Riya waited.
The clock showed 12:07 AM.
Every night at this exact time, her phone would light up with one message —
"Are you awake?"
But tonight, the screen stayed dark.
She tried not to overthink.
Maybe Arnav was tired. Maybe he forgot. Maybe it was nothing.
Still, her heart felt restless.
She opened their old chats and read his words from last week:
"I'll always be here."
Riya whispered to herself, "Then where are you tonight?"
Minutes turned into an hour.
Finally, unable to stop herself, she typed—
"Are you okay?"
She stared at the message after sending it.
Seen.
But no reply.
Her chest tightened.
For the first time, silence felt louder than words.
She put her phone beside her pillow, hoping it would vibrate.
It didn't.
And that night, Riya understood something she never wanted to learn—
Sometimes, the scariest reply… is no reply at all.