The day had finally come.
Our last day of school.
The corridors, once filled with the daily chaos of students running late, now buzzed with laughter, nostalgia, and the occasional teary-eyed farewell. Groups were huddled together, clicking pictures, sharing inside jokes, and making promises to stay in touch.
I stood with Shazeb and Saksham near the school gate, watching it all happen, trying to take it all in.
"You know," Shazeb mused, adjusting his tie, "for all the times we said we hated school, now that we're actually leaving, it does feel so bad after all."
"Speak for yourself," Saksham said. "I always knew I would miss this place."
I nodded, but my thoughts were elsewhere. I knew what was coming.
And just as expected, Divya and Shivangi walked toward us.
Shivangi greeted everyone with her usual energy, teasing Saksham about some old joke. But my focus was on her.
She was smiling, laughing at Shazeb's dumb remarks. Acting like nothing had changed.
Then she turned to me. "Can we talk?"
Shazeb immediately clapped me on the back. "Go, soldier. Face your destiny."
I rolled my eyes but followed her to a quieter corner of the school grounds. My heart was pounding, but I kept my face neutral.
"Why have you been ignoring me?" she asked, her voice softer than usual. "You haven't talked to me since Children's Day."
I hesitated. "I was not ignoring you. I was just… busy with exams."
She looked at me. "Busy? That is your excuse?"
I scratched the back of my head. "A very convincing one, I'd say."
She sighed but smiled. "You are terrible at lying."
We stood there for a moment, the air between us lighter than I expected. I let out a small chuckle. "Well, I guess it does not matter now. It is over."
She shook her head. "Not yet. There's still something left to clear."
I knew what she meant. The junior.
"Is it true?" I asked, finally voicing the question that had been bothering me. "About you and that guy?"
She frowned. "What?"
"The junior. The one who proposed to you. You two looked—" I paused, feeling ridiculous even saying it.
She groaned. "Oh, that. Yeah, he likes me. But I do not see him that way."
"Then why were you talking to him?"
"Because I'm not a monster who ignores people?" she said, crossing her arms. "I already told him how I feel. We're just friends."
I exhaled. "So you do respond to proposals."
She smirked. "Obviously."
I looked at her, something clicking in my head. "But you never responded to mine."
Silence.
Then she looked away, a faint blush creeping up her face. "Because I was waiting for you to say it properly."
My heart stopped.
"Saksham told you," I stated.
She nodded. "Yeah. But I wanted to hear it from you."
I let out a dry laugh. "So that's why you never said anything."
"I did not want to mess with your exams," she admitted. "And honestly, I wasn't sure what to say at first."
I took a deep breath. If there was ever a moment, this was it.
"I like you, Divya," I said, my voice steady but my hands slightly trembling. "I do not know when it started, but it has been driving me crazy. And I—I'm not the best at talking about these things. I get awkward, I overthink, I freeze up. But I did not want to leave today without telling you properly."
She smiled, and for the first time, I saw a different kind of emotion in her eyes.
Then she exhaled and said the words that changed everything.
"I'm moving to Delhi for college."
I blinked. "Wait… what?"
She nodded. "I did not tell anyone because I was not sure how to. But yeah, I'll be leaving soon."
I felt something sink in my chest. "Oh."
"But," she continued, "I promise to stay in touch. And who knows…" she trailed off, looking up at the sky. "just because I'm leaving doesn't mean this is the end. I don't know what the future holds, but… I'd like to see you again someday."
I looked at her, searching for any trace of hesitation but there was none. Just quiet sincerity.
I chuckled. "That sounds like something out of a bad movie."
She laughed. "Maybe. But I mean it."
I looked at her, taking in everything about this moment. The way the sunlight caught her hair, the way she shifted nervously despite her usual confidence, the way she smiled like this wasn't an ending, but a beginning.
And maybe it was.
I held out my hand. "Friends for life?"
She took it without hesitation. "Friends for life."
As we walked back to our friends, I felt something I had not felt in a long time.
Peace.