The house felt quieter than usual that evening.

Not because it was empty.

But because Kashvi was.

She stepped inside, dropping her bag near the couch.

“Back?” Sia’s voice came softly from the kitchen.

“Hmm.”

Just that.

No extra words. No complaints. No casual chatter.

Sia paused mid-step.

Something was off.

Kashvi walked straight to her room, closing the door gently behind her.

She didn’t throw things. Didn’t cry.

She just sat on the edge of her bed, staring at nothing.

Her phone lay beside her.

Screen dark.

Still.

She picked it up again.

No new messages.

A faint smile touched her lips.

“Of course,” she whispered.

Then she placed it back and leaned against the wall, pulling her knees close.

Her mind replayed the same scene again and again.

Aditya sitting beside Rohini.

Laughing.

Talking.

Like Kashvi wasn’t even there.

Her chest tightened.

“Best friend,” she murmured, closing her eyes.

The word felt heavier now.

Outside, Sia stood near the kitchen counter, watching Aryan walk in.

“You’re early,” she said.

Aryan loosened his tie slightly. “Work finished.”

He looked around. “Where’s Kashu?”

“She’s in her room.”

Aryan frowned. “So early?”

Sia nodded slowly. “She didn’t say much.”

Something shifted in Aryan’s expression.

He knew his daughter.

Silence wasn’t normal.

Kashvi’s room door knocked softly.

She quickly straightened up. “Come in.”

Aryan entered.

His eyes immediately scanned her face.

“You’re okay?”

She nodded too quickly. “Yeah.”

He stepped closer. “Sure?”

“Just tired.”

Aryan didn’t look convinced.

“You didn’t even argue today,” he said lightly.

She smiled faintly. “Not in the mood.”

He watched her for a moment longer.

Then gently placed his hand on her head.

“Something bothering you?”

Kashvi shook her head.

“No, dad.”

A pause.

Then she added quietly, “Just college stuff.”

Aryan sighed softly.

“College stuff can be serious too.”

She looked at him.

For a second… she almost said it.

But then she didn’t.

“Nothing I can’t handle,” she replied.

He studied her face.

Strong. Calm. Controlled.

Just like her mother.

“Okay,” he said finally. “But if it becomes something you can’t handle…”

“I’ll tell you,” she finished.

He nodded.

Before leaving, he tapped her head lightly.

“Don’t overthink.”

She gave a small smile.

If only it was that easy.

Aryan walked out and found Sia waiting.

“What happened?” she asked softly.

“Something is wrong.”

Sia leaned against the wall. “Heart or studies?”

Aryan gave her a look. “You think I don’t know the difference?”

Sia smiled faintly. “Then?”

Aryan exhaled. “Heart.”

They moved to their room.

Sia sat on the bed while Aryan stood near the window, arms crossed.

“She didn’t tell me anything,” he said.

“She won’t. Not yet.”

Aryan turned to her. “Why?”

“Because she’s still figuring it out herself.”

He frowned. “Figuring what?”

Sia looked at him knowingly.

“Feelings.”

Aryan’s expression hardened slightly. “For that Aditya?”

Sia didn’t answer directly.

Which was answer enough.

“I knew it,” Aryan muttered.

“She’s grown up, Aryan.”

“That doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

Sia stood up and walked closer to him.

“You didn’t ask anyone before falling for me,” she said softly.

Aryan looked at her.

“That was different.”

“How?”

“I knew what I was doing.”

Sia smiled gently. “So will she.”

Aryan shook his head. “That boy doesn’t look serious.”

Sia tilted her head slightly. “Sometimes boys don’t realize things until it’s too late.”

Aryan looked at her sharply.

“Then it better not be too late for my daughter.”

Sia stepped closer, placing her hand on his chest.

“You can’t protect her from everything.”

“I can try.”

“You’ll scare her instead.”

Aryan fell silent.

Sia softened her voice.

“Let her feel. Let her learn.”

He looked at her for a long moment.

Then pulled her slightly closer.

“I don’t like seeing her hurt.”

“I know,” Sia whispered.

“And I definitely don’t like that boy being the reason.”

A small smile touched Sia’s lips.

“Still jealous of him?”

Aryan scoffed. “Don’t start.”

She laughed softly.

He shook his head but his hand rested around her waist anyway.

Some things never changed.

In her room, Kashvi lay down, staring at the ceiling.

Her phone buzzed again.

She picked it up quickly.

Aditya.

Her heart reacted before her mind could.

Adi: You didn’t come today after class
Adi: Everything okay?

She stared at the screen.

A hundred replies came to her mind.

You didn’t notice me today.
You replaced me easily.
I missed you.

But she typed none of them.

Instead…

Kashvi: I told you. Notes.

