She sat in her usual spot on the lawn, but for the first time, the place felt unfamiliar. It wasn’t the absence of noise—students still laughed, chatted, and rushed past her. It was the absence of him.

She had never thought much about it before, but Aarav had always been a constant in her life. His presence had been a background melody, a silent reassurance she had taken for granted.

And now, that melody had faded.

“Still looking for him?”

Tanya glanced up to find Daksh standing nearby, his hands in his pockets.

“I—” She hesitated. Denying it felt pointless. Daksh had always been too observant. “Yeah.”

Daksh sighed before dropping onto the grass beside her. “He’s really not coming, Tanya. At least, not for a while.”

She frowned. “You make it sound like he left forever.”

Daksh looked at her carefully. “Would that bother you?”

Tanya exhaled sharply. “Of course it would! Aarav is my—” She stopped herself, the words catching in her throat. My what? My best friend? My safe place? The person who has always been there even when I never asked him to be?

“My Aarav,” Daksh finished for her, smirking slightly. “That’s what you were about to say, right?”

Tanya shot him a glare. “I wasn’t—”

“Yeah, yeah.” Daksh stretched his legs out, leaning back on his arms. “You know, he actually tried moving on once.”

Tanya’s heart skipped. “What?”

Daksh nodded. “It didn’t last long, though. No matter what he did, no matter who he tried to focus on, it always led back to you.”

Tanya swallowed. “He never told me that.”

“Because he knew it wouldn’t change anything,” Daksh said simply. “You were too busy running after Jay.”

Tanya bit her lip. “And now?”

Daksh gave her a knowing look. “Now? He’s done waiting.”

The words stung more than she expected.

Aarav had always been patient. He had always stayed, even when she didn’t ask him to. The idea of him walking away—of truly giving up on her—felt like losing something she didn’t even realize she needed.

Daksh patted her shoulder before standing up. “If you really want to find him, try thinking about where he’d go when he needs space.”

Tanya frowned as he walked away. Where would Aarav go?

Her mind raced through every possible place until suddenly, she knew.

The old bookstore near the outskirts of the city had always been Aarav’s escape.

Tanya stepped inside, the faint scent of aged paper surrounding her. The place was quiet, the only sounds coming from the occasional rustling of pages.

And then, she saw him.

Aarav sat by the window, his sketchbook resting on his lap, his gaze distant.

For a second, Tanya almost turned back. But then the words played in her head. He’s done waiting.

She couldn’t let him be done. Not like this.

Taking a deep breath, she walked over. “Hey.”

Aarav stiffened slightly before looking up. His expression was unreadable. “Tanya.”

She swallowed. “You didn’t come to college today.”

He shrugged. “Didn’t feel like it.”

She hesitated before sitting across from him. “Are you avoiding me?”

Aarav exhaled, closing his sketchbook. “Would it make a difference?”

The question stung.

Tanya searched his face, hoping to find the usual warmth in his eyes. But it wasn’t there. Instead, there was something else—something guarded.

“I—” She faltered, suddenly unsure of what to say.

Aarav watched her for a moment before shaking his head. “You don’t have to do this, Tanya. You don’t have to chase after me just because I stopped chasing you.”

Tanya flinched. “That’s not—”

“Isn’t it?” Aarav cut in, his voice quiet but firm. “For years, I was always there. And you never looked back. But now that I’m gone, suddenly you do?”

Tanya opened her mouth, but no words came out.

Aarav sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Tanya, I need space. I need to stop hoping for something that isn’t going to happen.”

Tanya’s heart clenched. “Aarav—”

“I don’t blame you,” he continued, giving her a small, sad smile. “You don’t owe me anything. But I need to learn how to stop wanting you.”

Tanya felt like she couldn’t breathe.

Aarav picked up his sketchbook and stood. “Go home, Tanya.”

And with that, he walked away.

This time, she didn’t know if he’d come back.