The Plushie I Held, The Hand I Didn't

Some stories start with a stolen moment. Dad’s friend moved in next door. Laughter suddenly echoed through the walls—the kind of warm, lively family that made our quiet, structured house finally feel alive. Mummy nudged me gently. “Go downstairs, Aria. Help them carry their things.” I was 16. Class 11. Fresh out of school, still wearing my uniform—a crisp white shirt, a pleated blue skirt, and my hair tied into two neat braids. The moving vehicle was parked outside, its back wide open with boxes stacked high like a mini fortress. That’s when I saw it. A small puppy plushie. It had the softest faux fur and glassy brown eyes, sitting right on top of a cardboard box. It looked lonely, almost as if it were waiting just for me. Without overthinking, I climbed up, picked it up, and hugged it tightly against my chest. It was soft. Warm. Safe. “I found a little thief.” The voice came from right behind me. Low. Teasing. Incredibly close. I froze. In that exact second, even the summer wind seemed to stop blowing. Slowly, I turned around, my fingers still digging deep into the soft fur of the plushie. He was tall. Strands of messy black hair fell effortlessly over his forehead. He wore a simple white t-shirt, and his eyes were dark and sharp—yet they softened the moment they locked onto mine. For a heartbeat, nothing else existed. The cluttered boxes, the shouting of the movers, the noise of the street... all gone. My chest tightened. It felt as though someone had wrapped a satin ribbon around my ribs and pulled it taut. Breath... completely gone. The air around us felt different. Thicker. Like it didn't belong to my lungs anymore. My heart beat too loud, too fast, as if it were desperately trying to escape my chest. “Do you like it?” he asked, his gaze dropping to the plushie before rising back to meet my face. I nodded. I couldn’t speak; my throat had gone completely dry. “Relax, little girl. I was just teasing.” Little girl. He then mentioned my dad's name. “You’re his daughter, right?” I nodded again, my palms growing sweaty against the doll. “Come on, let’s carry these inside.” He stepped in and effortlessly took the heavy box from my hands. As he did, our fingers brushed. It lasted for barely a second. But my entire body memorized the spark. That night, sleep completely evaded me. I lay awake staring at the ceiling, dreaming of him, of that low voice, and the intoxicating shift in the air when he looked at me. His name was Arav. Class 12. The boy next door whom I didn’t know yet, but desperately wanted to. The next day, Mummy and Dad went over to their house to welcome them properly. I tagged along instantly. Not for the polite small talk. Not for the tea. Only for him. But he wasn’t there. The fluttering hope in my chest instantly went quiet. It left behind a hollow, aching emptiness. Disappointed, I walked over to the neighborhood park instead. I kicked loose pebbles down the dirt path, pretending to myself that it didn’t hurt. “Aria?” I stopped dead in my tracks. I turned around. Arav was there. He was leaning casually against a large tree, both hands shoved deep into his pockets. And just like that, I blushed. A wave of intense heat burned through my cheeks, my ears, and down my neck. “Why are you blushing so much?” He stepped closer, his eyes searching mine with a faint smirk. “Is it really that hot today?” I looked down. Fast. I stared intently at the grass, at the tips of my shoes—anywhere but at him. “I’m just kidding,” he said softly, the teasing edge completely fading from his voice. It was replaced by something else. Something gentle. Real. “How are your studies going? Do you need help with anything?” And just like that... days blurred into a beautiful routine. Whenever I struggled, I’d run to him with complex math problems or confusing physics notes. He would lean over my notebook, patiently explaining every step. He sat close enough that I could catch the clean, subtle scent of his shampoo. And somehow... my grades began to climb. For him. Because of him. Years slipped by like water. High school finally came to an end, bringing the dreaded final exams. The day my results were published happened to be the exact same day Arav was taking his competitive university admission exam. I topped the boards. I got into the best college. Holding the trembling piece of paper in my hands, I didn’t run home to celebrate. I ran straight to his university campus. I wanted to be the first person to show him. I wanted to see his proud smile when he found out. I searched every exam hall, every crowded corridor, every concrete bench. I couldn't find him anywhere. Then, just as I was losing hope, I spotted him outside the main building. His hair was a messy nest, his eyes looked tired, and his white shirt was crumpled from the brutal three-hour exam. But... he wasn’t alone. A girl had her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. Her head was buried deeply into his chest, occupying that space as if she completely owned it. He didn’t push her away. He didn’t look uncomfortable. He just held her. My heart shattered. Just like that. My chest caved in, and the breath got violently stuck in my throat. Hot tears rushed to my eyes, blurring my vision. The gentle breeze that had been blowing suddenly died down. The entire world went dead silent. Everything I had hidden so carefully... every stolen glance, every furious blush, every whispered “Thank you, Arav” I had practiced in front of my mirror... Shattered into a million pieces. I didn’t walk up to him. I couldn’t. Turning on my heel, I walked away from the campus, went straight to my room, and locked the door. And I cried. Silent, bitter tears that burned my skin. The kind of tears that felt like they would never, ever stop. That was two years ago. To be continued...