Chapter7. Almosy
1478 Words
CHAPTER 7
ALMOST
There are moments in life that come painfully close to becoming something else.
A conversation that almost becomes a confession.
A look that almost becomes a question.
A sentence that stays on the edge of someone’s lips but is never spoken.
For Aarav, there were many such moments.
But there was one he remembered more than the others.
The day he almost told Anaya.
It was an ordinary afternoon.
Classes had ended, but a few students were still inside the classroom finishing their work.
The sunlight came through the windows, falling across the desks in long golden lines.
Anaya sat at the front, writing in her notebook.
Naina had already left.
Rishabh was outside talking to some classmates.
Aarav was still at the last bench.
He looked toward the front.
Anaya was alone.
For a few seconds, he simply watched her.
Then he closed his notebook.
He stood up.
And walked toward her.
“Anaya.”
She looked up.
“Yes?”
“You haven’t gone home?”
“I’m finishing something.” He nodded.
“What are you writing?” She smiled.
“You’ve asked me that before.”
“I know.”
“Then why ask again?”
“I like hearing you talk about it.”
Anaya looked at him for a moment.
Something about the way he said it made her pause.
“You really want to know?”
“Yes.”
She closed her notebook.
“I want to write stories someday.”
“You already write stories.”
“I mean properly.”
“You will.”
She smiled.
“How do you know?”
“Because you care about it.” Anaya looked at him.
“You notice a lot.”
Aarav smiled faintly.
“Maybe.”
There was a pause.
Neither of them spoke.
The classroom suddenly felt strangely quiet.
Aarav looked at her.
He had imagined this moment so many times.
He could say it now.
I like you.
Three words.
That’s all.
His heart was beating faster.
“Anaya…”
She looked at him.
“Hmm?” He opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
She waited.
“What?”
Aarav looked away.
“I wanted to ask you something.”
“What?”
He hesitated.
Then he said,
“Do you… like someone?” Anaya blinked.
The question caught her completely off guard.
“Like someone?” He nodded.
“Yes.”
She thought about it.
“Why?”
“Just asking.” She smiled.
“No.”
Aarav looked back at her.
“No?”
“No.”
He felt something inside him loosen.
“Okay.”
“Why did you ask?”
He quickly looked toward the window.
“No reason.”
Anaya studied him.
“You seem nervous.”
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
Aarav laughed softly.
“I’m fine.”
She smiled.
“Okay.”
Another silence.
This was it.
He could tell her.
She wasn’t going anywhere.
She had just said she didn’t like anyone.
He had a chance.
He looked at her.
“Anaya, I…”
She waited.
“I…”
The classroom door suddenly opened.
Rishabh walked in.
“There you are!”
Aarav immediately stepped back.
Rishabh looked between them.
“What happened?” “Nothing,” Aarav said quickly.
Anaya smiled.
“We were just talking.”
Rishabh looked at Aarav suspiciously.
“Okay…”
Aarav picked up his bag.
“I should go.”
Anaya nodded.
“Bye.”
“Bye.”
He walked away.
Rishabh followed him.
The moment they stepped outside, Rishabh looked at him.
“You almost told her.” Aarav said nothing.
“You were going to.”
“I don’t know.”
Rishabh laughed.
“You absolutely were.”
Aarav looked back toward the classroom.
“I couldn’t.”
“Why?”
Aarav sighed.
“Because everything was going well.” Rishabh frowned.
“How is telling her going to ruin that?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’ll never know if you don’t try.” Aarav looked down.
“What if things change?”
Rishabh didn’t have an answer.
Because that was the one thing Aarav feared most.
Not rejection.
Change.
He could survive hearing “no.”
What he couldn’t imagine was losing the friendship they had built.
That evening, Aarav sat at his desk.
His books were open.
But he wasn’t studying.
He kept thinking about the conversation.
Do you like someone?
No.
Her answer replayed in his head.
He smiled.
Then he remembered the moment he almost confessed.
His smile disappeared.
He had been so close.
He had even started saying her name.
But fear had stopped him.
He opened his notebook.
On the last page, he wrote something.
Anaya,
Then he stopped.
He stared at the name.
After a moment, he closed the notebook.
He couldn’t write it either.
The next day at school, everything seemed normal.
Anaya smiled when she saw him.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning.”
She walked toward her seat.
Aarav watched her.
She didn’t seem to think anything had changed.
Maybe that was good.
Maybe it was easier this way.
Rishabh sat beside him.
“So?”
“So what?”
“Did you sleep?”
“Yes.”
“Thinking about her?” Aarav gave him a look.
Rishabh smiled.
“Thought so.”
Aarav shook his head.
“Leave it.”
“Fine.”
But Rishabh knew.
Aarav had almost said it.
And sometimes almost was harder than never.
A few weeks later, another opportunity came.
The school was preparing for an annual event.
Students were staying after classes to help decorate the classroom.
Anaya was standing on a chair, trying to reach a corner of the wall.
“Careful,” Aarav said.
“I’m fine.”
“The chair is moving.”
“I can manage.”
Aarav stepped closer.
“Let me.”
“I’ve got it.”
The chair wobbled.
Aarav immediately held it steady.
Anaya looked down at him.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
She finished putting up the decoration and stepped down.
For a moment, they stood very close.
Anaya smiled.
“You always help me.” Aarav looked at her.
“I know.”
She laughed.
“You know?”
“I mean…”
He smiled.
“I don’t mind.”
She looked at him curiously.
“Why?”
There it was again.
Another opening.
Another chance.
Aarav could have told her.
Instead, he said, “Because you’re my friend.” Anaya smiled.
“You’re a good friend.”
The words should have made him happy.
They did.
But they also hurt.
Because he wanted to be more.
He simply didn’t know how to say it.
Later that evening, Rishabh found him sitting alone outside the classroom.
“You okay?”
Aarav nodded.
“Yeah.”
“You look like someone stole your lunch.” Aarav laughed.
“Nothing happened.”
“That’s your favorite sentence.”
Aarav looked toward the empty corridor.
“She called me a good friend.” Rishabh sat beside him.
“That’s good.”
“I know.”
“But?”
Aarav smiled sadly.
“I want more.”
Rishabh became quiet.
For the first time, Aarav had said it aloud.
Not to Anaya.
But to someone.
“I love her,” he said quietly.
Rishabh looked at him.
Aarav stared ahead. “I don’t know when it happened.” Rishabh smiled. “You’ve known for a while.” Aarav nodded.
“I know.”
“Then tell her.”
Aarav shook his head.
“Not yet.”
“Why?”
Aarav thought about it.
“Because I want to remember this time.”
“What do you mean?”
“These days.”
He looked toward the classroom. “Before everything becomes complicated.” Rishabh didn’t argue.
He knew Aarav had made his decision.
The school year continued.
And Aarav continued loving her quietly.
He never stopped noticing her.
Never stopped caring.
Never stopped wondering what might have happened if he had been brave enough to say those three words.
But he never did.
Not then.
And perhaps that was the strange thing about first love.
Sometimes the person you love never knows.
Sometimes the most important sentence of your youth remains unspoken.
Sometimes you remember not what happened… But what almost happened.
Years later, Aarav would remember that classroom.
The afternoon sunlight.
Anaya sitting at the front.
Her notebook.
Her smile.
The question she had asked him.
“Why?”
And he would remember how close he had come.
How he had looked into her eyes and almost said:
I like you.
Almost.
But he hadn’t.
And neither of them knew that the words he left unsaid in 2012 would still be waiting for them years later.
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