Chapter Three: Shadows in the Background
452 Words
It had been four days since their last call.
Not that Pakhi was counting.
Not deliberately, at least.
She had thrown herself into work — follow-ups, trackers, tech calls. But somewhere between syncing timelines and updating documents, she’d found herself watching for his name in her notifications. It didn’t show up. Not even once.
And yet, she didn’t reach out.
Why would she? There was no reason to. They had spoken for work. That was all.
Still, she couldn’t forget the way he had laughed. Or how naturally the conversation had flowed. She hadn’t felt that… seen, in a long time.
So when her phone buzzed with a message that evening, her heart jumped.
Rehaan:
Hey, just looping you in — we’ve finalized the dependency list. Will set up a review tomorrow. Hope things are going okay on your end.
She read the message twice. Professional. Polite. But there was a softness tucked between the lines.
Pakhi:
Thanks, Rehaan. I’ll be ready for it. Hope you’re surviving the barking drills in Bangalore? 😄
He replied instantly.
Rehaan:
Barely. My sanity now depends on strong coffee and mild sarcasm.
She smiled.
Before she could respond again, another message came through.
Rehaan:
By the way… sorry for being off-grid the past few days. Things were… complicated.
She hesitated.
Then typed, carefully:
Pakhi:
All okay?
A minute passed. Then two.
Then his typing bubble appeared.
Rehaan:
Yeah. Just had someone visiting. Someone I used to be with… for a long time. We ended things a while ago, but it’s still... complicated.
Pakhi stared at the screen. Her breath caught for a moment, not from jealousy—no, it wasn’t that—but from the ache of realism setting in.
Of course, he had a past. People like him didn’t walk around unattached. And this wasn’t a story. It was real life. Messy, unresolved, layered.
She didn’t want to pry. But she couldn’t pretend she didn’t care either.
Pakhi:
I get it. Closure isn’t always clean.
Rehaan:
Exactly. Sometimes you think it’s done. Then a random conversation stirs up everything again.
He paused. Then added:
Rehaan:
But you didn’t sign up for that story. Sorry — didn’t mean to overshare.
She stared at his message for a long while before replying.
Pakhi:
Maybe not. But I’m listening anyway.
And there it was—something raw and unspoken opening gently between them.
Still long-distance. Still strangers by every practical measure. Still just voices and texts on opposite ends of the map.
But in that quiet exchange, a line had been crossed. Not romantically—not yet. But emotionally. Silently.
And somewhere deep inside, Pakhi realized she was no longer just curious.
She was already beginning to care.
- Writer
