Unknown, Until You

There were days when Elara felt like she was only pretending to live.

She woke up.

Went to class.

Came back to her room.

Ate something because she had to.

Scrolled through her phone until her eyes hurt.

Then slept.

And somehow, the next morning, she did it all over again.

There wasn't anything particularly wrong with that day.

Which was probably what made it worse.

Elara lay sprawled across her bed, staring at the ceiling while her phone rested beside her.

She wasn't sad.

She wasn't happy either.

She was just... bored.

Bored enough to start doing things she probably shouldn't.

She picked up her phone and opened an anonymous chat platform she had been using for a while.

Talking to strangers had always been easier for her.

Strangers didn't know her.

They didn't know what she had been through.

They didn't have expectations.

And if she didn't like someone, she could simply leave.

No explanations.

No awkward goodbyes.

Just disappear.

Perfect.

She tapped through a few random profiles.

One person was trying too hard to sound mysterious.

Another had written an entire paragraph about how they were "different from everyone else."

Elara immediately skipped them.

"Absolutely not."

She kept scrolling.

Then she saw one profile.

No picture.

No proper description.

Just:

Aryan, 24.

Bored.

Elara stared at it.

"Wow. Inspiring."

She almost skipped him.

Almost.

Instead, she tapped Connect.

A chat opened.

For a few seconds, nothing happened.

Then a message appeared.

Aryan:

You look bored.

Elara frowned.

Elara:

You can't even see me.

Three dots appeared.

Aryan:

Exactly. Yet somehow I can still tell.

She smiled despite herself.

Elara:

That's either impressive or concerning.

Aryan:

I'm hoping for impressive.

Elara:

You're failing.

Aryan:

We've known each other for thirty seconds and you're already judging me.

Elara:

I'm efficient.

Aryan replied almost immediately.

Aryan:

I like that.

Elara raised an eyebrow at her screen.

Elara:

You like what?

Aryan:

You.

She stared at the message.

Then laughed.

"Seriously?"

Elara:

You don't even know me.

Aryan:

I know enough.

Elara:

You've known me for approximately forty-seven seconds.

Aryan:

Forty-eight.

Elara:

Oh, my bad. That's practically a lifetime.

Aryan:

See? Funny too.

Elara:

Wasn't trying to be.

Aryan:

Even better.

Elara shook her head.

This guy was ridiculous.

She should probably leave.

Instead, she typed:

Elara:

So, Aryan. What are you doing here?

Aryan:

Being bored.

Elara:

Same.

Aryan:

Then we're both wasting our time together.

Elara:

Sounds productive.

Aryan:

Extremely.

She laughed again.

It had been a while since she'd laughed at something so stupid.

And Aryan noticed.

Not because he could hear her.

Because she sent:

Elara:

lmao 😭

He smiled at the screen.

He didn't know why.

He had spoken to hundreds of strangers online.

Most conversations lasted a few minutes.

Some lasted an hour.

Eventually, everyone disappeared.

But there was something about this girl.

She wasn't trying to impress him.

She wasn't trying to seem interesting.

She was just... herself.

And somehow, that was interesting enough.

Aryan:

Can I ask you something?

Elara:

Depends.

Aryan:

Are you always this mean?

Elara:

Only to people I like.

There was a pause.

Aryan looked at the message again.

Then smiled.

Aryan:

So you like me already?

Elara:

Don't get excited.

Aryan:

Too late.

Elara:

You're annoying.

Aryan:

And yet you haven't left.

She looked at the screen.

He had a point.

She hadn't.

Elara:

Fine. You're entertaining.

Aryan:

I'll take it.

A few more messages passed.

Then Aryan sent:

Aryan:

You're cute, by the way.

Elara immediately replied.

Elara:

No.

Aryan:

No?

Elara:

Don't start.

Aryan:

I haven't even started.

Elara:

Exactly why I'm warning you.

He laughed.

Aryan:

Okay, okay. I'll behave.

Elara:

Good.

Aryan:

For now.

Elara:

Aryan.

Aryan:

Yes?

Elara:

You're already annoying me.

Aryan:

That was fast.

Elara smiled at her phone.

Then, without thinking too much, she typed:

Elara:

One condition if we're going to keep talking.

Aryan:

I'm listening.

Elara:

Don't flirt with me.

There was a longer pause this time.

Then:

Aryan:

That's a difficult condition.

Elara:

Then leave.

Aryan:

No.

She blinked.

Elara:

No?

Aryan:

I said I'll behave.

Elara:

Good.

Aryan:

But I reserve the right to complain about the unfairness of this arrangement.

Elara:

Denied.

Aryan:

You're strict.

Elara:

You're old.

A pause.

Aryan:

Excuse me?

Elara:

You're twenty-four.

Aryan:

That's not old.

Elara:

Sure, Oldie.

He stared at the screen.

Aryan:

Did you just call me Oldie?

Elara:

Yes.

Aryan:

Absolutely not.

Elara:

Too late.

Aryan:

I hate you.

Elara:

You just said you liked me.

Aryan:

I've changed my mind.

Elara:

Goodnight, Oldie.

Aryan:

Wait.

She smiled.

Elara:

What?

Aryan:

You can't just give someone a terrible nickname and disappear.

Elara:

Watch me.

She closed the chat.

For the first time that day, the room didn't feel quite so empty.

She didn't know his face.

He didn't know hers.

They didn't know each other's real lives.

They were just two strangers who had happened to be bored at the same time.

Nothing more.

At least, that's what Elara thought.

Across the city, Aryan was still staring at the last message on his screen.

Goodnight, Oldie.

He smiled.

Then quietly shook his head.

He had known her for less than an hour.

And somehow, he already knew one thing.

He liked her.

He just had no intention of telling her.

Not now.

Maybe not ever.

Because she had made her boundaries clear.

And Aryan had no intention of becoming the reason she stopped smiling.

He simply closed his phone and leaned back.

Tomorrow, she'd probably forget about him.

Or so he thought.

She didn't.

Neither did he.