The tour had ended, and everyone returned to their usual college life. The laughter from the trip still echoed in some corners, but for Yeshwanth, it already felt like a distant memory.
He walked through the campus the next morning, his bag hanging from his shoulder, his mind filled with small thoughts of home and the strange girl who had changed everything — Nila.
He still didn't know if she was real or a dream. Sometimes at night, he would wake up thinking of her face and the light that took her away.
But now, life had returned to its old rhythm — classes, assignments, and the quiet ache of poverty that followed him like a shadow.
The Day Begins
It was a warm afternoon. The sun hung lazily in the sky, and most students were packing up after the last lecture. Yeshwanth sat quietly in his seat, finishing his notes. His friends — Arjun, Keerthi, and Meera — had started to grow distant since the tour.
They had changed somehow. Maybe they believed the rumors spreading in college — that Yeshwanth had caused trouble on the trip, that he was reckless and always seeking attention.
He didn't argue or explain. He had never been good at defending himself.
When the bell rang, everyone rushed out, talking about the upcoming college fest. Yeshwanth walked slowly to the bus stop outside the campus, tired but calm.
He waited for the old college bus that usually came late. His eyes stared at the dusty road as he thought about his family — how his father still worked extra hours and how his mother smiled through her pain.
He sighed. "Someday, I'll make it better," he whispered to himself.
The Encounter
Just then, a group of students approached the stop, laughing loudly. Among them was Sanchitha — the girl who always found a way to mock him.
Sanchitha was from a rich family, confident and sharp-tongued. She had a habit of teasing others, but for some reason, she loved targeting Yeshwanth the most.
She spotted him sitting on the bench and smirked. "Oh, look who's here — our hero from the cliff," she said loudly.
The other students chuckled.
Yeshwanth didn't look up. "Please, Sanchitha. I'm not in the mood."
But she didn't stop. "Not in the mood? You think you're some great savior now? Maybe next time you'll jump again just to get sympathy."
Her words stung, but Yeshwanth stayed silent.
Then she laughed cruelly. "Oh wait — I forgot. You don't even have money for proper clothes. Maybe you risk your life because you have nothing to lose."
The students around her laughed louder.
Yeshwanth clenched his fists. His heart pounded painfully. He had faced insults before — about being poor, about not fitting in — but today, something inside him broke.
He stood up slowly, his voice shaking. "Enough, Sanchitha."
She crossed her arms. "Or what? You'll cry? People like you should know their place."
Before he could stop himself, his hand moved.
A sharp slap echoed through the air.
Sanchitha froze, eyes wide, and then fainted to the ground.
The laughter stopped. Silence spread like fire.
Students gasped. "He hit her!" someone shouted.
Yeshwanth stood frozen, his heart racing, realizing what he had done. He stepped forward, panic filling him. "I— I didn't mean to— she—"
But no one listened.
The crowd surrounded Sanchitha, and within minutes, teachers rushed to the scene.
The Consequences
That evening, Yeshwanth was called to the principal's office. The teachers sat around him with serious faces.
"Yeshwanth," said his class advisor, "this behavior is unacceptable. You cannot raise your hand against anyone — especially a girl."
He bowed his head. "Sir, she insulted me… and I lost control. I'm sorry."
But rules were rules.
"You'll be suspended for one week," the principal said firmly. "Let this be a lesson."
Yeshwanth didn't argue. He just nodded silently and walked out of the room, his legs heavy.
As he stepped into the hallway, whispers followed him.
"Did you hear? He slapped Sanchitha!"
"I knew he'd cause trouble."
"He acts innocent but look at him now."
Even his friends didn't come to his defense.
When he looked at Arjun and Meera across the corridor, they avoided his eyes. Keerthi gave a small sad look but said nothing.
Yeshwanth realized — he was alone again.
The Lonely Evening
That night, he didn't tell his parents. They would worry, and he didn't want that.
He just told them that the college had a break for a few days.
After dinner, he went outside, sitting near the small temple by the road. The streetlights flickered softly. His heart felt heavy, like a stone inside his chest.
"Maybe I really am useless," he whispered. "No matter what I do, I always end up being the problem."
He closed his eyes, trying not to cry.
And then, a gentle breeze passed by — cold yet comforting.
When he opened his eyes, a faint blue glow shimmered near the old banyan tree.
His breath caught. The air shifted.
From the light stepped Nila — her silver hair gleaming faintly under the moonlight, her eyes soft and full of worry.
The Return of Nila
"Yeshwanth," she said softly.
He blinked, speechless. "Nila…? Is it really you?"
She smiled faintly. "Yes. I came back."
He stood slowly, still in disbelief. "Why? You shouldn't be here. You're… not from this world."
"I know," she said. "But I couldn't stay away. You were hurting. I could feel it from my realm."
He looked away, his voice shaking. "You shouldn't have come. Everyone leaves anyway. You should too."
Nila walked closer and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Not everyone leaves."
He looked at her — and for the first time in days, something inside him softened.
The Truth Between Them
They sat together on the temple steps. The night was quiet except for the hum of crickets.
Nila listened as Yeshwanth told her everything — the teasing, the slap, the suspension, the betrayal of his friends.
When he finished, she said softly, "You're not wrong to feel hurt. Words can wound more than anything else. But anger… it can also destroy you."
"I didn't mean to hurt her," he whispered. "I just… couldn't take it anymore."
She nodded. "I know. You've been strong for too long."
He looked at her curiously. "Why do you care so much about me?"
Her eyes softened. "Because your heart is pure, even when the world tries to stain it. You remind me that kindness still exists — even in pain."
He smiled faintly. "You sound like someone from another world."
She laughed softly. "Maybe I am."
A New Beginning
For the next few days, Nila stayed with him — unseen by others, but always near. She walked with him to the tea stall, sat quietly beside him when he studied, and listened when he spoke about his dreams.
His classmates avoided him, his teachers ignored him, but Nila's presence made the silence easier to bear.
One afternoon, she saw him sitting under a tree, looking at the college gate from afar.
"You'll go back soon," she said gently.
He nodded. "Yeah. They'll still look at me the same way, though."
"Then show them you're stronger than their words," she said. "Don't let them define who you are."
He looked at her, a small smile forming. "You sound like my guardian angel."
Nila chuckled softly. "Maybe I'm just someone who believes in you when no one else does."
For the first time in a long while, Yeshwanth laughed — a quiet, real laugh that came from his heart.
The Hidden Promise
That night, before leaving, Nila stood by the same banyan tree where she had appeared.
"I have to go back," she said softly. "But I'll come again when you need me."
Yeshwanth nodded. "Thank you, Nila… for staying when everyone else walked away."
She smiled, her eyes shining. "That's what friends are for, right?"
The blue light began to surround her again.
Before fading, she whispered, "You're not alone, Yeshwanth. Not anymore."
He stood there long after she vanished, the wind brushing through his hair.
For the first time, he didn't feel broken. He felt alive — even in the silence.
A Week Later
When he returned to college after his suspension, whispers still followed him, but he didn't care anymore.
He walked with quiet confidence. His eyes no longer avoided the world.
Sanchitha, still embarrassed but unharmed, avoided his gaze too.
And though his friends didn't speak much, Yeshwanth had already found a strength they could never understand — one that came from loss, pain, and a girl who crossed worlds just to remind him that he mattered.
He looked at the sky and smiled faintly.
"Maybe this isn't the end," he murmured. "Maybe it's just another beginning."