Aaah it all going to start again all that noise of others .....I was thinking this in my head on my way to class....!
The classroom was slowly filling up with students, the morning sun spilling across the benches. I slid into my usual spot, Ayush already grinning mischievously, notebook in hand.
"Okay, listen up," he said, nudging me. "I wrote something… for you."
I raised an eyebrow. "For me?"
He nodded seriously, as if this was the most natural thing in the world. "Yeah! Don't roll your eyes. Just hear it out."
He cleared his throat dramatically and read aloud:
"Jo moonnn hai vo kafi kuch bol chuke..
Joo muskura rehe hai vo raat bhr roo chuke hai.....
Joo abb kisi ko Khone se drte nhi vo apna sbb kuch gvaa chukee hai...
Akele chlne se abb jinhe drr nhi lgta vo apna sathi bhut phele hi khoo chuke hai.....
Ye raste ye manzile ab jinhe sukoon nhi deti vo kisi Orr prr apna sukoon phele hi gvaa chuke hai....."
I blinked, the lines sinking in. "Uh… that's… wow. Really deep, Ayush."
Tanmay snorted from across the room. "Bro, did Ayush just turn poet on us? What's next, love letters in class?"
Aryan chuckled, leaning back. "Seriously, this is… intense. Honey, that's basically describing you, man."
I gave a small shrug, keeping my expression calm, though inside, something in me recognized it—every word, every thought. Ayush had captured a part of me that even I sometimes didn't voice.
Ayush grinned, clearly proud. "See! Told you it's for you. You're the only one I can actually write this for. Nobody else would get it."
I smiled faintly. "Thanks… it means a lot."
Puneet peeked over my shoulder. "Man, now I'm expecting a full book from Ayush. Chapter one: Honey's secrets."
I rolled my eyes but laughed softly. Even in the middle of the chatter, in the small jokes and teasing, there was something honest here—something that felt quietly real.
.
I set my bag down on the bench and grinned. "Hey… I also got something to show."
Puneet leaned forward with that familiar smirk. "Ohh, I know what it's gonna be… your usual monsters, right?"
I shook my head, holding up my sketchbook. "Not this time. But… yeah, these are drawings."
I flipped open a page, revealing a carefully drawn girl. Lines soft, eyes full of expression, a quiet intensity that I tried to capture from memory.
Tanmay leaned over my shoulder, squinting. "Whoa… that's… actually good. Way better than your usual monsters."
Aryan whistled softly. "Okay, okay, Honey. That's… impressive. Who's the girl?"
I shrugged slightly, cheeks warming a bit. "Just… someone I imagined. Thought I'd try something different."
Ayush leaned back, grinning. "Man, you really outdid yourself. She looks… real. Like she could walk off the page."
Puneet rolled his eyes, still trying to tease. "Yeah, sure… real enough to scare me, maybe."
I laughed quietly. "Nah… she's not scary. Just… thoughtful, I guess."
Tanmay nudged me. "Thoughtful, huh? Typical Honey, giving her all those deep eyes and stuff. Bet she's an overthinker too."
I smiled faintly, flipping the page to show a few more sketches of her in different poses, each capturing small moods, tiny expressions. "Maybe… yeah. Something like that."
Aryan leaned closer, peeking at the sketches. "Bro… you really put feeling into this. Not just lines and shapes, huh?"
I nodded, keeping my voice low. "Yeah… trying to catch something real. Something quiet."
.
.
And then… I noticed her. Priyanshi. She had stayed back quietly, as usual, watching from the other side of the room. She heard all this talk about drawing, and she saw me. I didn't let her know that I was also looking at her.
I thought… maybe she likes drawings like these too. Maybe she understands the quiet part of them.
I shook my head subtly, trying to push the thought away. But the little voice in my head kept whispering, overthinking, imagining… wondering.