Love In Silence

12.

Days passed, and Niti felt strangely close to Neel after that night. He occasionally hugged her and held her hand, but to Niti, it didn't feel like anything more than friendly gestures. Truthfully, Niti didn't mind Neel's touches and hugs. But deep in her heart, something was blossoming, slowly but surely. Niti found herself smiling and laughing a lot lately.

One day, after class, they went to a café near their college. Neel chatted enthusiastically while Niti ate her snacks peacefully. She didn't find him annoying; instead, she thought, "At least someone is by my side." Lost in thought, she didn't notice Neel until he gently knocked on her head.

"You're thinking very loudly, young lady!" he teased.

"Is it that obvious?," she replied simply.

"So, I was asking if you cut your hair short..." Neel said, standing up to examine and touch her hair. He sat back down. "It suits you."

She nodded. They returned to their normal dynamic: Neel talking, Niti listening attentively.

One thing about Neel bothered her – he always looked people directly in the eye when speaking. Niti couldn't do that; it made her uncomfortable.

Suddenly, Neel stopped talking and gazed at her with an unfamiliar expression. He took a strand of her hair and gently tucked it behind her ear. "When did you become this beautiful?"

Their eyes locked for a fleeting moment before they quickly looked away, realization dawning on them.

"I always look beautiful; you just noticed. It's not my fault you realized just now," Niti said, breaking the awkwardness with a hint of sulking.

The silence that followed was brief.

"We have to go; it's getting dark outside," Niti said.

As they left the café, the silence between them was comfortable. They bid each other goodbye, still in silence.

That night, Niti couldn't stop blushing. Her mother noticed the sudden change and asked, but Niti shrugged off every question. Her mother smiled to herself, thinking, "So it's that age."

Niti didn't know why Neel's words had such a profound effect on her, and she didn't want to analyze it. She was happy, and that's all that mattered. However, she reminded herself: "Don't cross the line; keep your feelings hidden. It's probably just attraction, and Neel treats everyone like that. He's that kind of guy."

Niti longed to spend more time with Neel, but as an extrovert, he always seemed busy with friends.

Winter had bid farewell, and spring had arrived, bringing exam season with it. On this bustling Monday morning, the cafeteria was abuzz with chatter, laughter, and the clinking of utensils. Amidst the throng of hungry students, Neel and Niti sat together, enjoying their breakfast.

As a paying guest, Neel's morning routine consisted of grabbing a bite at the cafeteria, and he had grown accustomed to dragging Niti along. Their daily ritual had become a comforting constant: breakfast together in the mornings and walks home together in the evenings. They spent a considerable amount of time in each other's company.

Seated in the middle of the cafeteria, surrounded by the din of conversation, Neel and Niti's moment of relative peace was disrupted when someone tapped Niti's shoulder from behind. She turned, her eyes widening in shock as she took in the person's face. Her body stiffened momentarily, but she swiftly regained composure, masking her emotions behind her characteristic neutral expression.

the newcomer said, his voice dripping with familiarity,

"Hey! Beautiful."

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