Shumaila sat with her tray in the cafeteria, half-listening to the conversation happening around her. The food on her plate remained untouched as she idly poked at it with her fork.
Komal noticed first and sent the text in the group chat, while others replied.
Komal : She hasn't complained about Hamza in two days. That's weird, right?
Sneha : Because she has nothing to complain about.
Siddarth : And that's exactly the problem.
Akansha sipped her juice, glancing at Shumaila with mild amusement.
Akansha : She's used to him being around. Now that he's not… it's affecting her.
Rudra : So, what's the verdict? When do we start Phase Four?
Aarav : Not yet, She's already noticing. Let's see how long it takes before she admits it to herself.
At first, Shumaila didn't think much of it. She had better things to do than wonder where Hamza was.
But then, the small things started adding up. In the cafeteria, her gaze flickered toward the table where Hamza usually sat. It was empty.
In class, someone casually mentioned Hamza's name, and before she could stop herself, she tuned into the conversation.
In the library, she instinctively checked the usual corner where he often sat, only to find it vacant.
Why do I keep noticing?
Then, during a conversation, Rudra casually brought up Hamza's name while talking about a CS project.
"Yeah, Hamza was supposed to help, but he's been MIA lately. No idea what he's up to."
Shumaila reacted too quickly. "What do you mean, MIA?"
Rudra smirked. "Why? You miss him or something?"
She immediately scowled and turned away. "As if. Just wondering why the university suddenly feels peaceful."
Komal snorted. "Yeah, sure."
Shumaila shot her a glare. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing, nothing," Komal sing-songed, exchanging a knowing look with Sneha.
Shumaila huffed and returned to her food, completely ignoring how she suddenly felt the urge to check her phone.
That evening, she sat in her dorm room, flipping through her notes.
She should be focusing, but her thoughts kept drifting.
Memories of Hamza bugging her in the library. His teasing. The way he'd smirk at her frustration. The way he kept apologising after finding the truth and bugging her. The way she never used to feel this stupid silence.
She tossed her pen down, leaning back against her chair. "This is stupid. Why am I even thinking about him?"
She grabbed her phone, scrolling aimlessly, but the silence in the room was too heavy.
"Ugh!" she groaned, tossing her phone onto the bed. "I don't care. I really don't."
But even as she said it, she knew she was lying.
At their usual meeting spot, the group sat in a tight circle, analyzing their progress.
"She's at the tipping point," Sneha said confidently. "We just need a final push."
"So what do we do?" Rudra asked, rubbing his hands together in excitement.
Aarav smirked. "It's time to make her snap."
Siddarth crossed his arms. "And how do we do that?"
"Simple," Akansha chimed in. "We make her think Hamza is moving on."
The next day, Shumaila was walking toward the campus café when she heard soft laughter.
She turned her head slightly and froze.
Across the courtyard, Hamza was talking to another girl.
It wasn't like he was flirting. He was just… talking. Laughing. Existing in a world that didn't include her.
For some reason, it irritated the hell out of her.
Why do I care? He can talk to whoever he wants.
But then the girl casually touched his arm, and a strange heat rushed through her chest.
Her grip on her coffee cup tightened.
"Whatever," she muttered under her breath, turning on her heel and walking away.
Shumaila stormed into her dorm room, tossing her bag onto her desk.
She felt restless, irritated, and completely frustrated.
"He can do whatever he wants! Why do I care? I don't care!" (kya pagal hai ye hatt)
But the more she repeated it, the less believable it sounded.
She plopped down on her bed, gripping her phone tightly.
For the first time, she felt an overwhelming urge to text him. To say something. Anything.
She stared at her screen, debating whether to type out a message.
But what would she even say?
Why aren't you annoying me anymore?
Why does it feel weird without you?
Why does this feel worse than fighting with you?
She groaned and flopped back onto her bed, throwing her phone onto the pillow next to her.
She wasn't going to text him.
But she realized something undeniable. She missed him.