Chapter 20

The dishes had been cleared, the last clatter of plates fading into a softer quiet, and somehow all four of them had drifted, almost unconsciously, toward the couch.

It wasn’t planned.

It just… happened.

Shivani had already claimed her spot,

curled sideways with her legs tucked beneath her, her head resting comfortably against Anamika’s shoulder like it had always belonged there.

Anamika didn’t even react to the weight anymore, just adjusted slightly,

one arm coming up to rest around Shivani’s back in a way that was so natural it didn’t need acknowledgment.

Zivah sat on the other side, one arm draped lazily over the back of the couch,

her posture relaxed in a way that only happened when she felt safe.

Eraya sat beside her, a little straighter at first, hands folded loosely in her lap… but not stiff.

Not like before.

There was a softness to her now.

A quiet presence instead of a distant one.

For a moment, no one spoke.

And it wasn’t awkward.

It was the kind of silence that comes after something good, when people are full, not just from food, but from being together.

Then Anamika exhaled dramatically.

“…I just remembered something tragic.”

Shivani didn’t even open her eyes.

“…if this is about your assignments, I refuse to emotionally support you.”

Anamika turned her head slightly.

“College starts in two days, Shivi.”

Silence.

Then Shivani’s eyes snapped open.

“…no. Mikaaa~”

Anamika nodded slowly, with unnecessary calm.

“Yes.”

Shivani straightened up immediately, pushing herself away from Anamika like she’d just been electrocuted.

“No, no-wait. That is illegal. We just got peace. We just healed as people.”

Zivah snorted softly.

“You didn’t heal. You just avoided responsibilities.”

Shivani pointed at her.

“That is healing, Zi.”

Eraya let out a quiet laugh at that, her shoulders relaxing slightly as she leaned back into the couch.

Anamika, meanwhile, tilted her head.

“You’re the one who said you missed class.”

Shivani froze.

“…I said I missed the idea of class.”

Zivah raised a brow.

“There’s a difference?”

Shivani nodded seriously.

“Yes. The idea is romantic. The reality is tragic.”

That made Eraya laugh again, this time a little more freely.

Zivah’s gaze flickered toward her immediately.

And stayed.

Just for a moment.

She didn’t interrupt.

Didn’t tease.

Just… watched.

There was something about Eraya’s laugh that felt unguarded, like it slipped out before she could stop it.

And Zivah didn’t want to be the reason it stopped.

So she let it exist.

Quietly.

Shivani groaned, throwing herself back dramatically onto Anamika again.

“I refuse. I cannot go back. I will simply not attend.”

Anamika adjusted her hold around her, one hand coming up to tuck a loose strand of Shivani’s hair behind her ear.

“You say that every time.”

“And every time I mean it,” Shivani insisted.

Zivah leaned slightly forward.

“…you’ve never actually skipped.”

“Because society pressures me,” Shivani said immediately.

“Or because you panic if you miss one lecture,”

Anamika corrected.

Shivani narrowed her eyes.

“…that is a personal attack.”

Eraya smiled softly at the exchange, her gaze shifting between them like she was trying to memorize the rhythm of something she wasn’t used to.

Then suddenly, Shivani’s expression changed.

Not serious.

But… thoughtful.

A little too thoughtful for her.

“…okay wait,” she said slowly.

Anamika blinked.

“…that tone is concerning.”

Shivani sat up again, this time turning slightly toward Eraya.

“…I just realized something.”

Eraya looked at her, a bit unsure.

“…what?”

Shivani pointed at her, eyes lighting up.

“I have you now.”

A pause.

Eraya blinked.

“…what?”

Shivani grinned.

“In class. Literature. You’re stuck with me.”

Zivah immediately leaned forward.

“…excuse me?”

Shivani ignored her.

“I don’t have to suffer alone anymore. I finally have a partner.”

Anamika let out a quiet laugh.

“Oh my god.”

Zivah scoffed lightly.

“You’re acting like she’s your group project.”

Shivani turned toward her instantly.

“She is now.”

Eraya laughed, properly this time.

Not small.

Not held back.

And Zivah felt it again.

That quiet pull in her chest.

She didn’t say anything.

Just leaned back slightly, letting the moment pass through her without touching it.

Anamika tilted her head, looking at Shivani with exaggerated curiosity.

“Wait… aren’t you the same person who used to avoid even looking at Eraya?”

Shivani froze.

“…that was character development.”

Zivah smirked.

“That was fear.”

Shivani pointed at her again.

“I was not scared.”

“You literally changed your walking route,” Anamika added.

“That was strategic movement.”

“You hid behind me once,” Zivah said.

“That was-” Shivani paused, then exhaled,

“…temporary emotional weakness.”

Eraya covered her mouth slightly, laughing again.

Zivah glanced at her.

And this time, she smiled.

Small.

Unconscious.

Anamika leaned back, her arm tightening slightly around Shivani.

