The night had settled in quietly, the campus finally shedding the last remnants of its daytime energy. The hum of the world seemed to slow down, the stillness of the evening sinking in. He had gotten back to his room after leaving the college campus, trying to distract himself with everything but her, but no matter how hard he tried, his mind kept drifting back to her.
He couldn't shake it off—the pull, the weight of the unspoken. He had thought about turning around earlier when he left the college gates, but he hadn't. He told himself it was too much, that he should stay away. He hadn't done anything wrong, had he? Yet, that quiet tug inside him refused to go away. He tried to bury it, but it persisted, lingering like a whisper in the back of his mind.
And then, as the hours passed, that whisper grew louder. A sense of urgency began to build, something inside him that told him he needed to be there, with her, no matter what.
It was already late—around 10 PM, to be precise—but something had shifted in him. There was an overwhelming need to see her, to be in her presence, even if for just a moment, and that's when something snapped in him, he got up from his study table and changed from his shorts into his sweats.
Without thinking too much about it, he grabbed his car keys, slipped on his flip-flops, and walked out the door. The cool night air hit him as he stepped outside, the quietness of the street making his steps feel heavier than they were. It wasn't like him to act on impulse like this, to simply follow a feeling without considering the consequences, but here he was, driven by something he couldn't quite understand.
He got into his car, the engine humming to life beneath his hands as he turned the ignition. The night felt heavy, the silence inside the car only adding to the weight in his chest. He drove toward the hospital, his mind focused entirely on her. The campus felt quiet and distant as he sped through the streets, each mile bringing him closer to her.
When he arrived, he didn't waste time. He practically ran inside and asked the receptionist about her ward number. His words felt rushed, even though he tried to keep his composure. The receptionist gave him the information, and he rushed towards the elevator, his mind fixed solely on her.
The corridors were eerily quiet, and he found himself speeding towards her room, as though every step was pulling him closer to something—something he needed to face.
And then, there she was. He pushed the door open softly, the sound of the hinges almost too loud in the quiet room. Aanya was sitting on the mattress, her gaze directed outside the window, lost in the dim glow of the streetlights.
His heart skipped a beat.
He walked slowly towards her, trying to steady his breath, unsure of what to do or say. Everything inside him felt unsettled, but there was something about her stillness that made him want to stay. He didn't know why.
Without a word, he sat in the chair beside her, the space between them filled with silence, but not an uncomfortable one. It felt... right.
She turned to look at him, surprise flickering in her eyes. "What are you doing here?" Her voice was quiet, almost as if she couldn't believe he was actually sitting there, so late at night.
He didn't immediately answer. He just looked at her, his gaze locking onto hers with an intensity that felt almost too much. It wasn't the gaze of someone who had simply come to visit—it was the gaze of someone who wanted to understand, someone who needed to be here, in this moment.
She noticed the quiet strength in his eyes, the way his presence seemed to fill the room. There was a quiet question in her gaze, as if she were wondering why he was there at all.
He didn't hold her hand like he thought he might. He didn't need to. Instead, he just stared into her eyes, as if searching for something he couldn't name. His focus never wavered. It was the kind of look that could make anyone's knees buckle, but not her. Her knees had buckled just yesterday, but not because of him—because of something far worse.
Still, he couldn't look away. He reached up, his fingers brushing a strand of hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. The soft touch lingered, his fingers staying there a moment longer than necessary, resting lightly on her ear. It was as if the touch was saying everything his mouth couldn't.
Before he could process the moment further, the door creaked open, and the nurse entered, breaking the fragile tension between them.
"Did I interrupt something?" she asked awkwardly, glancing between them. "I can come back later—"
He stood up quickly, not looking at her. "No, it's fine," he said, his voice steady but clipped. "It's nothing. You may continue with what you need to do. I'll leave."
Without another word, he turned and walked out, the door closing softly behind him. His footsteps echoed down the corridor, but he didn't look back. He never did.
As he left, Aditi stepped into the room, her eyes widening when she saw him there, standing at the doorway just as he was about to leave. The sight of him—this late, here—caught her off guard, but she acknowledged him with a weak smile and a nod.
He nodded back, the briefest exchange, before he disappeared down the hall.
Aditi entered the room, her eyes lingering on Aanya. "What happened? Why was he here?"
Aanya shrugged slightly, the confusion still lingering in her gaze. "I don't know... maybe he had something to say, but then the nurse came in, and then you walked in. Maybe he just got uncomfortable."
Aditi nodded thoughtfully, but her mind didn't rest. Something was different tonight, something that didn't sit right with her. The air felt heavier, charged, as if the silence between them held more weight than it ever had before.