The Distance Between Them
744 Words
The next morning at Silverwood College felt different.
The usual chaos, the laughter, the whispered stories all somehow muted.
Aanya walked through the corridors, her steps slower than usual, her usual brightness dimmed. She could still hear yesterday’s words echoing in her mind.
“Stay away from me.”
“I’m toxic, Aanya.”
She had replayed those words all night, trying to understand the anger behind them. And the more she thought about it, the more she realized — it wasn’t hate.
It was fear.
Fear of himself. Fear of letting someone close.
Still, she kept her distance. She wasn’t going to chase him today. Not after what happened.
☕ The Friends’ Confession
At lunch break, she spotted Kabir, Dev, and Aman sitting near the back garden — their usual hangout. She hesitated for a moment, then walked up to them.
The boys exchanged glances, the mood suddenly awkward.
Aanya (softly): “You can stop pretending. I already know what happened yesterday.”
Kabir (clearing his throat): “Aanya… Rudra didn’t mean to yell. Things got ugly fast. Verma’s guys were looking for trouble.”
Dev: “Yeah, they were waiting for a chance to drag his name down — said he’d gone soft because of you.”
Aanya looked down, her heart tightening.
Aanya: “So he fought because of me?”
Aman nodded. “Partly. But mostly because… he doesn’t let anyone disrespect people under his watch. Even if he won’t admit it, he cares.”
Kabir (gently): “He’s scared, you know. Not of you — of what you make him feel. He’s never had someone look at him the way you do.”
For a moment, the silence between them was heavy. Aanya smiled faintly — but her eyes were sad.
Aanya: “He thinks I’ll break if I stay near him. But what he doesn’t get is… I’ve already fallen.”
The boys exchanged glances again — half shocked, half impressed.
Dev (teasing softly): “Guess the gangster finally met someone braver than himself.”
Aanya chuckled softly but her voice trembled.
Aanya: “I’m not brave. I’m just… honest about what I feel.”
🌧️ The Distance
The rest of the week, Aanya kept her word — she didn’t approach Rudra.
She still came to college, attended lectures, talked to her friends — but whenever Rudra walked into a room, she quietly slipped out.
Her eyes always found him in the crowd, though — sitting at the back of class, silent and unreadable.
And Rudra?
He noticed. Every single time.
When she didn’t greet him with her usual smile. When she didn’t sit near his bike. When she walked past him like he was a stranger.
Each small act of silence burned more than any insult ever could.
⚡ Rudra’s POV
From the terrace behind the sports building, Rudra watched her laughing faintly with Jiya and a few classmates.
She was smiling again — but not the same way. Her laughter didn’t reach her eyes.
“Good,” he told himself. “She’s staying away. That’s what I wanted.”
But the hollow ache in his chest said otherwise.
Kabir’s voice broke his thoughts.
Kabir: “You look like someone stole your bike, bro.”
Rudra (gruff): “Shut up.”
Dev (grinning): “You miss her. Admit it.”
Rudra (sharply): “I said, drop it.”
But when his friends left, and the noise faded, his guard dropped again.
She’s doing what I asked for… and I hate it.
He leaned against the railing, staring at the fading sunlight.
Maybe she’s better off without me.
But deep down, the thought of her slipping away completely — that scared him more than any fight ever could.
🌙 Aanya’s Thoughts
That night, Aanya sat on her balcony, the wind playing with her hair.
Her phone buzzed with messages — friends talking about college gossip, weekend plans — but her mind was elsewhere.
She opened her notes app, typing quietly:
“He thinks I’m afraid of him.
But the truth is — I’m afraid of how much I want to be near him.”
She stared at those words, sighed, and whispered to herself:
“You can’t keep running forever, Rudra Mehra. One day, you’ll have to face what you feel.”
And somewhere across the city, Rudra looked up at the same night sky —
both of them miles apart, but somehow still orbiting the same storm.
- Writer