“So now what? You’re suddenly her best friend?”

Shivani nodded immediately.

“Yes.”

Zivah scoffed.

“You’re unbelievable.”

Shivani tilted her chin up.

“I evolve quickly.”

Anamika laughed softly.

“You’re going to sit with her in class, aren’t you?”

Shivani didn’t even hesitate.

“Obviously.”

Zivah leaned forward again, narrowing her eyes.

“And lunch?”

Shivani blinked.

“…what about lunch?”

Zivah crossed her arms.

“She’s sitting with me.”

Shivani gasped.

“You already have Anamika. You guys can sit together.” Shivani shrugged.

Zivah pointed at her.

“But she is your girlfriend!!”

Anamika choked on a laugh.

“Oh my god, I’m being used as an argument.”

Shivani looked offended.

“This is different.”

“How?” Zivah asked immediately.

Shivani opened her mouth.

Paused.

“…because I said so.”

“That’s not logic,” Zivah replied.

“That’s confidence.” Shivani grinned.

Eraya was laughing again now.

Openly.

Her shoulders shaking slightly, eyes softer,

lighter.

And Zivah,

this time,

didn’t look away.

She let herself watch it.

Not interrupting.

Not claiming it.

Just… keeping it safe.

Anamika sighed dramatically.

“I’m not mediating this. You both sound like children fighting over seating arrangements.”

Zivah didn’t break eye contact with Shivani.

“She’s my wife.”

Shivani shot back immediately.

“She’s my class partner.”

Anamika leaned her head back.

“…I regret knowing all of you.”

That made Eraya laugh again.

And this time,

Zivah laughed too.

Because somehow, in the middle of all this chaos,

Eraya wasn’t quiet anymore.

And that was enough.
______….

The night before college didn’t feel like a normal night.

There was no visible tension in the room,

no dramatic pacing, no heavy words thrown around,

but something quietly shifting lingered in the air.

Zivah noticed it.

She always did.

She stood in the kitchen for a moment longer than necessary,

slicing the apples slowly, almost thoughtfully.

The mint leaves sat beside her, fresh and sharp in scent, and as she added them into the water,

she paused.

Not because she forgot what she was doing.

But because she was thinking.

Tomorrow…

Her fingers tightened slightly around the glass.

It’s not just another day for her.

She exhaled softly, then picked up the glass and walked toward the bedroom.

She knocked gently.

Not out of formality.

Out of habit now.

“…Eraya?”

A soft pause.

Then from inside,

“…you can come in.”

Zivah opened the door slowly.

Eraya was already on the bed, sitting with her knees slightly drawn in, fingers loosely wrapped around the edge of the blanket.

There was nothing visibly wrong.

But there was something in the way she was
sitting.

Still.

Too still.

Zivah didn’t point it out.

She just walked in quietly and placed the glass of apple-mint water on the bedside table.

“…drink this before sleeping.”

Eraya looked at it, then at her.

“…you do this every night.”

Zivah shrugged lightly.

“…and you drink it every night.”

That made the corner of Eraya’s lips lift faintly.

“…I do.”

There was a pause.

Zivah didn’t leave immediately this time.

Instead, she moved around the bed and lay down beside her, facing the ceiling, one arm folded under her head.

The silence stretched.

Not uncomfortable.

Just… waiting.

After a while, Zivah spoke.

Quietly.

Not looking at her.

“…are you nervous?”

The question didn’t come out casual.

It came out careful.

Eraya didn’t answer immediately.

Her fingers tightened slightly around the blanket.

“…yes.”

Zivah turned her head slightly, just enough to look at her.

“…what part?”

Eraya let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding.

“…everything.”

A small, humorless smile touched her lips.

“…the people… the looks… the questions…”

Her voice softened further.

“…what they’ll think when they see me with you.”

Zivah’s brows pulled together slightly.

“…and what do you think they’ll think?”

Eraya hesitated.

“…that I don’t belong.”

The words were simple.

But they didn’t land lightly.

Zivah stared at her for a moment, then shifted slightly, turning fully onto her side to face her.

“…you’ve already decided their thoughts for them.”

Eraya blinked.

“…it’s not difficult to guess.”

Zivah shook her head slowly.

“…no. It’s easy to assume. There’s a difference.”

A pause.

Then softer,

“…and even if they think that… does that make it true?”

Eraya didn’t answer.

Because she didn’t know.

Zivah’s voice dropped just slightly.

“…you don’t need their permission to exist in a space.”

Her gaze softened.

“…and you definitely don’t need their approval to stand beside me.”

That made something in Eraya’s chest shift.

Not completely.

But enough.

Zivah continued, quieter now,

“…you’ll have Shivani in class.”

A small exhale.

“…and you’ll have me right outside it.”

Eraya looked at her.

“…you’ll be busy.”

Zivah gave a small smile.

“…I always am. But I still show up, don’t I?”

That made Eraya’s eyes soften.

