"You talked so much that he forgot how loud silence could be without you."
You were the kind of girl teachers knew by name. Not because you were problematic. Because you were alive. You laughed loudly.You argued confidently. You answered questions even when they weren’t asked to you.
Everyone liked you. For your bubbly, energetic and talkative personality.
Kian Arora. He was your benchmate since first year. That "don’t talk to me" face permanently installed. The type who answered in one word and still managed to end conversations.
He barely spoke. But he listened. And you liked that. So every day, you narrated your life to him.
You talked. He listened. Or at least… you thought he did.
After school, you both walked the same street home. Bags hanging on one shoulder. Tie loose. The evening sun too dramatic for no reason.
And as usual, you were talking nonstop about your day. You didn’t notice he had been unusually silent.
Until He suddenly stopped walking and faced you. Jaw tight. Eyes tired. And he said, "Be quiet."
The world didn’t end. But something inside you did. The rest of the walk ? Silent.
Next day, you weren’t yourself. You came to class. You didn’t sit beside him. You shifted to the last bench beside your friend.
When he walked in, you didn’t look up. When he sat alone, you didn’t notice. When school ended, you walked five feet away from him.
With others, you were normal. Laughing. Talking. Teasing. But with him? Nothing.
And that did something to him. He didn’t expect the silence to feel this loud. He didn’t expect to miss your voice.
A few days passed.He told himself it didn’t matter. That you were annoying anyway.
Until one day, after first half classes lunch bell rang and everyone rushed to the cafeteria. You were still closing your books and he was watching you.
Until the classroom was almost empty. You adjusted your uniform and about to leave that's when your wrist was grabbed.
He pulled you back. Your back hit the window. He stood close. Too close. For the first time, he wasn’t aloof.
He looked… Desperate and whispered, "Enough. Why are you acting like I don’t exist?"