The days that followed moved quietly, almost blending into each other.
Aakrati had started preparing seriously for her new job. Even though her joining was next week, she wanted everything to be perfect. One afternoon she sat cross-legged on the couch with her laptop open, staring at a presentation she had been trying to fix for almost an hour.
"This looks so ugly," she muttered to herself.
She changed the font.
Still ugly.
She changed the colors.
Even worse.
Frustrated, she leaned back and rubbed her forehead.
"Why am I like this?"
Her phone buzzed beside her. It was Krish.
"Hello?" she answered.
"What happened?" he asked immediately.
Aakrati frowned. "Why do you always assume something happened?"
"Because your 'hello' sounded like someone stole your lunch."
She sighed and turned the laptop toward herself again.
"My presentation is terrible."
"Show me."
"Why?"
"Because you clearly need help."
She rolled her eyes but still sent him screenshots. A minute later her phone pinged again.
"Yeah… this is bad," he replied.
"KRISH!"
"I'm kidding."
Ten minutes later he sent her a redesigned version.
Aakrati stared at it.
It was neat. Clean. Professional.
"This is so much better," she said in disbelief.
"Obviously," he replied casually.
She laughed softly. "Thank you."
"Don't get used to it."
But the small frustration she had been carrying all afternoon disappeared just like that.
—
Another evening Krish showed up outside her apartment again.
Aakrati opened the door and stared at him standing there with the same relaxed smile.
"You again?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I was bored."
She crossed her arms. "Rich people get bored too?"
"Especially rich people."
Shrisha walked out of the room and immediately spotted him.
"Oh great," she said. "The show-off is here."
Krish placed a hand on his chest dramatically. "I came to meet my dear friends and this is the welcome I get?"
Shrisha smirked. "You're lucky we even opened the door."
Eventually the three of them ended up going out for coffee.
The café was small but cozy, filled with soft music and warm lights.
Aakrati talked nonstop.
About her upcoming job.
About how nervous she was.
About random memories from the trip.
Krish mostly listened quietly, occasionally smiling or teasing her.
"Do you ever stop talking?" he asked after a while.
"No."
"Good."
She laughed.
Somehow, sitting there with them, the strange heaviness she had been feeling lately didn't feel so strong.
—
Later that night Aakrati was lying on her bed scrolling through her phone when she accidentally opened the folder where she had saved all the pictures and clips from the trip.
Her fingers paused.
Arsh appeared on the screen.
In one video he was laughing while trying to skate.
In another he was arguing playfully with her near the beach.
Her chest tightened a little.
She quickly locked the phone.
The room suddenly felt too quiet.
Without thinking much she opened her chat with Krish.
Are you awake?
The reply came instantly.
Always.
Come downstairs.
Now?
Yes.
Ten minutes later they were walking along the quiet road outside her apartment building.
The night air was cool and peaceful.
Aakrati talked.
And talked.
She complained about work.
About her boss.
About how nervous she felt about starting a new job.
Krish walked beside her listening patiently, occasionally nodding.
"You know something?" he said after she finally paused.
"What?"
"You overthink too much."
"I do not."
"You do."
She kicked a small stone on the road.
"Maybe a little."
He smiled slightly.
"You're doing great, you know."
She looked at him.
"You think so?"
"I know so."
And for some reason those simple words made her feel lighter.
—
One evening she came home from the office looking extremely irritated.
Shrisha immediately noticed.
"What happened?"
"Nothing."
That answer meant something definitely happened.
Shrisha sighed and leaned against the wall.
"Call Krish."
"Why?"
"He listens better than me."
Aakrati rolled her eyes but still called him.
"Hello?" he answered.
"Bad day," she said simply.
"Come outside."
She blinked. "Why do you keep appearing everywhere?"
"Magic."
A few minutes later they were sitting on a bench in a small park nearby.
Aakrati complained about everything.
Her boss criticizing her work.
Her internship ending.
The stress of preparing for the new job.
Krish listened quietly without interrupting.
When she finally stopped talking, he leaned back and said calmly,
"You're stronger than you think."
She looked at him.
"And your boss?"
"Yes?"
"He's an idiot."
Aakrati burst out laughing.
"Thank you."
—
Gradually it became normal.
If she needed help with something, she called Krish.
If she was bored, Krish showed up.
If she was frustrated, he listened.
Shrisha noticed it too.
One afternoon she watched Aakrati and Krish arguing playfully over which movie to watch while sitting on the couch.
Shrisha shook her head slightly but smiled.
Aakrati seemed happier.
More relaxed.
But sometimes when Aakrati thought no one was watching, she would glance at her phone for a moment.
Still no message.
Still no call.
Arsh's silence continued stretching longer.
And even though Krish's presence filled the space around her with laughter and comfort…
There was still a quiet corner in her heart that waited for someone else.