Shattered Silences

Part 1: The Beginning of an Endless Wait

The school bell rang, signaling the start of a new academic year. Abhinav stepped into the classroom, his heart pounding as his eyes automatically scanned the room for her—Dishita. She was already seated near the window, her face tilted towards the sunlight, as if absorbing its warmth. A smile tugged at his lips, but he quickly masked it.

In the past five years, Abhinav had grown used to this feeling. The warmth in his chest whenever Dishita was near. The ache whenever she casually referred to him as her “bestie.” He had accepted that his love for her would always remain hidden, buried under the label of friendship. But deep down, a voice whispered, Maybe one day, she’ll see me differently.

As he walked over to his desk, Kabir, his best buddy, slapped him on the back.

"Still dreaming, man?" Kabir chuckled, nodding towards Dishita. "You know she's not going to magically fall in love with you."

"Yeah, I know," Abhinav replied, though his eyes lingered on her for a second longer. "But maybe—just maybe—things will change."

The classroom was soon filled with the rest of their group. Aditya and Khusi arrived, still bickering over some trivial topic. Abhinav couldn’t help but notice the way Aditya’s gaze softened whenever Khusi wasn’t looking. He smirked to himself, knowing that Aditya had been secretly harboring feelings for Khusi for a long time.

Kaira, Aditi, and Eesha joined them too, laughing and sharing stories about their summer break. They were all good friends, but Abhinav often felt like an outsider when it came to Dishita. Despite being her closest friend, she had never given him any sign that she saw him as anything more.

That evening, as they all left school, Kabir and Abhinav walked home together. Kabir broke the silence.

"You know, man, if you don’t confess to her soon, this will just eat you up. It’s been five years."

Abhinav sighed. "I know. But I can’t just lose her, Kabir. What if I confess and things get awkward? She might stop talking to me."

"You’re in the friend zone already. How much worse can it get?"

Abhinav chuckled. "I still have a 0.1% chance. I’ll confess when the time is right."

But in his heart, he wondered—When would that time come? The weight of unspoken feelings had started to take its toll, but the fear of losing her kept him silent.