Shattered Silences

Part 4: Clues in Silence

Later that day, as the group was hanging out by the school basketball court, Abhinav couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Every time Dishita spoke to him, her smile seemed forced, and she avoided eye contact. He had to get to the bottom of it.

"Hey, Dishita, can we talk?" he asked, pulling her aside.

She looked surprised but nodded. "Sure, what’s up?"

Abhinav hesitated for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "You’ve been acting differently lately. Is there... someone else? I mean, are you seeing anyone?"

Dishita’s eyes widened, and for a split second, Abhinav saw something flash across her face—guilt, maybe? Or was it just surprise?

"No, Abhi," she said with a small laugh. "There’s no one. Why would you even think that?"

He breathed a small sigh of relief, but it wasn’t enough to calm his nerves. "I don’t know... I guess I’ve just been overthinking things."

"Well, stop overthinking," she said, her tone light but with an edge. "We’re best friends, Abhinav. You know that."

Best friends. There it was again. The label that was both his comfort and his curse.

As they rejoined the group, Abhinav couldn’t help but notice the way Aditya glanced at Khusi when she wasn’t looking. He wasn’t the only one hiding feelings, it seemed.

But the rest of the afternoon passed uneventfully—at least until Eesha caught up with Abhinav just before they left school.

"Hey, Abhi," she said, her voice low. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure. What’s up?"

"I’ve noticed something about Dishita," she said carefully. "I think she’s hiding something. She’s been acting... off lately. Not just with you, but with everyone. I don’t know if she’s going through something, but I thought you should know."

Abhinav’s stomach dropped. Could Eesha be right? Was Dishita hiding something from him, from all of them? The thought made his chest tighten with worry. He had always been the one she confided in, so why would she suddenly start keeping secrets?