chapter 1 : the girl who never shuts up
If there was one thing everyone knew about Ananya, it was that she could never stay quiet.Not because she always had something important to say, but because, according to her, silence was boring, and boring people had boring lives. She could turn the smallest incident into a twenty-minute story, argue over the most ridiculous things, and laugh so loudly that people sitting on the other side of the classroom would turn around to see what was happening.
Her best friend, Saanvi, often said that Ananya could talk to a wall and somehow end up having an argument with it.Ananya considered that a compliment.
“I’m telling you, Saanvi, she has a personal problem with me,” Ananya announced one Monday morning, dropping her schoolbag onto the bench beside her.
Saanvi didn’t even look up from her notebook. “Who?”
“Our class teacher, obviously. Who else is obsessed with my existence?”
“Maybe because you don’t let her complete a single sentence without interrupting.”
Ananya stared at her. “Excuse me? I participate in class.”
“You participate in everything except studying.”
“That’s a very hurtful thing to say to an academically talented individual.”
“You got six out of ten in the last test.”
“Six is more than five. Focus on the positive.”
Saanvi finally looked up, her expression completely blank. “You’re actually impossible.”
“And yet, you love me.”
“Unfortunately.”
Ananya grinned and stole a biscuit from Saanvi’s lunchbox before she could protest.Their conversation was interrupted by Ishita, who arrived just in time to witness Ananya attempting to steal a second biscuit.
“Why don’t you bring your own food?” Ishita asked, sitting beside them.
“Because sharing is caring.”
“Then why don’t you share yours?”
Ananya paused.
Saanvi slowly turned towards Ishita, her mouth falling open in exaggerated shock. “OH MY GOD. SHE’S LEARNING.”
“I’m proud of you, Ishita,” Ananya said solemnly. “One day, you’ll become as intelligent as us.”
“I’d rather not.”
And just like that, the three of them burst into laughter.
They were an unusual trio, at least according to the people who knew them. Ananya was the loudest, Saanvi was almost as chaotic, and Ishita was the one who usually tried to keep them from getting into trouble. Tried being the important word, because whenever Ananya and Saanvi got together, even Ishita’s patience had its limits.They had their own language, their own jokes, and their own collection of embarrassing memories that they threatened to reveal whenever one of them became too annoying.Ananya loved them more than she could explain.She was the kind of person who needed people around her. She liked talking, laughing, sharing random thoughts, and telling her friends every little thing that happened during the day. Even when something upset her, she usually found a way to turn it into a joke.But there was another side of Ananya that very few people ever saw.Sometimes, after a long day at school, she would return home, change into comfortable clothes, and sit in front of her mirror without really knowing why. She would examine her reflection, notice little things about herself, and compare herself to girls she thought were prettier, more confident, or simply better than her.She knew comparison was pointless. She knew everyone had insecurities. She even told her friends not to judge themselves so harshly.
Yet somehow, following her own advice was much harder.There were days when she wondered whether people genuinely liked her or whether they simply enjoyed having someone funny around. Days when she worried that her personality was the only thing she had going for her. Days when a small comment could stay in her mind for hours, even if she laughed as though it hadn’t bothered her.She never told Saanvi or Ishita about those thoughts in their entirety. Not because she didn’t trust them, but because she didn’t know how to explain something she barely understood herself.
Besides, Ananya Sharma had an image to maintain.She was the girl who didn’t care.The girl who could laugh at anything.The girl who always had a comeback ready.And if something hurt her, well, she would simply make a joke about it.That was easier than admitting she had been hurt in the first place.As far as romance was concerned, Ananya had never been particularly serious about it. She liked the idea of being loved, of having someone who genuinely cared about her, but real relationships seemed unnecessarily complicated. Her friends could spend entire lunch breaks discussing crushes, decoding messages, and analysing whether a boy’s two-second glance meant something.Ananya usually participated enthusiastically, even when she had absolutely no useful advice to offer.
“Okay, imagine your crush looks at you for three seconds,” Saanvi said one afternoon. “What does that mean?”
“That he’s looking at you,” Ishita answered before Ananya could speak.
“Wrong,” Ananya declared. “It means he is either in love with you, plotting your murder, or wondering why you’re staring at him.”
Ishita gave her a look. “Why would you even say that last part?”
“Because, darling, self-awareness is important.”
Saanvi laughed so hard that she had to put her phone away.Ananya joined her, completely satisfied with herself.
At that point in her life, she had no idea how complicated love could become. She had no idea that one day she would analyse the smallest things, remember moments that other people would forget within minutes, and spend countless nights wondering what might have happened if she had been brave enough to say a few simple words.She had no idea that a person could become important without ever truly becoming a part of her life.And she certainly had no idea that some regrets didn’t begin with something you did.Sometimes, they began with something you never did at all.
But that was a story for another day.For now, Ananya Sharma was busy arguing with Saanvi about whether stealing your best friend’s food counted as friendship or a criminal offence.
“It’s called sharing,” Ananya insisted.
“It’s called theft.”
“It’s called emotional support.”
“Give me back my chocolate.”
“Finders keepers.”
“I SWEAR TO GOD, ANANYA—”
Ishita shook her head, gathering her books as the bell rang.
Some things never changed.And Ananya believed she had plenty of time for everything else.She believed there would always be another day, another opportunity, another chance to say what she wanted to say.
She didn’t know that one day, years of silence would come down to a single message on her phone.And by the time she finally sent it, the answer would be one she could never take back.For now, though, she was still laughing.And she had absolutely no idea how much she would one day wish she could return to this moment.
