"From Rivals to Forever: A Journey of Love"

Chapter 43

Kabir's Perspective

Time Skip

The May night was heavy with warmth, the kind that made the air feel thick and still. Even with the window open, there wasn't much relief—the faint rustle of leaves and the occasional chirping of crickets only seemed to emphasize the stifling heat. I sat at my desk, surrounded by the scattered remains of a long day—open books, notebooks filled with diagrams and formulas, and my phone lying face-up beside my physics notes.

The results of the board exams had been out for hours now. Aditi had topped the district, of course. Everyone knew she would. And me? I was second. I wasn't upset or disappointed about not coming first—if anything, I felt proud of my efforts. Still, something weighed on me, a sense of restless anxiety that I couldn't quite place. Maybe it was the pressure of the upcoming JEE Advanced. Or maybe it was the fact that, despite the good news, I hadn't really talked to Aditi today.

I hadn't reached out, not properly. After our last board exam, I'd told her not to call me, and I regretted that now. I had been so stressed then, caught up in my own head. She hadn't taken it personally, but I wondered if she was waiting for me to reach out today, unsure of whether I still wanted space. That thought gnawed at me.

The phone on my desk seemed to taunt me with its silence. I had gone through the day pretending to focus on my books, on the upcoming exam, but my mind kept circling back to her. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I grabbed my phone and dialed her number before I could second-guess myself. It rang once before her familiar voice answered.

"Hey, Kabir," she said, her voice warm and light, like she had been expecting me.

"Hey, Frosty," I replied, my usual nickname for her bringing a smile to my face. "Topper of the district. Pretty impressive, huh?"

She let out a soft laugh, the sound like a balm to the tension I hadn't realized I'd been carrying all day. "Thanks," she said, her tone playful. "But second place is nothing to scoff at, Mr. Almost-Topper."

I grinned, leaning back in my chair. "Yeah, I guess I'll take that. But I swear, the congratulations calls were more exhausting than the actual exams."

"Tell me about it," she groaned. "I've been on the phone all day. But, you know, I was waiting for your call."

I paused, her words catching me off guard. She'd been waiting for me? Guilt tugged at me for hesitating earlier.

"I wasn't sure if you'd want to hear from me after... you know, the last time," I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck. "I didn't mean to make it seem like I didn't want to talk. I was just... caught up in everything."

"I know," she said softly, her voice understanding. "You were stressed. I get it. But I'm glad you called today. I missed hearing from you."

Her words eased something inside me, a tension I hadn't even realized I was holding. I smiled, feeling lighter just hearing her voice. "Yeah, I missed talking to you too. I should've called earlier."

"Better late than never," she teased, and I could hear the smile in her voice.

For a moment, I let the sound of her voice wash over me, the familiar warmth of her presence even through the phone. It made everything—the pressure, the expectations, the looming JEE exam—feel just a little more manageable.

"So, how's your night going?" I asked, leaning forward in my chair, eager to hear more from her. "You sound... way calmer than I feel."

"Calm?" she laughed lightly. "Well, I've been listening to Kabhi Kabhi Aditi on loop for an hour, so maybe that's helping."