I Took It as Advice
Weeks passed.
Me and Neetu were… happy.
At least, that's what it looked like from the outside.
One day, while sitting in class, I noticed something unusual—
Nitesh was absent.
That didn't make sense.
He was the kind of guy who never missed a single class.
Even when he was sick, he showed up.
After class ended, I stepped outside the coaching center…
and there he was.
Standing near the gate, waiting for me.
I walked up to him.
"Where were you today?" I asked. "You didn't come to class?"
He looked at me for a second, then said casually,
"I'm changing my stream. Science is too hard for me."
For a moment, I didn't know what to say.
I forced a small smile.
"It's okay… if it's better for you."
But inside, it didn't feel okay.
On my way back home, my mind kept drifting—
all the memories with Nitesh started flashing.
Fights… games… eating together… laughing over stupid things…
I had known him since 7th grade.
He wasn't just a friend.
He was… constant.
For the next few days, I wasn't myself.
In class, at home… even in coaching—I stayed quiet.
Lost in my own thoughts.
Neetu noticed.
"It's okay," she said softly one day.
"At least he's still coming here for humanities. You can meet him after class."
I nodded, but didn't say much.
In my head, I thought—
I can't act like this in front of her… she'll think I'm a crybaby.
So I quickly changed the topic.
"By the way… how are your bio classes going?"
The moment I said that—
her expression changed.
The smile on her face faded.
Her eyes dropped.
I frowned.
"Hey… is everything okay?"
She hesitated, then said quietly,
"Not really… I'm dropping mathematics.
I'll continue with PCB only."
I paused for a second, then said,
"It's okay… don't overthink it."
But something about her tone…
felt off.
After class ended, we walked downstairs.
Her father was already there, waiting on his bike.
She left after a quick goodbye.
And then I saw Nitesh…
standing on the stairs.
Waiting for me.
As I walked toward him, he said,
"I need to tell you something."
"Yeah, tell me," I replied.
He looked a little serious.
"Yesterday… Neetu came to me."
I frowned. "So?"
He continued,
"She said… 'Harsh is too unromantic.
Can you tell him to at least hug me… or kiss me… or hold my hand?'"
For a second, I just stared at him.
Then I laughed it off.
"You're joking, right? Neetu would never say something like that."
Nitesh shrugged.
"Believe it or not… your choice."
We left the coaching center together.
Everything felt normal…
until it didn't.
Halfway down the road, a bike suddenly stopped in front of us.
Two guys were sitting on it.
They looked at us… then at each other… whispering something.
I caught a few words—
"Yeah… he's the new one."
My heart skipped.
One of them called out,
"Hey, Nitesh. Come here for a second."
I turned to Nitesh.
He knows them?
Nitesh walked toward them casually.
They asked him,
"Is he the new one?"
Nitesh nodded.
"Yeah. His name is Harsh. He's my old friend."
Then they looked at me.
One of them stepped closer…
His expression wasn't normal.
It wasn't anger.
It was… certainty.
"What's your relation with Neetu?"
I didn't hesitate.
"I'm her boyfriend."
They exchanged a glance… then one of them smirked.
"Take it as advice… or a warning."
He leaned slightly closer.
"Stay away from her.
It's for your own good."
After that, they rode off.
I turned to Nitesh.
"You know them?"
He said,
"They're from my school. Neetu knows them too… they're friends."
Friends.
The word didn't sit right with me.
That warning stayed in my mind longer than I expected…
Especially after I found out
she already knew them.