Chapter Four: The Person Behind the Messages
1312 Words
Mira woke up the next morning with one thought on her mind.
The stranger.
She hated that she had started her day thinking about someone she had never met. Someone whose name she did not know. Someone who refused to answer simple questions but somehow knew things about her that he should not.
She reached for her phone before she even opened her eyes fully.
No new messages.
For some reason, that disappointed her.
Mira frowned at herself.
Why was she expecting a message?
She had only been talking to him for a few days.
He was just a stranger.
A stranger who somehow made her smile at her phone like a person with no problems.
She quickly locked her phone and got ready for school.
She refused to let a mysterious person distract her from her responsibilities.
At least, that was what she told herself.
---
The morning was already busy when Mira arrived on campus. Students walked around with coffee cups, books, and tired faces. Some were rushing to lectures, while others stood in groups discussing assignments.
Mira adjusted her bag and walked toward her department.
She had barely reached the building when she heard her name.
“Mira.”
She stopped.
Her smile disappeared immediately.
Daniel stood a few steps away.
She sighed.
“Again?”
His expression changed slightly. “Can we talk?”
“We already talked yesterday.”
“No, you walked away yesterday.”
“Because I didn’t have anything to say.”
Daniel moved closer, lowering his voice.
“I know I hurt you.”
Mira looked away.
Those words would have meant everything months ago.
Now, they only reminded her of how long she waited to hear them.
“You’re right,” she said quietly. “You did.”
“I was going through things too.”
Mira looked back at him.
“And what about me?”
Daniel went silent.
That silence answered everything.
Mira tightened her grip on her books.
“I spent months wondering what I did wrong. I kept checking my phone, thinking maybe you were busy or maybe something happened. But you chose to disappear.”
“Mira—”
“No.”
Her voice was softer than before, but stronger.
“I don’t hate you, Daniel. I just don’t want to keep hurting because of you.”
For a moment, he looked like he wanted to say something.
But he didn’t.
Mira walked away.
This time, she did not look back.
---
During her lecture, Mira tried to focus.
She really tried.
But her mind kept returning to the stranger.
She opened her notes and began writing, but instead of the lecturer’s words, she found herself drawing random lines on the page.
Her phone vibrated.
Her heart immediately reacted.
She looked down.
Stranger: You looked tired today.
Mira froze.
She looked around the lecture hall.
Hundreds of students sat around her.
Her eyes moved from one person to another.
Who was he?
Mira: Are you watching me again?
A few seconds later:
Stranger: Maybe.
Mira rolled her eyes.
Mira: You enjoy annoying me.
Stranger: You keep replying.
She wanted to argue.
But she couldn’t.
Because he was right.
A small smile appeared on her face before she could stop it.
The girl sitting beside her noticed.
“You’re smiling at your phone?”
Mira quickly locked her screen.
“No.”
The girl raised an eyebrow.
“You definitely were.”
Mira shook her head. “Focus on the lecture.”
The girl laughed.
For the first time in days, Mira felt normal.
---
Later that afternoon, Mira sat alone under a tree near the school field.
She liked this place because it was quiet. Away from the noise. Away from people asking questions.
She opened her lunch pack.
Inside were simple homemade snacks her mother prepared.
Mira smiled.
Her mother always acted like she wasn’t tired, but she still made sure Mira had something to eat before leaving home.
Her phone vibrated.
Stranger: Did you eat?
Mira stared.
Mira: How do you always know when to text?
Stranger: Lucky guess.
Mira: You’re a very suspicious person.
Stranger: And you’re very curious.
Mira smiled.
Mira: Maybe.
A few seconds passed.
Then:
Stranger: Maybe is a dangerous word.
She frowned.
Mira: Why?
The reply took longer this time.
Stranger: Because it means you haven’t decided yet.
Mira looked at the message.
She did not know why such a simple sentence affected her.
Maybe because lately, she had been tired of making decisions.
Choosing to be strong.
Choosing to pretend she was okay.
Choosing to let people go before they could leave her.
With him, she did not have to explain everything.
She could just be Mira.
Not the daughter trying to make her mother proud.
Not the student struggling to keep everything together.
Just Mira.
Mira: What about you? Do you always know what you want?
The typing bubble appeared.
Then stopped.
Finally:
Stranger: No.
She waited.
Another message came.
Stranger: Sometimes people who look like they have everything figured out are just better at hiding their problems.
Mira stared at the screen.
For the first time, she wondered about him.
Not the mystery.
Not the hidden identity.
The person.
Who was he?
What had happened to him?
Why did he sound lonely?
---
That evening, Mira returned home to find her mother sitting quietly at the table.
“Mum?”
Her mother looked up quickly and smiled.
“I’m fine.”
Mira frowned.
She had not even asked.
“That’s exactly what people say when they’re not fine.”
Her mother laughed softly.
“You sound older than me sometimes.”
Mira sat beside her.
“Are you worried about something?”
Her mother looked down at her hands.
“Things have been a little difficult lately.”
Mira’s chest tightened.
She already knew.
Bills.
Expenses.
Life.
“I can get a part-time job,” Mira said.
Her mother immediately shook her head.
“No.”
“But—”
“No, Mira. Your job is to study.”
“But you’re tired.”
Her mother reached out and held her hand.
“I didn’t sacrifice everything so you could start carrying my problems.”
Mira looked down, fighting the tears forming in her eyes.
“I just want to help.”
“I know.”
Her mother squeezed her hand.
“And you are helping. Every day you keep trying.”
That night, Mira went to her room with a heavy heart.
She changed into her pajamas and sat on her bed.
Her phone lit up.
Stranger: How was your day?
Mira smiled slightly.
She didn’t know why she felt comfortable telling him things.
Maybe because he didn’t judge her.
Maybe because he didn’t know her past.
Maybe because he was just a stranger.
Mira: Complicated.
Stranger: Want to talk about it?
Mira hesitated.
Then she typed.
Mira: My mum works too hard.
The reply came slowly.
Stranger: You love her.
Mira looked at the words.
Mira: A lot.
Stranger: She’s lucky.
Mira smiled.
Mira: What about you? Do you have someone who worries about you?
This time, the silence lasted longer.
Long enough that Mira thought she had asked something she shouldn’t.
Then:
Stranger: I used to.
Her smile faded.
There was pain behind those three words.
Before she could ask, another message appeared.
Stranger: But I’m glad I answered your message that night.
Mira’s heart skipped.
She stared at the screen.
Mira: Why?
The reply came.
Stranger: Because maybe I needed someone to talk to too.
Mira read it again.
And somehow, the stranger who was supposed to be a mistake no longer felt like one.
Maybe some people entered your life unexpectedly.
Maybe some people came at the exact moment you needed them.
And maybe, just maybe...
A stranger could become something more.
- Writer
