A Young Mistake

Unexpected Hearts Connect

I reached home, but my mind was still stuck on him. He was all I could think about. I won't lie-I tend to get obsessed with things, but this was different. It had never been like this with a person before. It was my first time feeling this way, and I couldn't sleep the whole night. My eyes were swollen by morning, but I somehow got ready for school, still thinking about him.

Days passed, and I couldn't shake the thought of him. Finally, I decided to share everything with Palak. I told her about how I had been feeling since that day. To my surprise, she wasn't shocked at all. "I knew it," she said, smiling. "There was definitely a connection between you two. He even asked me about you, but I played it down because you never show interest in guys, so I didn't want to give him any ideas."

I was furious. "What?! He asked about me, and you didn't tell me?" Palak just rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on! You've never shown interest in any guy, so I thought it'd be the same with him." I couldn't deny it. I had never felt like this before, but now... why? I quickly changed the topic, pretending it was nothing serious.

We started playing Ludo, but then my phone buzzed with a message. I saw Palak had added me to a group called Bunkyard. Confused, I asked her why. She just smiled and said, "Check the number ending in 765." I looked and said- is it his number? Palak grinned, "My job is done here. Now, follow your heart."

Priyam asked in the group, "Who's this Palak?" without missing a beat, Palak jumped in and said, "Oh, it's Sonali! Remember, you met her at my birthday party?"

Ohh Hii 100 N-A-L-I *which means 100 gutters* ~ Priyam Said with laughing emojis.

Palak ~ Priyam it's really a very bad joke and so old come one grow up.

I didn't know what to say so I just sent few laughing emojis too.

As time flew by, it was already 11:00 PM. Everyone was chatting, trying to include me, and I was actually happy to be making new friends. We were all laughing, making fun of each other, and Priyam was especially funny, keeping the mood light. But something felt off-Rohan hadn't said a single word in the group. Curious, I messaged Palak privately, asking, "Is Rohan usually this quiet?" She replied, "No, we all chat a lot late at night. He's probably just busy tonight."

Two days passed, and Rohan still hadn't said anything in the group. I started feeling sad, wondering if maybe he was ignoring me. The thought kept nagging at me-why had he suddenly gone silent? I shared everything with Palak, pouring out my worries. She reassured me, "Relax, you're overthinking it. He's probably just busy. Don't jump to conclusions."

And surprise, surprise! Out of nowhere, I got a Hii from Rohan in a private message. Oh my God, I couldn't believe it! It felt like I'd just won a huge race, one that had been going on ever since Palak's birthday. The excitement was unreal, like I'd achieved something big.

I replied with a simple hi, but my heart was racing like crazy. Was he feeling the same way? I had no idea, but I was happy. Somehow, that night, we ended up having the most amazing conversation. We chatted all night, learning so much about each other. It was effortless, like I had known him forever. He didn't feel like someone new. I couldn't believe how quickly we became friends-something about him just made everything feel different and so comfortable.

Days turned into weeks, and our phone chats naturally became long phone calls-sometimes lasting an hour or two. Even when we ran out of things to say, we would keep the calls going, just sitting in comfortable silence. It became a routine, a part of my life. Although I hadn't seen him in person since Palak's birthday, Rohan felt really close to me. I felt safe and happy with him.

As time passed, both of us had final exams coming up-Rohan in his 12th and me preparing for mine. We decided to reduce our calls and focus on studying. I was never the studious type, but Rohan's words pushed me. "Work hard for your future," he'd say, and his encouragement gave me the drive to study harder. It felt like he had a special hold on me.

Our exams were fast approaching, and honestly, I'd never studied this hard before. But, to my surprise, I actually enjoyed it-thanks to Rohan. He made me believe in myself.

The exams went well, and now I'm heading into 10th grade, where the board exams feel like the real deal for my future. Meanwhile, Rohan has officially passed out of school and will be heading to college soon.

I don't know why, but I've only met him once during this time, yet I'm already feeling jealous. He's going to make so many new friends, and everyone says that in Delhi, things are different-more casual, more open. Friends with benefits and all that are apparently just part of the college scene there.

Then, one night at 1 AM, just as I was about to sleep, I got a message from Rohan: "Sona, what am I to you?" My mind went blank. I had no idea what to say.

Without really thinking, I messaged him back:

Friends.

But instantly, I started questioning myself. What friend? I thought. Sonali, do you really see him just as a friend? You just said he had a hold on you like no one else before. And now you're calling him just a friend?

After sending that message, there was nothing-complete silence. I waited for 10 minutes, no reply. I even messaged you there? but still, nothing. I set my phone aside, my mind racing. Is he really just a friend to me? What is this feeling?

In the morning, I finally got a reply. It was simple

"Yea, Best Friends."

I don't know why, but I had hoped for something different. The word best friend stung, and suddenly my eyes welled up. That one word felt so heavy on my heart and chest.