“…you do.”

Zivah nodded once.

“…so if something feels wrong… or too much… or even just uncomfortable-“

She paused, choosing her words carefully.

“…you don’t handle it alone.”

The room fell quiet again.

But this time, it felt… lighter.

Eraya reached for the glass, took a small sip.

“…okay.”

Zivah didn’t push further.

Didn’t over-explain.

She just turned back onto her back, staring at the ceiling again.

“…sleep. Tomorrow will be long.”

Eraya lay down slowly beside her.

For a while, neither of them spoke.

But this silence,

this one,

felt different.

Like it was holding something steady instead of hiding something fragile.

Morning came softer than expected.

Not rushed.

Not chaotic.

Just… quiet movement.

Zivah was already awake.

Dressed.

Hair slightly damp.

She stood in the kitchen, packing two lunchboxes with a level of focus that looked almost like overthinking.

“…too much rice?”

She muttered to herself.

“…no, she eats less…”

She adjusted it again.

Then paused.

“…she needs to eat properly.”

So she added a little more.

Then shook her head.

“…I’ll just make her finish it.”

A small, determined nod followed.

When Eraya stepped out of the bedroom, she paused near the doorway.

Zivah didn’t notice immediately.

She was still adjusting the bag, making sure everything was in place.

Eraya watched her for a moment.

There was something oddly comforting about the way Zivah moved.

Like she was building structure around things Eraya didn’t know how to hold.

Then,

“…what’s that for?”

Zivah’s voice broke her thoughts.

Eraya looked down.

The hoodie was in her hands.

She hadn’t even realized she brought it out.

“…I… always wear it to college.”

Zivah stared at it for a moment.

Then walked toward her slowly.

Not rushed.

Not forceful.

Just… deliberate.

She reached out and gently took the hoodie from Eraya’s hands.

Eraya didn’t resist.

Zivah held it for a second, then looked at her.

“…you don’t need this.”

Eraya’s fingers curled slightly.

“…I’m used to it.”

Zivah nodded.

“…I know.”

A pause.

Then softer,

“…but you don’t need to hide anymore.”

The words weren’t dramatic.

But they carried weight.

Zivah’s voice dropped slightly.

“…you’ll have Shivani beside you in class.”

Her gaze softened further.

“…and if anything feels off… I’m right there.”

Eraya looked at her.

Really looked this time.

“…you say that like it’s easy.”

Zivah smiled faintly.

“…it’s not.”

A small pause.

“…but it’s possible.”

Eraya hesitated.

Then slowly nodded.

“…okay.”

Zivah placed the hoodie aside.

Not thrown.

Not dismissed.

Just… set down.

The car ride was… chaos.

But a familiar kind.

Shivani was already talking before the car even fully started moving.

“…I am telling you right now, if anyone tries to act smart today, I will personally humble them.”

Anamika groaned.

“…you are the problem.”

“I am the solution,” Shivani corrected.

Zivah muttered under her breath,

“…that’s debatable.”

Eraya sat quietly beside her, but this time,
she wasn’t shrinking into herself.

She was listening.

Absorbing.

Watching.

Shivani suddenly turned around in her seat.

“…Eraya, if you get bored in class, just kick my chair.”

Eraya blinked.

“…why?”

“So I know you’re alive,” Shivani replied seriously.

Anamika laughed.

“She’s not a hospital patient.”

“You don’t know that,” Shivani shot back.

Zivah shook her head, smiling faintly.

“…you’re unbelievable.”

When they reached college, the energy shifted again.

Familiar space.

Familiar people.

But something about today felt… different.

As they stepped out, Shivani immediately looked at Eraya.

Paused.

Then said, almost casually,

“…you look better without the hoodie.”

Eraya froze for a second.

Not used to that kind of directness.

Zivah stepped slightly closer to her.

Not obvious.

But enough.

“…you don’t have anything to be nervous about.”

Her voice was soft.

Steady.

Not performative.

Just… there.

Anamika smirked immediately.

“…wow. That was gentle.”

Shivani leaned in.

“…very soft of you.”

Zivah rolled her eyes.

“…both of you shut up.”

But there was no irritation behind it.

Just… warmth.

Shivani grabbed Eraya’s wrist lightly.

“…come on, partner. Let’s go face academic tragedy together.”

Eraya looked back once.

At Zivah.

Zivah gave a small nod.

Nothing dramatic.

Just reassurance.

And that was enough.

As Shivani and Eraya walked away,

Anamika leaned slightly into Zivah.

“…you’re staring.”

Zivah didn’t look away immediately.

“…I’m observing.”

Anamika smiled.

“…sure.”

Zivah exhaled softly.

Then finally turned.

“…come on. We’ll be late.”

And just like that,

they split.

Different classes.

Different spaces.

But somehow,

still connected.
______________

The story is a soft slowburn to weave each moment into connection in case if it feels slow. ✨️