Closing the door, she sank onto her bed, phone still clutched in her hands, staring at the dark screen.
Hours slipped by as she lay there, her ears straining for the sound of a notification. She told herself again and again that he would call, that he always kept his promises. But the silence of the evening stretched endlessly, and for the first time since she had fallen for him, Ananya felt the chilling grip of doubt.
That night, before drifting into restless sleep, she whispered a prayer into the darkness.
"Please, let him be okay. Please let tomorrow be normal again."
But deep inside, she knew—the silence had already spoken louder than words ever could.