The Quiet Between!!

RISING OF A HOPE

The sun always seem louder in Trichy.

By seven, St. Alberts College was already alive by girls rushing with ID cards swinging, autos honking outside the gate, and the smell of coffee and dust hanging in the air.

And in the middle of all that chaos was

Iva Maria John

the girl everyone knew, either because she’d made them laugh or made them late to class.

Born and raised in Idukki, where clouds kissed the hills and cardamom floated through the

air, Iva carried her mountains wherever she went in her warmth, her laughter, and her stubborn heart.

She was chubby, cheerful, and endlessly talkative the kind of girl who’d strike up a conversation with a stranger just because the silence was too awkward.

If college had a heartbeat, it probably laughed like Iva.

But no one knew how much strength it took to keep that laughter alive.

Behind her brightness...lived memories that stung, their had a childhood that had taught her to smile through pain, to joke before anyone could ask if she was okay.

She’d learned to hide her cracks with noise, because silence made her remember.

Her hostel life, though, was her escape.

Five girls, one room - 1112

Iva, Sreya, Neha, Kripa, and Feba

and not a single quiet evening in sight.

They danced to random Malayalam songs, fought over hair straighteners, and laughed until the warden threatened to cut the power.

Their bond was messy and loud and perfect.

They called themselves “Alberts Angels,” a name that made absolutely no sense but somehow felt like home.

Outside the hostel, Iva had her small circle Sanu, Abhi, and Aryan.

Sanu was her partner-in-chaos, a mix of sarcasm and sincerity.

Abhi was her “brother” who scolded her for silly things because he cares..

And Aryan the dramatic one could turn even a cup of tea into a life lesson.but the real one,the sensitive one

With them, college wasn’t just about marks or attendance, it was a memory being built, one laugh at a time.

It was one hot afternoon at the college canteen.

Iva and Sanu were halfway through the one and only tastier combo in the canteen, plate of

puffs and lime juice, and they were arguing whether Idukki or Pathanamthitta had better weather.

When someone called out Sanu’s name.

Iva looked up.

A tall guy walked in..neatly dressed, calm, with the kind of smile that didn’t try too hard.He was carrying no books, no backpack, just an air of quiet confidence.

He walked straight to their table.

“Hey Sanu, you submitted the Assignments?”

“Almost,” Sanu replied, grinning. “Hey John, meet Iva, Iva Maria John

John smiled politely, gave a small nod.. and that was it.

He turned back to Sanu, continued talking, and in those few minutes, never once looked at her again.

Iva, still chewing her food, watched quietly.

There was something about him not dramatic, not showy just... steady.

And for reasons she couldn’t explain, her normally loud mind went completely still.

When John left, Sanu looked at her suspiciously.

“Why are you so quiet suddenly?” he teased. “Don’t tell me you’ve got a crush on him!”

Iva snapped back to her usual self, rolling her eyes dramatically.

“No man! He was not even looking like a Malayali boy, na?” she laughed, wavi9ng her hand as if to brush the thought away.

But even as she said it, something about that short encounter lingered.

That evening, back in her noisy hostel room, as her friends sang old Malayalam songs and fought over snacks, Iva found herself smiling without reason.

She didn’t know it then, a new chapter of her life had quietly begun in that canteen..with a boy who hadn’t even looked at her.