Three dots appeared.

Then disappeared.

Then appeared again.

Finally…

Adi: Okay
Adi: Don’t stress too much

That was it.

She smiled faintly.

Even now… he was the same.

Careful. Casual. Unaware.

Kashvi turned to her side, clutching her pillow slightly.

“Maybe I should stop expecting,” she whispered.

But even as she said it…

Her heart refused to listen.

Because somewhere deep down…

She still hoped.

That one day…

He would see her.

The way she saw him.

CH 5 Disappeared

The next few days felt… different.

Not loud. Not dramatic.

Just quietly different.

“Hey Kashvi.”

Kashvi looked up to see Rohini walking toward her with a warm smile.

“Hi,” Kashvi replied.

Rohini sat beside her without hesitation. “You left early yesterday.”

“Yeah, had some work.”

“Oh. Aditya was asking.”

Kashvi’s fingers paused slightly over her notebook.

“Was he?” she said casually.

Rohini nodded. “He said you always disappear these days.”

A faint smile touched Kashvi’s lips.

“Busy, I guess.”

Rohini studied her for a second.

Then smiled again, soft and genuine.

“You should sit with us today.”

Kashvi blinked. “Us?”

“Me and Aditya,” Rohini said simply. “It feels weird without you.”

That line hit unexpectedly.

Weird without you.

For a moment, Kashvi didn’t know what to say.

Rohini wasn’t trying to hurt her.

She wasn’t taking anything away.

She was just… being nice.

“Okay,” Kashvi said finally.

In class, Kashvi walked in with Rohini.

Her eyes automatically searched for him.

Aditya looked up.

For a second, his face lit up.

“Kashu.”

That one word.

So familiar.

So easy.

She nodded slightly and sat beside them.

For a while, everything felt normal again.

Adi cracking jokes.

Rohini laughing.

Kashvi smiling in between.

Like nothing had changed.

Like she still belonged there.

But slowly…

Things shifted.

Aditya leaned more toward Rohini.

Explaining something.

Their heads closer.

Their laughter overlapping.

Kashvi sat there, listening, smiling when needed.

But not really part of it.

Not anymore.

After class, they walked out together.

“Canteen?” Aditya asked.

“Sure,” Rohini replied.

He looked at Kashvi. “Coming?”

She hesitated for a second.

Then nodded.

At the canteen, Rohini went to get something.

It left Kashvi and Aditya alone for a moment.

“Why are you so quiet these days?” he asked.

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

She shrugged. “Maybe you’re talking more now.”

He frowned slightly. “What does that mean?”

“Nothing,” she said quickly.

Rohini returned before the conversation could go further.

Later, near the corridor…

Kashvi had gone to wash her hands.

When she came back, she slowed down.

Aditya and Rohini were standing a little ahead.

They hadn’t noticed her.

“Rohini,” Aditya said.

“Hmm?”

He rubbed the back of his neck slightly.

“You’re comfortable, right? I mean… all this.”

Rohini smiled. “Yeah. Why?”

“Just asking.”

There was a small pause.

Then Rohini asked, casually but not really casually.

“And Kashvi?”

Aditya looked confused. “What about her?”

Rohini tilted her head. “You guys seem… close.”

He let out a small laugh.

“Yeah, she’s important.”

Kashvi’s breath caught.

Important.

She stayed still.

Hidden.

Listening.

Rohini smiled softly. “Just important?”

Aditya didn’t think much.

“Yeah. She’s my best friend.”

The words landed.

Sharp. Clean. Final.

No hesitation.

No confusion.

Just a simple truth.

For him.

Something inside Kashvi went quiet.

Not shattered.

Not loud.

Just… silent.

She stood there for a moment longer.

Then stepped back before they could see her.

When she returned, she acted normal.

Like she heard nothing.

Like everything was okay.

“Where did you go?” Aditya asked.

“Washroom.”

“You disappeared again.”

She gave a small smile. “I do that.”

Rohini looked at her for a second.

As if she sensed something.

But didn’t say anything.

The rest of the day passed in a blur.

Voices. Classes. People.

None of it stayed.

That night, Kashvi sat by her window.

Her phone in her hand.

Aditya had texted.

Adi: Reached home?
Adi: Kal notes bhejna

She stared at the screen.

Then locked it.

Kept it aside.

Her reflection stared back at her through the glass.

Dusky skin.

Tired eyes behind her spectacles.

“Important,” she whispered.

A small, broken smile formed.

“Just not enough.”

Her eyes filled… but she didn’t let the tears fall.

Not this time.

Because now she understood something clearly.

He wasn’t wrong.

He never promised anything.

He never said anything more.

It was her…

Who felt more.

Who hoped more.

Who stayed.

