February arrived like a storm wrapped in silence. The kind of silence that only students preparing for board exams could understand. The world around Siya was buzzing with revision timetables, sharpened pencils, and question paper predictions—but inside her, another world lived. A world where scars throbbed under bandages and dreams of freedom swirled behind her tired eyes.
Ruhan, too, was lost in the spiral of studies, pressure, and back-to-back mock tests. Yet, somehow, despite the chaos, they found each other. In whispers between chapters. In texts sent at 3:00 AM. In voice notes filled with sleepy "good lucks."
On the morning of her first board exam, Siya stood in front of her mirror wearing her school uniform. Her right hand was still healing, the faint scar visible beneath her sleeve. She tied her hair back tightly, looked at herself, and whispered:
"You've already survived worse than this. You can handle anything."
And she did.
Each exam day was a mix of pain and persistence. Ruhan would always call her early morning, sometimes with a silly poem, sometimes just to say "I believe in you." She, in return, helped him with last-minute revision, teasing him for forgetting silly formulas and dates.
Between exams, they didn't meet, but the bond between them grew stronger than ever. Sometimes, love doesn't need touch or time—it only needs presence. And Ruhan was present, emotionally—even when he wasn't physically there.
By late March, the last paper was done. Siya walked out of the exam hall and the first thing she did was check her phone. A message had already arrived.
Ruhan 💙: "It's over. Now the real fun begins 😏"
She smiled so wide it hurt.
That same evening, they met after weeks. At the same quiet corner near his school gate. He brought a bar of chocolate, a single rose, and two soft drinks in his bag. Siya wore her favorite blue top. She looked pale but radiant.
When she saw him, something inside her burst—peace.
He didn't speak much. Just walked up, hugged her tight, and whispered,
"You did it. My strong, brave Siya."
She closed her eyes and melted into the hug.
✨That night was different.
They sat under the stars, their legs swinging over the edge of a rooftop staircase. They spoke about dreams, colleges, and what they feared most.
Siya confessed her biggest fear was becoming her parents.
Ruhan took her hand and said,
"Then don't. You've already broken the chain, Siya. You're not them. You're you."
They sat in silence, hands locked, as if sealing a vow between their hearts.
📜 Results Day
Summer came with butterflies. The result day was a mess of nervous fingers and anxious scrolling.
Siya's phone froze twice before showing her score.
She stared.
Above 90%.
Even in pain. Even in chaos. Even with a bleeding hand.
She burst out crying.
But this time, it wasn't sadness.
It was relief. It was pride.
Ruhan called just minutes after. He had scored well too. They screamed together over the phone, laughed, and even cried a little.
"You're going to change the world," he told her.
"No," she whispered, "I just want to live without fear now."
🧠 The Mental Shift
That night, Siya journaled something she hadn't written in months:
"I am not broken.
I am someone who survived being broken and still walks, still smiles.
And maybe... maybe that's more powerful than being whole."
Something inside her had changed. The girl who once believed she had to hide her wounds now saw them as armor. She didn't flinch at loud voices anymore. She didn't let the weight of her past shrink her anymore.
Siya was no longer just surviving.
She was awakening.