The classroom buzzed with energy, but it all seemed to freeze the moment Anaya walked in. Every pair of eyes followed her as if she were a stranger. For a second, she even paused at the threshold, wondering if she had stepped into the wrong room. But no, it was her class, her friends. And yet, their expressions were painted with surprise, admiration, and something else she couldn't quite name.
Rhea gasped first, breaking the heavy silence.
"Anaya… You... wait, are you really Anaya?"
Anaya blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"
"You look… stunning. I couldn't even recognize you at first! What did you do to your hair? And your eyes… why did you wear glasses. you're glowing, Anaya. It's like someone else walked in."
Anaya smiled softly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. She had barely noticed how her trip to home had changed her.., her loose, soft waves now framed her face gently, and there was a subtle sparkle in her eyes, as though the moonlight she'd watched rising from the sea had left a trace within her.
"I just got a haircut today morning. I thought it wouldn't suit me and but, seems like differently," she replied simply.
The rest of the class slowly returned to their senses, murmuring in amazement as they stole glances at her. She chose not to mind the sudden attention and quietly walked to her seat.
The day continued as usual, until the lunch break.
CR Vicky had been unusually quiet that morning. But during the break, he suddenly walked up to her as she stood by the corridor, sipping water.
"Anaya," he said, lowering his voice, "I have something to talk to you about. Are you free this evening? Meet me at the library."
Anaya blinked, startled. "Okay," she said after a pause.
Evening arrived quietly.
When she reached the library, the scent of old books and silence greeted her. Vicky was already there, seated at the corner table beside the glass window where warm golden rays of the setting sun fell gently.
For a moment, Anaya stood frozen at the entrance.
The scene pulled her heart back to the day she had once thought about confessing her feelings. A different girl, in a different time.
But she shook off the memory, breathed deeply, and walked toward him.
Vicky looked up as she approached and immediately stood up. "Are you okay?" he asked, a hint of urgency in his voice. "I tried calling you so many times. Your phone was unreachable. Where have you been these past few days?"
Anaya sat down quietly, her eyes steady. "Why? Why did you want to call me? Was there something you needed to say to me?"
Vicky blinked at her, caught off guard. She continued calmly, "I just went to my hometown. There's no proper signal there."
He let out a breath of relief. "Oh… okay. I'm just glad you're fine."
There was a pause.
Anaya slowly stood up, her fingers brushing the edge of the table. "If that's all, I'll take my leave."
But Vicky stepped forward, blocking her path. "Wait… do you.., well do you have a crush on me?"
She froze. And controlled her tears from fallen.
The air between them felt heavier all of a sudden. Slowly, she turned her head toward him. "Does it matter to you?" she asked, her voice even, controlled. "And mind your words. You're already in a relationship."
Anaya continued, "but why did you ask me this suddenly? .. oh! I remembered now, that i wrote a note to you to meet me. Is it because of that."
Vicky replied, "yes.. I.. I don't read that earlier, i was just busy with something. But, I really don't have any feelings towards you. I admire you but its not love. I admire your innocence, i admire your quietness. And 8 like to tease you and made you as one of our friends. That's all. If you really got an idea like that, I'm really sorry. I don't mean to hurt, but.. its just that it is the fact. Right!"
Anaya answered quickly with some braveness, " Yess.. but, who told you that I like you."
"Then… why did you write me that note?" Vicky asked, looking genuinely confused.
Anaya gave a faint, bittersweet smile. "Oh, I see now. That note.., that note is not about my feelings, its just that..."
She exhaled slowly. "Vicky, I think you misunderstood. I didn't write that note for myself. I wrote it because of Rose."
He stared at her, stunned. "What?... Because of Rose.."
"Yes," she said. "Lately, she's been asking about you all the time. I couldn't quite understand her feelings, but I thought maybe… maybe it was best to tell you directly. Before things got messy."
She swallowed hard. "Turns out, you had already proposed to her. You both are together now. And I'm really happy for you both."
He was silent for a moment. "So… it was because of Rose?"
Anaya gave a small nod. "Of course. Who else would it be?"
Vicky chuckled softly, a little embarrassed. "I really didn't know… and I thought... well, I wasn't sure."
She met his gaze, and though her eyes glistened faintly, she stood tall. "Vicky, don't get me wrong. I never had any feelings for you. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."
