The evening wind blew softly around them, carrying their laughter and quiet thoughts along the empty road. Vyom felt a strange mix of nerves and excitement, thinking about everything
"Let me tell you a story," Vyom said suddenly.
Anand turned to him, half smiling, half curious. "What kind of story?"
Vyom took a deep breath. "Once… I tried to propose to Keya."
Anand stopped walking for a second. "Wait—what? You actually tried?"
Vyom nodded slowly. "Yeah, I did."
Anand leaned forward. "So, what did she say?"
Vyom looked down at the ground and kicked a pebble. "Nothing."
Anand frowned. "Nothing? Bro, what do you mean nothing?"
Vyom sighed. "I thought maybe I should wait until after class 12. Maybe then she'd take me seriously."
Anand shook his head. "Wait, wait, hold on. Start from the beginning."
Vyom nodded again. "Okay. It happened when our college had just started. Everyone was new, but Keya was still the same — focused, calm, and always writing notes. I don't even know why I liked her. Maybe because she never tried to impress anyone."
Anand smiled teasingly. "Yeah, unlike you, who spends half the time staring at her and the other half doing nothing."
Vyom glared at him. "Will you listen or keep interrupting?"
Anand raised his hands. "Alright, alright, go on."
Vyom continued, "So… that day, she was writing something in her notebook. I had written a short letter — just a few lines, nothing dramatic. I kept it folded neatly. I wanted to give it to her when no one was watching."
He laughed nervously. "But my timing was terrible. She went to the washroom for a minute, so I just… slipped the letter between the pages of her notebook."
Anand's eyes widened. "Bro, that's risky! What if someone else saw it?"
Vyom shrugged. "No one did. I was lucky that time."
Anand asked, "So what happened after?"
Vyom said quietly, "When she came back, she opened the notebook, saw the folded paper, and threw it in the dustbin without even reading it."
Anand blinked. "She didn't even check what was inside?"
Vyom shook his head. "No. She didn't even look at it properly."
Anand burst out laughing. "Then why are you still stuck on her? She literally threw away your love letter!"
Vyom smiled faintly. "Who said I got rejected?"
Anand blinked again. "You literally said she threw it away!"
Vyom looked at the road ahead. "Yeah, but that night she texted me."
Anand leaned closer. "What did she say?"
Vyom said with a small smile, "She sent me notes."
Anand stared blankly. "Notes? That's it?"
Vyom nodded. "She gives me notes every day. I don't even ask anymore."
Anand slapped his forehead. "So after rejecting you, she helps you study? That's not love, that's mercy!"
Vyom laughed. "Maybe. Or maybe she didn't reject me at all."
Anand rolled his eyes. "Bro, you need a doctor. You're turning heartbreak into hope."
Vyom didn't reply. He looked ahead quietly. The sky was turning orange; the day was ending.
After a while, Anand asked, "Did you ever ask her why she threw the letter?"
Vyom nodded. "Yeah. I messaged her — 'What happened in class? Why did you throw that paper?'"
Anand leaned forward, curious. "And what did she say?"
Vyom said softly, "She replied — 'Nothing.'"
Anand blinked. "That's it?"
Vyom nodded again. "She didn't explain. She never talks about it."
Anand sighed. "So you tried once and then gave up?"
Vyom smiled sadly. "I tried many times. I wrote more letters, but I never had the courage to give them. Maybe she already knew."
Anand looked at him seriously now. "Bro, maybe she doesn't take you seriously because you always joke. You talk to everyone like it's fun and games — how will she believe your feelings are real?"
Vyom thought about it for a second. Anand's words hit harder than he expected. "Maybe you're right," he said quietly. "Maybe I never showed her how I really feel."
For a few moments, neither of them spoke. The sound of birds returning to their nests filled the silence.
Then Anand suddenly smiled again. "You know what? You should still try once. Give her another letter."
Vyom looked at him. "You're mad."
Anand laughed. "No, I'm serious. Write her a letter — a real one, not just a few lines. Say everything properly."
Vyom groaned. "Bro, she'll throw it away again."
Anand shrugged. "Then at least you'll know you tried."
Vyom smiled faintly. "You talk like a motivational speaker."
Anand grinned. "And you talk like someone who already failed."
Vyom laughed softly. "Maybe I did."
The two boys walked until they reached the three-way road. The air was cooler now, and the light had turned golden.
Vyom pointed to his lane. "Bye. We'll meet tomorrow."
Anand turned around. "Wait."
Vyom stopped. "What happened?"
Anand smirked. "Start working on your plan."
Vyom frowned. "What plan?"
Anand crossed his arms. "Your three-month study plan, idiot."
Vyom sighed. "Right, right. I'm starting from today."
Anand laughed. "Good. Because after exams, you'll need energy to chase Keya again."
Vyom smiled shyly. "We'll see."
Anand started walking away, waving his hand. "Bye, bro!"
Vyom waved back. "Bye."
He stood there for a moment, watching Anand go. Then he looked up at the dimming sky. The orange had faded into pink.
"Maybe she really didn't read it…" he whispered, "or maybe she did."
He smiled faintly to himself and started walking home.
---
On the other side of town, Keya and her friend were walking home together. The street was lined with trees whose shadows stretched long and dark across the ground.
"Hey, Keya," her friend said suddenly, breaking the silence. "Tell me honestly… do you like Vyom?"
Keya turned quickly. "No, no! Why would you think that?"
Her friend laughed lightly. "Because Vyom keeps looking at you in class. And you talk to him, help him—all the time."
Keya frowned but smiled a little. "I talk to you and help you too. So does that mean I like you as well?"
"Of course not," her friend said. "But you mostly talk to Vyom. Apart from him, do you even have any other male friends?"
Keya shook her head. "Vyom and I are just childhood friends. And I have male friends like Anand too."
Her friend smiled again, but then her expression turned more thoughtful. She looked down at the road as they walked. "Actually… there's something I didn't tell you."
Keya slowed her pace. "What do you mean?"
Her friend hesitated for a second before speaking. "That day… when you threw that folded page from your notebook—" she paused and looked at Keya carefully, "I think Vyom was the one who put it there."
Keya stopped walking. "What?" she asked softly. "Are you serious?"
Her friend nodded slowly. "Yes. You went out of the class for a minute, and he quietly slipped the paper inside your notebook. I saw him do it. I thought you knew… but before I could tell you, you had already thrown it away."
For a moment, Keya couldn't say a word. Her footsteps froze, and she stared down at the ground as memories rushed back—the paper she had crumpled and tossed aside without even opening it.
"I thought…" she whispered, "I thought it was something I wrote wrong or a doodle. I didn't even check what it was."
"You didn't read it?" her friend asked in surprise.
Keya shook her head. "No. I just threw it in the dustbin without looking."
Her friend sighed. "Then maybe it was a love letter. He must have written something for you."
Keya looked away toward the setting sun. The light reflected softly in her eyes. "If that's true," she said quietly, "then I really misunderstood him."
"You should have at least checked before throwing it," her friend said gently.
Keya smiled faintly, though there was a trace of sadness in her voice. "Yeah… maybe I should have."
They walked on silently. The road stretched ahead, empty except for a few bicycles passing by. The air was cool and smelled faintly of dust and rain. Keya's hair moved gently with the breeze as she stared ahead, lost in thought.
"Maybe he wasn't joking after all," she said softly.
Her friend looked at her. "Maybe not."
They turned the corner and disappeared down the narrow street, the last glow of sunset fading behind them.
---
(To be continued…)
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