The group chat had exploded with excitement.
Meher: Lake trip this Saturday!! Everyone in?
Zayyan: Already packing snacks. No one touch my Doritos.
Sana: As long as there's music and no drowning, I'm in.
Aaria: Sounds fun :)
Her smile lingered longer than it should've as she stared at Zayyan's name. These past few days had felt different. Easy. Lighter. Like she could breathe in his presence.
---
Saturday
The lake shimmered under the afternoon sun, framed by tall trees and the soft hum of insects. They'd brought a speaker, food, and way too many cold drinks. Everyone was there, tossing frisbees, kicking off shoes, splashing water.
Zayyan tossed a football to Aaria, and she missed it—laughing as she tried to catch it on the rebound.
"Terrible reflexes," he teased, walking over.
"Maybe you just throw like a toddler."
"Oh, she fights back." He grinned, stepping closer. "I like that."
For a moment, it was just them. The laughter around them blurred, like background music. Aaria felt the way he looked at her—not like she was someone's shadow, but like she was her own sun.
Later, she sat on the dock with her feet in the water. Zayyan joined her, quietly, a bottle of juice in hand.
"You always this quiet when it gets peaceful?" she asked.
He shrugged. "Peaceful's rare. Gotta respect it."
A pause.
"Hey," he said suddenly, "Did you ever like… really want something, and when you finally got close to it, it didn't feel the same?"
She looked at him, surprised. "Are you talking about me?"
He laughed softly. "Maybe. Or maybe I'm talking about you and Rohan."
The name landed like a pebble in her chest.
"You noticed?"
"I'm not blind, Aaria."
She looked down. "I used to think he was everything. But now…"
Zayyan waited.
"Now, I don't know. He talks more to Meher than me these days," she said with a shrug, forcing a smile.
But Zayyan didn't laugh. He just nodded, like he understood something she hadn't said.
Monday – Campus Canteen
Aaria was grabbing a soda when she heard it.
"Aaria?"
She turned. Rohan.
"Hey," she said, blinking.
"You've been busy."
"Just… hanging with new people."
"I've noticed," he said, his tone unreadable. "Especially that guy. Zayyan."
A flicker of something passed through her.
"We're all friends."
"Right." He paused, then added, "You wanna grab a coffee sometime? Just us?"
Her heart skipped—out of confusion, not excitement.
"I'll think about it," she replied, leaving quickly.
That evening, she messaged Zayyan.
Aaria: Hey. Are you okay? You seemed off after the lake.
No reply.
Next Day – Group Hangout
The group met up at the usual café. Everyone laughed, teased, talked over each other.
Except Zayyan.
He was quieter than usual, sipping his iced coffee, phone face-down on the table.
When Aaria finally caught him alone, outside while waiting for their rides, she asked, "Did I do something?"
He looked at her for a long moment. "No. Just… don't know where I stand anymore."
She frowned. "What do you mean?"
He hesitated. "With you."
Her breath caught.
"I don't want to be another guy you pass through while waiting on someone else."
That stung—but it was honest.
Before she could say anything, his ride pulled up.
"I'll see you," he said, and got in.
Aaria stood there, staring at the fading car lights, realizing something with painful clarity.
She missed him already.