Saisha sat on her bed, scrolling through old chats, her fingers tracing words that once meant everything. She kept thinking about the time when there was no one between her and Aman, how simple, how beautiful those days were. Tears slipped silently down her cheeks, yet there were no lines of anger on her forehead… only exhaustion. She was tired—tired of it all.
As she began to drift into sleep, her phone lit up with a soft ping. A notification. The date—October 22. Aman's birthday.
Somewhere in all this chaos, she had forgotten. But now, remembering that he had invited her for today… she didn't know if she should go. The thought hung heavy in her chest as she finally closed her eyes.
The next morning, she woke to find Sam sitting in her room. "Sam? You… here?"
"Yes, I'm here. Saisha… you're going to his birthday, right?"
"I don't know, Sam. I'm just… tired of all this."
"Saisha, he needs your apology. And after that… you should tell him you're his mystery girl."
Saisha walked into the washroom, muttering under her breath, "He has Angel now, Sam. He doesn't need me."
"Need?" Sam's voice sharpened. "Do you even know what he said to Angel yesterday?"
Saisha stepped back out, her brows furrowed.
"What? What happened yesterday?"
"If you really want to know, then come today and ask him yourself."
"Sam, just tell me… please," she pleaded.
But Sam simply walked out of the room, leaving Saisha with a thousand questions and an even heavier heart.
She kept thinking… What could have happened yesterday? The question kept circling in her mind until evening fell. It was time for the party.
Saisha still hadn't gotten ready when Sam arrived to pick her up.
"You're not ready yet? You're not coming with me?" Sam asked, a little impatient.
"I am ready… this is fine," Saisha replied, glancing at her simple outfit.
"What? Like this? No, no, no, Saisha—every party has a dress code! I'm not taking you like this. Go get dressed properly," Sam insisted.
Saisha tried to protest, but Sam's persistence finally won. She walked over to her cupboard and slowly opened it.
Inside, hanging neatly, was a dress. A small chit was pinned to it—"For his birthday." She had written that herself last month.
Her fingers lingered on the note, her chest tightening. If only things had been different… today, Aman and I would have been together.
The party was already in full swing when Saisha and Sam arrived. Warm golden lights hung from the ceiling, laughter and music blending into a low hum in the background.
As they stepped inside, Saisha's eyes scanned the crowd almost unconsciously… until they found him.
Aman.
He was across the room, standing with a group of friends, a faint smile on his lips that didn't quite reach his eyes. He looked different tonight—black shirt, sleeves rolled up, hair slightly tousled—but it wasn't the clothes that caught her breath. It was the way he froze when he saw her.
The noise around them faded. For a heartbeat, it was just the two of them across the room. His gaze travelled from her open hair to the maroon dress, lingering for just a moment too long—as if every memory they shared came flooding back at once.
Sam leaned in, whispering, "Saisha… he hasn't taken his eyes off you since you walked in."
Saisha swallowed hard, her fingers clutching her clutch bag. She wanted to look away, but Aman's eyes… they held her there, unspoken words passing between them.
Aman didn't move. His eyes still followed her, but now there was something else in them—guilt, longing… and the shadow of something left unsaid.
Aman stepped closer, his presence alone making Saisha's breath hitch.She didn't let him speak.
"Aman… Sam told me you said something to Angel. Did you… Talk to her?"
Her voice was quick, restless. "What happened? Tell me now."
"Saisha… relax." His tone was soft, almost coaxing. "I'll tell you… I know everything now."
Her heart slammed against her ribs. For a terrifying second, she thought—Has he found out? Does he know I'm his mystery girl?"E-everything? What do you mean… what do you know?"
A small smile tugged at his lips. "That… Angel isn't the girl. She's not my mystery girl."
Relief washed over her like a warm wave. "Oh… so that's what you found out?" she exhaled, trying not to make it obvious how much lighter she felt.
"Yes… but Saisha, why didn't you tell me? You knew she wasn't your friend."
"Aman, I tried to tell you… but you never…" she rolled her eyes, masking the ache in her chest.
"Saisha…" His voice lowered, his hand finding hers—warm, steady, grounding. "I'm sorry… for not listening. For being so wrong about you."
"It's okay…" she whispered, but her heart was racing so loud she was sure he could hear it.
"No… It's not okay." His gaze locked on hers, and the world seemed to shrink until there was only him—his deep, unblinking stare, the raw honesty in his eyes.And somewhere in that gaze… she saw it. Love. Unspoken, but burning.
They didn't move. They didn't need to. Every heartbeat was a confession neither of them dared to speak aloud.
And suddenly, Sam appeared out of nowhere."Aman, the cake is waiting for you… and besides, the whole night is still ahead," she teased, her eyes flicking to their joined hands.
Saisha noticed the look, and instantly pulled her hand away."What's wrong with you, crazy girl? Let's go…" she muttered, trying to hide the sudden rush of heat to her cheeks.
"Aman, come on," Sam called, already walking away with a mischievous smile, leaving the air between Saisha and Aman charged with the unsaid.