The afternoon passed without anything unusual happening.
Which, lately, had become its own kind of comfort.
Aanya and Sagnik sat through another lecture together.
They shared notes.
Argued quietly over one diagram.
Sagnik stole her eraser.
Aanya took it back.
Nothing about it needed to be remembered.
And yet—
Aanya found herself noticing every little thing.
The way he leaned closer when he couldn't hear the professor.
The way he tapped his pen against the desk whenever he was thinking.
The way he looked at her whenever she laughed.
She noticed.
But she didn't make anything of it.
Not anymore.
She simply let herself enjoy it.
When the final lecture ended, most of the class began leaving immediately.
Aanya packed her things slowly.
Sagnik was still writing something.
She looked at him.
"Coming?"
"In a minute."
She nodded.
Then waited.
He continued writing.
Aanya checked her phone.
A few minutes passed.
She looked at him again.
"You said a minute."
"I lied."
She smiled.
"Apparently."
He finished the sentence he was writing and closed his notebook.
"Done."
Aanya stood.
They walked out together.
The corridor was nearly empty now.
They reached the stairs.
Sagnik stopped.
"I need to go to the department office."
Aanya nodded.
"Okay."
"You can go." He told her, when she didn't budge from her.
She looked at him.
"Why?"
"It'll take a while."
"Then I'll wait."
He frowned slightly.
"You don't have to."
"I know."
She adjusted her bag.
"But I'm already here."
He looked at her for a moment.
Then smiled.
"Okay."
They sat on a bench outside the office.
Sagnik went inside.
Aanya waited.
Five minutes.
Ten.
Fifteen.
She watched students walk past.
Checked her phone.
Looked at the sky.
Then waited some more.
Eventually, Sagnik came out.
He looked tired.
"Everything okay?"
"Yeah."
"Then why do you look like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like you've just survived a war."
He laughed.
"Faculty."
"Ah."
She nodded solemnly.
"That explains everything."
He sat beside her.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then he looked at her.
"You really waited?"
Aanya looked confused.
"Obviously."
"You could've gone."
"I could have."
"Then why didn't you?"
She shrugged.
"I didn't want to."
It was such a simple answer.
But Sagnik went quiet.
Aanya noticed.
"What?"
"Nothing."
She smiled.
"You do that a lot."
"What?"
"Say nothing when you're actually thinking something."
He looked ahead.
"Maybe I'm getting used to you noticing."
Aanya smiled.
"Maybe."
They sat there for another minute.
Then Sagnik stood.
"Come on."
"Where?"
"Home."
Aanya got up.
"Your place?"
He glanced at her.
"If you want."
She didn't hesitate.
"Yeah."
They started walking.
The evening light stretched across the pathway.
Aanya walked slightly closer to him than usual.
Not enough to be obvious.
Just enough that their arms brushed occasionally.
Neither moved away.
There was something almost strange about how natural it had become.
They didn't need to ask anymore.
They didn't need to explain why they stayed.
They simply did.
And perhaps that was the first real change.
Not that they had started feeling something.
They had been feeling it for a long time.
The change was that neither of them was trying to leave it behind anymore.
Aanya looked at him.
"Sagnik."
"Yeah?"
She looked at him.
"Do you ever get tired of me?"
He turned toward her.
"What?"
She smiled a little.
"I mean it."
He looked at her for a moment.
Then back at the path.
"No."
The answer came so easily that she almost laughed.
"You didn't even think about it."
"I don't need to."
Aanya looked down at the pavement.
"Even when I talk too much?"
"Especially then."
She nudged his arm.
"That's rude."
"You asked."
"I was expecting a thoughtful answer."
"That was thoughtful."
She laughed softly.
They walked a few more steps.
Then she asked,
"What about when I'm quiet?"
Sagnik glanced at her.
"I don't mind that either."
"Even when I don't tell you what's wrong?"
He was quiet for a second.
"I might worry... but"
Aanya looked at him.
"But?"
"But I won't make you talk before you're ready."
Something about that made her expression soften.
"Okay."
A pause.
Then, quieter—
"I like that."
Sagnik looked at her.
"I know."
She smiled.
"You're very confident."
"Sometimes."
"And other times?"
He thought about it.
"Other times I just pretend."
Aanya laughed.
"At least you're honest."
They continued walking.
The silence that followed wasn't empty.
It was comfortable.
Familiar.
Aanya looked at him once more.
This time, she didn't ask anything.
She simply walked beside him.
And somehow, that was enough.