Acting slowly became a normal part of Aarav's life.
School in the morning. Homework in the afternoon. Shoots on weekends. Sometimes before school. Sometimes late at night. New places. New people. New stories.
And after every story, something small stayed behind.
After he played a boy who lived on the street, he started keeping snacks in his school bag "just in case." After he played a rich kid, he complained about little things for days before feeling embarrassed and stopping. After he played a boy who lost his father, he hugged his own father more tightly for a whole week.
He never felt like he wasn't himself.
He just felt… a little bigger inside. Like his heart had more rooms than before.
When he was nine, he bought a blue notebook from a small shop near his house. It wasn't special. Just cheap paper and a soft cover. But he started writing in it every night before sleeping.
My name is Aarav Malhotra.
Today I was Raju.
I am still Aarav.
I like comics and mango ice cream.
Writing made him feel calm. Like he was keeping track of himself.
Sometimes, he dreamed of places he had never been.
Sometimes, he woke up knowing how to do things he couldn't remember learning.
His parents said he was talented.
Teachers said he was mature for his age.
Aarav just kept writing his name at the top of every page.