And maybe…

That was where she went wrong.

Ch 6- I love him

The house had been quiet for two days.

Not silent.

Just… missing something.

Aryan noticed it first.

Kashvi wasn’t arguing.
Wasn’t teasing.
Wasn’t even complaining about small things.

She just came home, went to her room, and stayed there.

That wasn’t his daughter.

That evening, Aryan stood in the living room, watching her from a distance.

Kashvi sat on the couch, book open in her lap.

But she hadn’t turned a page in ten minutes.

Her eyes weren’t on the book.

They were somewhere far.

Lost.

Aryan’s jaw tightened slightly.

“She’s not okay,” he said quietly.

Sia, standing beside him, followed his gaze.

“I know.”

“You should talk to her,” Aryan added.

Sia looked at him. “You can too.”

“She won’t say anything to me.”

Sia smiled faintly. “She might surprise you.”

Aryan shook his head. “No. This… this is something else.”

A pause.

Then softer, almost reluctant.

“She’ll be more comfortable with you.”

Sia studied his face.

The concern. The helplessness.

For a man who could handle anything… this was the one thing he couldn’t control.

Their daughter’s pain.

“Okay,” she said gently.

Later that night…

Sia knocked on Kashvi’s door.

“Can I come in?”

“Yeah,” Kashvi replied.

Her voice was normal.

Too normal.

Sia stepped inside.

Kashvi was sitting on the floor near her bed, legs folded, phone in her hand.

She quickly locked it.

“Busy?” Sia asked casually.

“No.”

Sia walked in and sat beside her.

Close.

Comfortable.

Not forcing anything.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Just quiet presence.

“You’ve been very quiet,” Sia said softly.

Kashvi smiled faintly. “Tired.”

“From what?”

“College.”

Sia turned her head slightly. “Or someone in college?”

Kashvi’s smile faltered.

Just a little.

Sia didn’t push.

She just waited.

“He likes someone else,” Kashvi said suddenly.

The words came out so simply.

So calmly.

But they carried everything.

Sia didn’t react immediately.

“Hmm,” she said softly. “And you?”

Kashvi let out a small breath.

“I like him.”

There it was.

Out.

Real.

Heavy.

Silence filled the room.

Kashvi stared at her hands.

“I didn’t even realize when it happened,” she continued quietly.
“It just… did.”

Sia listened.

Every word.

Every pause.

“He talks to me like I matter,” Kashvi said, her voice trembling slightly now.
“He flirts… jokes… cares…”

A small, broken laugh escaped her.

“I thought maybe… maybe it meant something.”

Her eyes filled.

“But it doesn’t.”

Sia gently placed her hand over Kashvi’s.

“Did he say that?”

Kashvi shook her head.

“No.”

“Then how do you know?”

Kashvi looked up.

Because that was the worst part.

“He didn’t say anything,” she whispered.
“He just… didn’t feel it.”

A tear slipped down.

She quickly wiped it away.

“I heard him,” she added, her voice breaking now.
“He said I’m just his best friend.”

The word felt heavier spoken out loud.

Sia’s heart clenched.

But her voice stayed calm.

“Just…?”

Kashvi laughed softly through her tears.

“Yeah. Just.”

More tears followed now.

Unstoppable.

“I was the one who helped him talk to her,” she said, shaking her head.
“I stood there… smiling… while he…”

Her voice cracked completely.

“I thought I was strong enough.”

And that was it.

The control broke.

Kashvi leaned forward, covering her face as the tears finally came.

Not loud.

Not dramatic.

Just deep. Silent sobs.

“I feel so stupid,” she whispered.
“I knew… I knew he didn’t mean it like that… but I still…”

Sia pulled her gently into her arms.

“Hey…”

Kashvi held onto her, breaking completely now.

“I hate this,” she cried softly.
“Why does it hurt so much?”

Sia ran her fingers through her hair.

“Because it was real for you,” she said quietly.

“And that matters.”

Outside the room…

Aryan stood near the slightly open door.

He hadn’t meant to stop.

But he had.

And now he couldn’t move.

He heard everything.

Every word.

Every tear.

His hands clenched slowly at his sides.

That boy.

He closed his eyes for a moment, controlling his anger.

But more than anger…

There was something else.

Pain.

Because his daughter…

Was hurting.

And he couldn’t fix it.

Inside, Kashvi slowly pulled back, wiping her tears.

“I don’t even know what to do,” she said.

Sia cupped her face gently.

“You don’t have to do anything right now.”

“But I see him every day,” Kashvi whispered.
“He talks like everything is normal.”

Sia nodded.

“Then you decide what you need.”

Kashvi looked at her.

“What if I lose him?”

Sia smiled softly.