"No," he said quickly. "I'm the one who should apologize. I didn't mean to accuse or hurt you. It's just… you've always been so quiet and kind, and sometimes it's easy to misunderstand."
She looked away. "It's fine. Just… please don't worry. I didn't do anything stupid."
His shoulders relaxed. "I'm glad. Really."
Anaya turned to leave again.
"One more thing," he said. "Why did you disappear suddenly? Just because of family matters?"
She nodded. "Yes. Something urgent came up."
She didn't mention the sleepless nights, She didn't tell him about the moment she stood in front of the moonlit sea and whispered goodbye to her old self.
Some things were meant to be carried alone.
As she walked away from the library, the sun had dipped low, casting golden shadows across the corridor. And though her heart ached faintly from being misunderstood, there was a strength now in her steps light, steady, and free.
The sun had dipped beneath the horizon by the time Anaya stepped out of the campus library. The air had turned cooler, brushing gently against her skin as she walked down the familiar path leading to her hostel. The streets buzzed with soft evening chatter. students heading to dinner, the occasional laugh echoing from a distance but inside her, everything felt still.
When she reached the gates of her hostel, she looked up once at the tall building she had called home for the past few months. Then, without a word, she stepped in and headed to her room.
The dormitory was quiet. Most of her roommates were still out. Only her bed and the corner around it knew the silence she carried every day. Without wasting a moment, Anaya opened her cupboard and slowly began folding her clothes neatly, one by one placing them carefully into her modest suitcase.
It felt surreal. Each item she packed held a memory: late-night study sessions, quiet sobs into the pillow, shared chocolates, small birthday notes, and morning sunlight that filtered in through the curtains.
Just then, all of her roommates were returned.
She stopped at the doorway, surprised. "Hey... Anaya where have been. We are all worried you. Wait.. you're packing? Are you going somewhere?" a girl asked.
Anaya glanced up, pausing. "Yeah, I'm sorry. Just something came up suddenly at home and then I went home" she said softly. " and I'm moving out of the hostel."
They all walked in, frowning. "Wait, seriously? Why so suddenly?"
Before Anaya could reply, Rose entered from behind, carrying a half-eaten sandwich and a bottle of water. She looked from the suitcase to Anaya and back again.
"Anaya," she said, her voice laced with concern, "why are you moving out all of a sudden? Is something wrong?"
Anaya looked down, hesitated for a moment, and then quietly said, "No... it's nothing like that. I—I'm just trying to find a part time job. The place I'm looking at will keep me out late, and it won't be safe returning here every night. So, I thought it'd be better to stay somewhere nearby."
Her voice was calm, but the hesitation in her words didn't go unnoticed.
Rose stepped forward. "You could've told me earlier. I would've.. " She stopped herself. "Anyway, if you ever need anything…"
Anaya gave a small nod. "Thanks, Rose. I think, i don't have a chance to take your help."
Rose grinned secretly..
Once her suitcase was zipped shut, she stood and looked around the room one last time. The soft hum of the fan, the posters on the walls, the slight creak in her bed frame. it all felt like part of a memory already forming.
Her roommates gathered around, offering hugs, goodbyes, and a few emotional farewells. It was hard to tell who was more surprised, is it Anaya, for the emotions they showed, or them, for realizing how quiet yet constant her presence had been.
Then, she left the dorm with any other words. Because she knnows, that they were all pretending.
She handed her hostel exit letter to the warden at the front desk, signed her name with a steady hand, and left the building.
Outside, the world seemed bigger than before.
She called a cab and sat silently by the window as it pulled away from the hostel gates. Her reflection in the glass looked calm, almost peaceful. But inside, there was a fluttering, like pages of a book turning fast in the wind.
About thirty minutes later, the cab came to a stop in front of a small, cozy restaurant nestled between two narrow streets. A dim yellow light hung above the door, casting a warm glow on the nameboard: The Lantern Restaurant.
She stepped out with her suitcase in hand.
This was the place. Where she would work. Where she would now live. It wasn't much, a small store room. but ahe decided to leave those pretendy things and start anew life from here and now it was hers. A start. A choice she made for herself.
Anaya took a deep breath and walked inside, her heart steady.
Behind her, the past whispered softly, like the pages of a closed chapter.
But ahead, something new was waiting to be written.