Her fingers tightened around it.
Why would his watch be here?
This road was quiet. No shops. No houses close by except hers, hidden deeper inside the narrow mud path everyone jokingly called the forest road.
And his house was in the opposite direction.
So how…?
A strange uneasiness crawled into her chest.
Maybe he came here with someone?
Maybe he got down somewhere?
Maybe he lost it while passing?
Or…
Maybe something happened?
Maria shook her head quickly, scolding herself.
Stop imagining things.
Still, the thought refused to leave.
She walked home slowly, the watch still in her hand. Her mother called from inside, asking why she was late, but Maria barely answered. Her mind was somewhere else.
In her room, she placed the watch on her study table.
Her eyes kept going back to it.
For the first time, she realized something uncomfortable.
She knew everything about Dhiran inside school— his eye sparkled while laugh, his friends, his seat, his handwriting, his way of speech.
But outside school?
She knew nothing.
Not his real life. Not his problems. Not where he went after class.
Maybe she had created a version of him in her head that wasn't fully real, maybe it was full of imagination about him.
And that realization hurt more than expected.
That night, Maria couldn't sleep properly, as she wasn't feeling good and at midnight she went to the balcony to get some fresh air and to free her mind
She came back to her room after while,she saw the watch–
The watch ticked softly on her table.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Each sound felt like a reminder.
She kept thinking:
Should I give it back tomorrow? What if he doesn't ask about it? What if he doesn't even notice it's missing?
A small fear crept in.
What if today wasn't just a normal absence?
The next morning.
Maria entered the classroom earlier than usual.
Her eyes automatically went to the back benches.
Dhiran's seat was empty.
Again.
Her heart dropped.
Students chatted normally. Teachers entered and left. Classes went on.
But Dhiran didn't come.
Not even in the second period. Not in lunch break.
Nothing.
No one seemed bothered.
Except her.
She felt a strange feeling and lot of worry about him
She finally gathered courage and asked
Anan casually,
"Dhiran didn't come today?"
Anan shrugged.
"He might not come for some days," he said.
Maria blinked.
"Why?"
Anan replied carelessly,
"I heard his dad got transferred or
something. Not sure."
And just like that, he walked away.
Maria sat frozen.
Transferred?
Some days?
Her ears rang.
Nobody told her. Nobody needed to.
Because to Dhiran—
she was just a classmate.
Nothing more.
Her fingers slowly tightened around something inside her pocket.
The watch.
Still with her.
The only proof that yesterday even happened.
And suddenly, Maria understood something painfully clear.
Sometimes, feelings grow silently…
and end silently too.
But as she opened her notebook, something slipped out from between the pages.
A small folded paper.
She frowned.
She didn't remember putting anything there.
Slowly, she opened it.
Her breath caught.
It was Dhiran's handwriting.
And it said:
"If someone asks about me, tell them I went the wrong way on purpose."
Maria's heart started pounding.
What did that even mean?
And why was this note in her notebook?
Maria read the note again.
"If someone asks about me, tell them I went the wrong way on purpose."
Her fingers trembled slightly.
Why would he write this? And why put it in her notebook?
She turned the paper over, hoping there was more. Nothing.
Just that one confusing sentence.
All day, her mind kept replaying yesterday evening—the empty bus seat, the lonely road, the watch lying near her house.
And now this note.
Something didn't connect.
The next two days passed without Dhiran.
His chair stayed empty.
His friends talked normally. Teachers didn't mention anything serious. Life moved on.
Except Maria felt stuck in one moment.
The watch stayed in her bag. She couldn't bring herself to leave it at home.
It felt like the only proof that he hadn't just disappeared from her life without a trace.
On the third day, during lunch break, the class teacher entered unexpectedly.
"Students," she said, adjusting her glasses,
"Dhiran won't be attending school for some time."
The classroom buzzed.
"Why, ma'am?"
"Where did he go?"
"Transfer ah?"
The teacher replied calmly,
"His father got transferred suddenly. They are shifting soon. He might join another school next month."
Maria's breath stopped.
Shifting.
So it was real.
Not just rumors.
And somehow, the words hurt even though she knew she had no right to feel hurt.
He wasn't hers. He was just… someone she liked silently.
Someone who didn't even know.
After school, Maria walked home slower than usual.
The road felt longer.
Wind rustled through the trees near her house.
And suddenly, her steps froze.
Someone was standing near the roadside.
A familiar figure.
White shirt.Dark blue pant. School bag. Hands in pockets.
" What if it Was ..."
——×——×——×——×——×——×—–
Thank you for reading my novel guysss..!!🎀
I hope you love it!🤞🏻
Let's see who is the person waiting for Maria 👀...in the next chapter 🤗
Secret★: This real life story was happening in TN in India
Next chapter will release tomorrow at sharp 7 o'clock 🎀