Author's Pov:
Exams came.
And like always... they went.
With pens scratching papers, sleepy mornings, and lunch breaks filled with tired yawns and scribbled notes.
She was just lying on her bed.
Exams were finally over.
Her body was tired, but her mind?
It kept wandering.
Mostly... to him.
She had thought about Reyansh a lot during exam days, but didn't let herself text him.
It was exam time, and she didn't want to break her own rule.
But now, as she lay there in peace, a little breeze coming through the window, her phone suddenly rang.
"Ughhh, God, why now..." she mumbled, rolling her eyes as she lazily reached for the phone.
But when she looked at the screen,
She froze.
"Reyansh 🌙"
He was calling.
Not texting.
Not a "hey."
A call.
Her breath hitched.
After that late-night, she'd been too shy.
Too nervous.
And now he was calling?
Her heart started racing.
She quickly sat up, took a deep breath, and stared at the screen like it was staring back at her.
Just as the ring was about to end,
She picked it up.
"Hello...?"
And from the other side, the first thing she heard was:
"Aaru... are you fine?"
That voice. That nickname. That concern.
And in that one moment,
all her nervousness melted into a quiet smile.
"Yeah Reyansh, I'm good... thanks."
She tried to sound normal. Calm.
But inside?
Chaos.
"But why would you ask like that?"
He replied softly,
"You didn't even text me. So... I got worried."
Her heart paused.
He worried about me?
That sentence echoed in her head like a warm breeze.
She smiled. Quietly.
"Nothing yaar, I had exams... was busy with studying. Didn't even use my phone, that's all. Cool?"
"Oh okay..." he said.
"I just... got worried."
He said it again.
And this time, her heart didn't just pause,
It bloomed.
"So how were your exams?" he asked.
"Yeah, very good," she said, sitting straighter without even realizing.
"Haan obviously," he laughed,
"You're the topper, right?"
"Me? Tch, shut up! I'm not topper, okay," she said, half blushing, half hiding her smile.
"Cool cool," he said.
Just when he was about to say something else,
"Aaru! Come help me!"
Her mom's voice echoed from the hall.
Aaradhya rolled her eyes.
"Mummyyyyyy, whyyy 😭😭 worst timing!" she whispered dramatically.
Reyansh heard it.
He smiled quietly on his side.
"Go. Talk later," he said.
And before she could say bye
the call ended.
she went to help her mom and came to her room and opened her phone
Then jumped into WhatsApp and sent a voice note to one person
Avni.
"AVNI. HE CALLED. HE ACTUALLY CALLED. And guess what? Mommy called out me to help her"
Within seconds, Avni replied:
"Ohooooo aunty! Why do all Indian moms have alarm timing for peak romance??"
Aaradhya laughed like a mad person under her blanket.
It was these moments, tiny, ruined, beautiful that made her feel like something real was happening.
Aaradhya lay on her bed, phone on her chest, eyes fixed on the ceiling.
Her mom's voice had interrupted everything.
The call ended.
But the feeling?
Still there.
He'd said, "Aaru, are you fine?"
And it wasn't just the words.
It was how he said it.
Like he meant it.
Like she mattered.
Her phone buzzed again.
Avni.
"Girl. Update me now. Was his voice as cute as his smile or what??"
Aaradhya laughed and messaged back:
"Shut up Avni. He said 'Aaru are you fine' and I swear my heart flipped quietly."
Avni replied
"Aaaaaahhh! Look at you blushing!" Avni squealed. "Girl, you both better end up together, I'm telling you!"
Aaradhya just smiled.
She didn't reply immediately.
Because some smiles... are meant to be felt in silence.
The next day, Aaradhya walked into school, bag dragging a little, eyes looking tired.
She didn't say much just slumped beside Avni, letting out a soft sigh.
Avni raised a brow immediately.
"Ohooo. Someone's not so happy today."
Aaradhya gave a half-hearted smile.
"Yeah... that someone is me."
Avni leaned in dramatically, her voice full of playful mischief.
"Ohooooo my dear Aaru, what happened, my love?"
Aaradhya rolled her eyes.
"Ugh, Avni... don't be dramatic. And please don't pretend you don't know why I'm like this."
Avni smirked, eyes twinkling like she already knew the whole script.
"Yeah, yeah, right. You wanna talk to him sooo badly but aunty always comes with her perfect timing," she said, laughing like it was the best thing ever.
Aaradhya nudged her, blushing.
"You're enjoying this way too much, aren't you?"
"Too much," Avni grinned. "But chill, yaar. Just text him today."
Aaradhya sighed but smiled softly.
"Yeah... I will."
She got home, changed into her comfiest tee, tied her hair up, freshened up, and flopped on the bed like it was her escape.
Her phone was lying next to her, screen locked, still quiet.
She stared at it for a few seconds.
Then,
Ping.
A single notification.
Her heart stopped for a second before unlocking the phone.
From: Reyansh 🌙
"Hey angry bird 😌"
She didn't even realize she was smiling until she caught her reflection on the black screen.
And just like that,
The whole gloomy feeling?
Gone.
Aaradhya stared at the message.
"Hey angry bird 😌"
She tilted her head.
Bit her lower lip.
He really remembered that nickname...
She typed slowly:
"Who is the angry bird? 👀"
Typing...
"Obviously you 😌 Cute little angry bird."
Aaradhya covered her face with the bedsheet.
This boy was going to kill her with these one-liners.
She replied:
"Tch... I'm not angry at all okay. I'm peaceful. Calm. Buddha-level calm."
He replied instantly:
"Yeah yeah. Until someone touches your pen or forgets your birthday 😂"
Aaradhya laughed out loud.
And then typed softly:
"But... I like that name. Angry bird. Especially when you say it."
On the other side, Reyansh stared at that message for a long time.
He smiled.
Because the girl he once sat beside in tuition,
was slowly letting him in again.
Aaradhya stared at the screen, fingers gently brushing over Reyansh's name.
This felt different.
Reyansh:
"You've changed a lot though... calmer. Grown-up angry bird 😌"
Aaradhya:
"Yeah I'm grown up and calmer like I said Buddha level calm😂"
Reyansh:
"😂😂. But I liked that version too."
Aaradhya blinked.
Her breath caught for a second.
She typed:
"You still remember me like that?"
Reyansh:
"I didn't really get the chance to forget you."
Her stomach fluttered.
It was the same boy from tuition.
But something about the way he spoke now...
Made her want to say more.
Ask more.
Aaradhya:
"Why didn't you ever try texting me before?"
Reyansh:
"Honestly? I didn't think you'd remember me."
Aaradhya:
"I did remember you. I never forgot."
Silence.
Both staring at their screens.
The chat wasn't filled with emojis now.
Just simple, quiet truth.
Reyansh:
"I'm glad you didn't."
.
For once, it wasn't about butterflies.
It was something softer.
Something steadier.
Like coming home.
>.<>.<>.<>.<>.<>.<>.<>.<>.<>.<>.<>.<>.<>.<>.<>.<
Not every story begins with sparks.
Sometimes it's just a message, a memory, and a slow return.
Because when something is meant to stay, it finds its way quietly, steadily.
Thank you so much for reading, my loviessss
Until next chapter,
Keep blushing, keep feeling.
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