The one day he stayed

It was past 9. The studio had emptied out, shadows stretching long in the corridor as Vanya walked slowly, her folder clutched to her chest. She wasn’t in a rush—there was something calming about the silence after a chaotic day.

“Vanya.”

She turned, already knowing who it was. Yuvi stepped out from the pillar near the stairs, his hoodie pulled low, hands deep in his pockets.

“You’re still here?” she asked, surprised but not really. He always had a habit of showing up just when her thoughts were loudest.

He fell into step beside her. “Didn’t feel like leaving yet.”

For a few seconds, they just walked in silence. Her pace slowed when they reached the side verandah, the one spot in college where the breeze felt softer. She sat on the ledge. He leaned beside her, arms crossed.

“You were quiet today,” he said, looking ahead instead of at her.

Vanya smiled faintly. “Too tired to talk.”

He tilted his head, finally glancing at her. “That’s a first. You usually don’t shut up.”

She chuckled softly. “Don’t get used to it.”

But then her smile faded just a little. “I guess I’ve been thinking a lot.”

He didn’t ask what. He just waited.

So she spoke. “About what comes next… about Shrwh. And about feeling free but also lost.”

Yuvi turned toward her slowly. “That’s the thing about freedom. It feels like chaos first.”

She looked at him, eyes searching.

And then he did something quiet, but firm—he reached out and gently tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear again.

Her breath caught in her throat.

“I don’t know what you think of me,” he said, voice soft, “but I’m not here to confuse you.”

She looked away, heart thudding.

“I’m here because…” he paused. “Because when you ramble about random shows or call yourself a ‘chikni chameli’ while eating ramen, I feel like I’m seeing the real you.”

She gave a small laugh through her nose.

“And I like that version,” he finished.

She didn’t respond immediately. But her eyes met his, quietly stormy.

“You’re dangerous,” she murmured, not meaning it as an insult.

He grinned, leaning back. “And you’re starting to like danger.”