“Sometimes… you have to lose the version of someone that hurts you… to find the version that’s right for you.”

Kashvi stayed quiet.

Processing.

After a moment, Sia kissed her forehead.

“You’re stronger than you think.”

Kashvi let out a small breath.

“I don’t feel like it.”

“You will.”

Sia stood up and walked toward the door.

As she opened it, she noticed Aryan standing there.

Their eyes met.

He had heard.

She knew.

They stepped away from the room quietly.

Aryan’s voice was low.

“I don’t like this.”

Sia sighed softly. “I know.”

“She’s crying because of him.”

“She’s learning because of him,” Sia corrected gently.

Aryan looked away, jaw tight.

“I should talk to him.”

Sia immediately shook her head. “No.”

“He needs to know.”

“This is her battle, Aryan.”

He clenched his fists.

“I can’t just stand and watch.”

Sia stepped closer.

“You won’t be helping her. You’ll be taking away her choice.”

That made him pause.

Inside the room…

Kashvi sat alone now.

Tears dried.

Eyes tired.

But something inside her felt… lighter.

Not healed.

But released.

She looked at her phone.

Aditya’s name still there.

Still familiar.

Still close.

She stared at it for a long moment.

Then slowly… placed it face down.

Not ready to let go.

But no longer ready to hold on the same way.

And for the first time…

She chose herself.

Even if it hurt.

The house had gone still.

Not silent… but heavy.

Aryan stood near the balcony, staring into the dark night, his hands resting on the railing but his grip tighter than usual.

“i think sia..i should talk to that boy,” Aryan muttered after a moment.

“No.”

The answer was immediate.

Firm.

Aryan frowned. “Why not?”

“Because this isn’t about him,” Sia said.

“It is. He’s the reason.”

Sia shook her head gently. “No. He’s just the situation. The real thing is her feelings.”

Aryan looked unconvinced.

“She chose to feel. She chose to stay. She will choose what to do next.”

“And I just stand here and watch?” he asked, a hint of frustration slipping through.

Sia stepped closer, her voice softer now.

“You stand here and support her.”

“That’s not enough.”

“It is,” she said. “For her, it is.”

Aryan looked away again, toward the dark sky.

For a man who always had control… this felt like standing still in a storm.

“I hate seeing her like this,” he said quietly.

Sia’s expression softened.

“I know.”

“And I hate that I can’t fix it.”

Sia smiled faintly at that.

“You were never meant to fix her feelings, Aryan.”

He looked at her.

“Then what am I supposed to do?”

Sia reached for his hand, intertwining her fingers with his.

“You remind her she’s loved. That she’s safe. That she’s enough.”

Aryan held her hand tightly.

“She already knows that.”

“Then remind her again,” Sia said softly.

For a moment, they stood like that.

Quiet.

Together.

“She’s grown up,” Sia added after a while.

Aryan let out a small scoff. “I don’t like that either.”

Sia laughed lightly.

“You didn’t like it when she started walking alone. Or when she went to college. Or when she stopped asking you before making decisions.”

“And I was right every time,” he replied.

“Were you?” she teased gently.

He looked at her, a hint of a smile finally appearing.

“Don’t start.”

She smiled, stepping a little closer.

“You’re just scared.”

“I’m not scared.”

“You are,” she said softly. “You’re scared she’ll get hurt… and you won’t be able to protect her.”

Aryan didn’t deny it this time.

Because it was true.

Sia lifted her hand, gently touching his face.

“She’s your daughter, Aryan,” she said. “She has your strength.”

He looked at her.

“And your heart.”

That made her smile.

“Then she’ll be okay.”

Aryan exhaled slowly.

Some of the tension leaving his shoulders.

“Still… I don’t like that boy.”

Sia laughed softly. “That won’t change, will it?”

“Never.”

She leaned slightly closer, resting her head against his shoulder.

For once, Aryan didn’t argue.

He just wrapped his arm around her, holding her close.

Quiet.

Grounded.

After a moment, he spoke again.

“If he hurts her again…”

Sia looked up at him, amused.

“You’ll what?”

Aryan’s expression turned serious again.

“I won’t stay quiet.”

Sia shook her head, smiling.

“You won’t have to.”

He frowned slightly. “Why?”

“Because by then,” she said gently, “she’ll know how to handle it herself.”

Inside her room, Kashvi sat by the window.

The night air brushing softly against her face.

Her eyes were tired.

But calmer.

For the first time in days, her thoughts weren’t racing.

They were… settling.

Not fully.

But slowly.

Back on the balcony, Aryan looked toward her window unknowingly.

His expression softened.

“She’ll be okay,” he said quietly.

Sia squeezed his hand.

“She will.”

And this time…

He chose to believe it.