Sometimes, the loudest pain… is silence.
The next morning felt heavier than usual.
Harsh entered the classroom like he always did—but this time, he didn't look toward the last bench.
And Indu noticed.
She was already there, sitting near the window, pretending to read a book. But her eyes weren't on the pages.
They were on him.
He didn't even look at me…
Harsh sat in a different seat that day.
Not beside her.
Not even near her.
As if the distance between them had suddenly become real.
The entire class felt strange.
No small conversations.
No shared smiles.
No quiet laughter between them.
Even their classmates noticed.
"Did they fight?" someone whispered.
"Looks like it," another replied.
But neither Harsh nor Indu cared about what others were saying.
Because they were too busy fighting their own thoughts.
During lunch break, Indu sat with her friends, but she wasn't really there.
She kept glancing toward Harsh.
He was sitting alone, eating quietly.
Why is he acting like this…? she thought.
He was the one who got angry… so why do I feel bad?
On the other side, Harsh stared at his lunch without really eating.
Maybe I overreacted… he thought.
But I just didn't like seeing her with him… is that wrong?
He sighed softly.
I should apologize…
But then another thought came.
Why should I be the only one to say sorry?
And just like that—
Ego built a wall between two hearts that only wanted each other.
The day ended without a single word between them.
No goodbye.
No eye contact.
Nothing.
That night, the rain returned.
Soft at first.
Then heavier.
As if the weather itself understood their hearts.
Harsh stood near the hostel window, watching the rain fall.
This feels exactly like that day… when I first talked to her…
He smiled sadly.
That was the best day.
And now—
This was one of the worst.
He took his phone, opened their chat… and stared at it.
He typed:
"I'm sorry."
Then deleted it.
Typed again:
"Are you okay?"
Deleted it again.
Finally, he locked his phone and whispered,
"If she cares… she'll text…"
In the girls' hostel, Indu was doing the exact same thing.
She opened their chat.
Typed:
"Why are you ignoring me?"
Deleted.
Typed again:
"I didn't like what you said yesterday."
Deleted.
She threw her phone on the bed and covered her face with her pillow.
"Why is this so hard…?" she murmured.
Minutes passed.
The rain grew stronger.
And then—
Indu suddenly stood up.
"Enough," she said to herself.
She grabbed her umbrella and walked out of the hostel.
Harsh was still standing by the window when he saw a familiar figure walking in the rain toward the boys' hostel.
His heart skipped a beat.
Indu…?
Before he could think, he ran downstairs.
Outside, the rain soaked everything.
Indu stood there, her umbrella slightly shaking in her hand, her hair wet from the wind.
Harsh stopped a few steps away from her.
For a moment—
They just looked at each other.
The rain filled the silence between them.
"You're an idiot," Indu said suddenly.
Harsh blinked. "What?"
"You heard me," she said, her voice slightly shaky. "You're an idiot."
Harsh frowned. "Why am I an idiot?"
"Because you think I would choose someone else over you," she said.
Harsh's expression softened a little. "Then why were you laughing with him like that?"
"Because he was saying something funny!" she replied. "Do you expect me to stop talking to everyone just because you don't like it?"
"I didn't say that…" Harsh said quietly. "I just… didn't like it."
"Why?" she asked.
Harsh looked down, then back at her.
"Because I like you," he said softly. "And I don't like seeing someone else getting close to you."
Indu's anger slowly faded.
"And you think I don't feel the same?" she asked.
Harsh looked up, surprised.
Indu took a step closer.
"When I see girls talking to you… I don't like it either," she admitted.
Harsh's eyes widened slightly.
"Then why didn't you say anything?" he asked.
Indu smiled faintly. "Because I didn't want to fight… but you started it anyway."
Harsh let out a small breath and rubbed his forehead. "I'm sorry."
Indu looked at him for a moment.
Then she said softly, "I'm sorry too."
The rain continued falling around them.
But this time—
It didn't feel cold anymore.
Without thinking, Harsh moved a little closer and held the umbrella properly over both of them.
Just like the first day.
Indu noticed.
And smiled.
"Friends again?" Harsh asked.
Indu looked at him, then shook her head slightly.
Harsh got confused. "No?"
Indu stepped a little closer and said softly,
"Not just friends."
Harsh's heart started beating faster.
"Then…?" he asked.
Indu looked into his eyes, her voice almost a whisper—
"Something more than that… remember?"
Harsh smiled.
"Yeah… something more."
For the first time—
He gently held her hand.
Indu didn't pull away.
Instead, she held it tighter.
That night, under the rain, without any big promises, without any dramatic confession—
They fixed what was broken.
Because sometimes, love is not about never fighting.
It's about coming back…
Even after you hurt each other.
And this was just the beginning.
Because their love story was not simple.
It was messy.
Emotional.
Beautiful.
Painful.
And unforgettable.