The Heart's Unexpected Twist

•||CHAPTER 2||•

A few weeks had passed since Shruti first exchanged messages with Sahil. Their conversations had grown into a quiet, comforting routine, an unexpected addition to her days that she found herself looking forward to. They continued to talk about the small things-the books she loved, the latest game he was obsessed with, and even the stray thoughts that crossed their minds as they navigated their lives.

One afternoon, as Shruti sat at her desk, working on a project for her internship, her younger sister, Riddhi, barged into her room with a mischievous grin. Riddhi had always been the lively one, full of energy and mischief, a contrast to Shruti's quieter, more reserved nature. She was holding Shruti's phone, which she had grabbed without permission, as was her habit. Before Shruti could protest, Riddhi had already tapped into her messaging app.

"Riddhi, what are you doing?" Shruti exclaimed, reaching out to grab her phone, but Riddhi was quicker, laughing as she typed furiously.

"Just saying hi to your friend Sahil," Riddhi teased, her fingers flying over the screen.

"No, give it back!" Shruti tried to sound stern, but the laughter bubbling up in her chest betrayed her. There was something infectious about Riddhi's antics, even when they were maddening.

By the time Shruti wrestled her phone back, the damage had been done. She glanced at the screen and felt her heart sink. Riddhi had sent a series of ridiculous, nonsensical messages to Sahil, complete with emojis that made no sense in context. It was the kind of playful teasing that only Riddhi could conjure up-a mix of inside jokes, bizarre references, and random words thrown together in a way that made no logical sense.

Shruti's cheeks burned with embarrassment as she stared at the messages. How was she supposed to explain this to Sahil? Before she could even begin to think of a way out, her phone buzzed with a new message. It was from Sahil.

She opened it cautiously, expecting confusion or maybe even annoyance. Instead, she was greeted with a series of laughing emojis and a simple, "Well, that was unexpected! Do I need to be worried about you, Shruti?"

Shruti couldn't help but laugh out loud, a mix of relief and amusement washing over her. "Sorry, that was my sister," she typed back quickly, "She thinks she's hilarious."

"Tell her she's got a unique sense of humour," Sahil replied. There was something in his words that made Shruti's heart lighten, an easy acceptance of the absurdity that had just transpired. They continued to chat, with Sahil joking about how he now had a mysterious new friend in Riddhi and how he was slightly worried about what kind of 'secrets' she might reveal next time.

The incident, which could have easily been awkward, instead became a shared joke between them-a memory that they both carried with a smile. And as days turned into weeks, Shruti found herself thinking about Sahil more often. She started to appreciate the way he always seemed to find the humour in things, the way he made her feel comfortable, even when things went sideways.

For Sahil, too, things began to change. He wasn't someone who usually spent a lot of time messaging others. His friends often joked that he was a "ghost" on social media, popping in only when absolutely necessary. But with Shruti, it was different. He found himself checking his phone more often, waiting for her replies, enjoying the rhythm of their conversations that had become a quiet but consistent part of his day.

There was something about the way Shruti responded to his jokes, the way she shared bits and pieces of her life with him, that made him feel connected in a way he hadn't anticipated. He found himself drawn to the simplicity of their exchanges, the ease with which they could move from one topic to another, sometimes serious, often light-hearted.

The funny mishap with Riddhi became just one of many shared moments that brought them closer together. Each message, each conversation, built on the one before, weaving a connection that was growing stronger with each passing day. And as Shruti glanced out her window one evening, the twilight casting long shadows across her room, she realised that the feeling she had been searching for, the elusive sense of comfort and understanding, might just be something she was beginning to find-with Sahil.