Chapter 3: Unseen

"You trust me, don't you?"

Aria's voice was barely above a whisper, her fingers gripping the edge of the chair.

Across from her, Rishant frowned, confusion flickering in his warm brown eyes. "What?"

She swallowed, quickly shaking her head. "Nothing."

A short silence followed before Rishant leaned back, stretching his arms behind his head with a sigh.

"It's weird talking about dates, right?" he chuckled. "Feels like just yesterday we were in elementary school together."

Aria only nodded, nails digging into her palm. She didn't trust herself to speak.

"I should get going now," she finally said, her voice carefully neutral.

Rishant's smile faltered. "Now? You just came—"

Before he could finish, his mother's voice rang out from the kitchen, calling for him. More customers had arrived.

Aria took it as her cue. She pushed herself up, forcing a small wave.

"Bye, Rishant."

And before he could say anything else, she was gone.

Rishant stared at the empty space she left behind, an odd feeling settling in his chest. Something was off.

But as his mother called for him again, he pushed the thought aside and returned to work.

The Bus Ride

Aria slumped into her seat, staring blankly at her phone screen. Her fingers moved, scrolling mindlessly, but her mind was elsewhere—floating in the heavy silence of Rishant's words.

"Me and Nancy are dating."

The girl who had stepped onto this bus earlier—the one who had teased Arsh, arms full of flowers and birthday cards—was gone.

She was someone else now.

Then, something caught her eye.

A soft pink cloth sat on the seat beside her.

Aria picked it up absentmindedly, running her fingers over the fabric.

A small, almost bitter chuckle left her lips.

"Arsh's hanky… he forgot it."

She brought it closer, inhaling the scent before she even realized what she was doing. The faint smell of detergent and something familiar, something warm wrapped around her, dragging her back into the past.

Flashback: Elementary School

The classroom was alive with chatter, desks scraping against the floor, kids whispering excitedly about their lunch plans.

Nancy's voice rang through the air, teasing and bright.

"I can't believe you actually use this, Arsh!" She held up a pink handkerchief, twirling it between her fingers like a prize.

Across the room, Arsh sat with his arms crossed, looking completely unbothered.

"So what?" he muttered, eyes flickering up lazily. "Real men don't fear pink."

Nancy gasped dramatically, pressing a hand to her chest. "No, no, I think it's cute! Like a baby's blanket!"

Arsh scoffed, reaching over and snatching it back from her hands. "Whatever. At least I don't spend half my day fixing my hair like someone I know."

Nancy flipped her ponytail. "Excuse me? It's called self-care."

Aria, watching from her desk, smirked. "Arsh, just admit it. The hanky is soft. Maybe you secretly love cute things."

Arsh turned to her with a lazy smirk. "And you secretly love being a senior citizen, don't you?"

Aria gasped, scandalized. "What did you just say?"

"You are older than me," he teased, "and you do act like a granny—"

Aria lunged, grabbing his collar. "Say that again, and I swear—"

Nancy howled with laughter, clutching her stomach as Arsh dodged, barely keeping his balance on his chair.

Meanwhile, Rishant sat nearby, shaking his head with an amused smile. "Leave him, Aria. He's a lost cause."

Nancy grinned, nudging Rishant. "Right? Who even carries a pink hanky?"

Rishant chuckled. "Exactly. What kind of guy carries something like that?"

Arsh rolled his eyes, tossing the handkerchief onto his desk. "You guys have zero fashion sense."

The laughter continued, their voices blending into the hum of childhood innocence—

The kind of days where everything felt simple.

Where friendships felt unbreakable.

Back to the Present

The bus jolted slightly, snapping Aria out of the memory.

She blinked, her fingers still gripping the pink fabric.

Then her eyes drifted sideways.

A woman sat across from her, completely absorbed in a book.

Aria squinted at the title:

"Best Friends to Lovers."

Her stomach twisted.

For a second, she just stared at the cover, her mind spiraling.

"That's what I thought my life would be."

She let out a hollow, breathless laugh. What a joke.

Her fingers tightened around the handkerchief.

"I'm so stupid."

She shook her head and smacked her forehead lightly.

"God, I need to touch grass." she muttered under her breath, forcing out a short, dry laugh.

It's fine.

It's not a big deal.

It's just Rishant.

It's just Nancy.

It's just…

Her fingers dug into the handkerchief, pressing it against her lap.

Just breathe. Just blink it away. Just pretend it's fine.

But the more she tried, the tighter her throat felt.

Her chest ached, a slow, creeping weight pressing against her ribs.

Her vision blurred.

She sniffled, blinking rapidly, her jaw clenching as she refused to let it happen.

She would not cry over this.

She was not that girl.

And yet—

A tear slipped down her cheek before she could stop it.

Then another.

And before she knew it, they were falling too fast, soaking into the pink fabric in her hands.

Her shoulders trembled as a silent sob shook her body.

She pressed the handkerchief to her face, biting down on her lip to keep the noise in.

No one noticed. The bus kept moving.

The world outside blurred past the window, going forward as if nothing had changed.

But for Aria—

Everything felt like it was falling apart.

Author’s Note:

Hey lovely readers!

This chapter, "Unseen," was an emotional rollercoaster, and I hope you felt every bit of Aria’s struggle. Sometimes, the hardest part isn’t losing someone—it’s realizing you were never seen the way you wanted to be.

If you’re enjoying the story, don’t forget to like, comment, and add it to your library! Your support means the world, and I’d love to hear your thoughts on this chapter. Was there a moment that hit you the hardest? Let me know!

See you in the next one!