The next few days passed in a blur, each one dragging on as if the world around her had slowed. Aradhya's routine hadn't changed—school, homework, and the constant ache of seeing Zayn with Nadia, laughing and talking in the hallways. But now, every moment with him felt different, tainted by the knowledge that he was slipping further away, and there was nothing she could do about it.
At lunch, she sat at their usual spot under the oak tree, picking at her food, though she wasn't hungry. Zayn and Nadia were sitting a few tables away, their heads tilted toward each other as they whispered and giggled. Aradhya's chest tightened at the sight, and she forced her eyes down to the ground, not wanting to show how much it hurt.
She'd always known this day would come. The day Zayn would find someone else. Someone who wasn't her. It had been a silent fear growing in the back of her mind, but now that it was happening, it felt like her world was crumbling.
A soft breeze rustled the leaves above her, but it didn't calm the storm inside. Aradhya swallowed hard, trying to push away the lump in her throat. She could still remember the days when it had been just the two of them, when everything had been so simple. But now? Now it felt like she was watching him slip away, bit by bit.
"Hey," a voice interrupted her thoughts.
Aradhya didn't look up, but she knew who it was. Zayn. He always knew when something was wrong, even if she tried to hide it. She was too predictable, too transparent.
"Hey," she replied, her voice quiet and strained.
He sat down beside her, his usual grin replaced with a subtle frown as he studied her. "You okay? You've been off all week."
"I'm fine," she said quickly, shaking her head, trying to dismiss the concern in his eyes.
He raised an eyebrow. "You're lying."
Aradhya let out a small, bitter laugh. "I'm not lying, Zayn. I'm just... tired."
He didn't seem convinced, but he didn't press further. Instead, he shifted closer, his shoulder brushing hers as he reached for his sandwich. They sat in silence for a few moments, the weight of unspoken words hanging between them. Aradhya fought the urge to break it, to say something, anything, to make the pain go away. But what could she say? How could she explain to him that every smile he gave Nadia felt like a blade to her heart?
"Do you like her?" The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Zayn looked at her, surprised by the question. "Nadia?"
Aradhya nodded, her hands clenched tightly in her lap.
He hesitated for a moment before answering. "Yeah. I think so. She's... different. Fun."
Aradhya's chest tightened at his words, but she forced herself to stay calm. "I'm happy for you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
He studied her for a moment, a frown tugging at his lips. "Are you sure?"
The question hit her like a punch to the gut. She wanted to scream, to tell him how much it hurt, how she felt like she was losing him. But instead, she forced a smile and nodded.
"Yeah. I'm sure," she lied.
Zayn didn't look convinced, but he let it go, returning to his conversation with Nadia. Aradhya sat there, feeling like a stranger in her own life. The world around her felt distant, like she was watching everything from behind a thick glass window, unable to reach out and touch it.
Later that evening, after the school day had ended, Aradhya found herself sitting on the edge of her bed, staring out the window at the darkening sky. The cool night air drifted through the open window, but it didn't ease the ache in her chest.
She didn't know how to move forward from here. Part of her wanted to distance herself from Zayn, to protect her heart from the constant ache of being so close, yet so far away. But another part of her—perhaps the weaker part—didn't want to lose him, no matter how much it hurt.
She closed her eyes, leaning back against her pillows, the familiar comfort of her room offering no solace. It felt like her heart was caught between two worlds—one where she could pretend everything was fine, where she could keep playing the role of his best friend, and another where she finally admitted the truth to herself. That she loved him.
But how could she tell him? How could she risk everything they had, knowing he might never feel the same way?
She buried her face in her hands, fighting back tears. The hardest part wasn't that Zayn had found someone else. The hardest part was knowing that no matter how much she loved him, no matter how much she wanted to be the one he turned to, she would always remain on the outside.
And that was something she wasn't sure she could live with for much longer.
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