The room had been quiet for a long time.
Aditi had fallen asleep without realizing it.
The last thing she remembered was looking at Aanya's bed and thinking that, at least for tonight, she was finally resting.
Aanya had been exhausted enough that she hadn't even argued when they told her to sleep.
That almost never happened.
Outside, the hostel had gone completely still.
The occasional sound of footsteps passed somewhere down the corridor.
Then disappeared.
Aditi slept.
For a while, there was nothing.
No conversation.
No books turning.
No arguments about studying.
Just the quiet breathing of two people who had finally stopped moving for the night.
And then Aanya shifted.
Barely.
A small movement beneath the blanket.
Aditi didn't wake.
Aanya turned onto her side.
Her face tightened.
A faint sound escaped her.
Almost nothing.
Aditi remained asleep.
Aanya shifted again.
This time, her hand moved instinctively toward her stomach.
Her fingers curled against it.
Another sound.
A little louder.
A whimper.
Aditi's sleep remained heavy.
Aanya's breathing became uneven.
She moved beneath the blanket again, trying to find a position that didn't hurt.
There wasn't one.
Her hand pressed harder against her abdomen.
Her brows drew together.
Another whimper escaped her.
Then another.
Aditi stirred.
She opened her eyes halfway.
For a moment, she didn't understand what had woken her.
Then she heard it again.
"Aanya?"
No answer.
Aditi pushed herself upright.
The room was dark.
"Aanya?"
Aanya made a small sound.
Her eyes were open now.
But they didn't seem focused.
Aditi immediately got out of bed.
"What happened?"
Aanya looked toward her.
Her lips moved.
Nothing coherent came out.
Aditi switched on the bedside light.
And froze.
Aanya was crying.
Not loudly.
There were tears running down her cheeks, and she looked utterly confused by them, as though she didn't even realize she was crying.
One hand was pressed tightly against her abdomen.
Her other hand gripped the blanket.
"Aanya?"
"I'm hurting."
Her voice was small.
Aditi's heart dropped.
"Where?"
Aanya pointed vaguely toward her stomach.
"My tummy."
"How badly?"
Aanya squeezed her eyes shut.
"I don't know."
Aditi sat beside her.
"Did you eat something?"
Aanya shook her head slightly.
"I don't know."
"Are you going to vomit?"
Aanya swallowed.
"I feel..."
She stopped.
Her face tightened again.
Aditi suddenly didn't know what to do.
She reached for her phone.
Then stopped.
Think.
She needed help.
She looked at Aanya again.
Aanya was awake.
But barely.
Her answers were slow.
Her face looked wrong.
Too pale.
Aditi unlocked her phone.
Sagnik.
She called.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
Again.
Still nothing.
She stared at the screen.
"Please pick up."
She called again.
And again.
No response.
Her hands began shaking.
She didn't know what else to do.
So she recorded a voice message.
Her voice cracked almost immediately.
"Sagnik, call me back as soon as you see this. Please. It's Aanya. She's really sick. I don't know what's happening."
She swallowed.
"She's in a lot of pain."
A pause.
"Please come."
She sent it.
Then she called the hostel emergency contact.
The next few minutes became a blur.
Aanya was helped out of the room.
Aditi stayed beside her the entire time.
She kept asking questions.
Aanya kept answering in fragments.
Her pain had become worse.
By the time they reached the hospital, Aanya was barely speaking.
The emergency department took her in immediately.
Aditi followed until someone stopped her.
"Please wait here."
"But—"
"We're examining her."
Aditi stood there.
Helpless.
She watched through the opening as the nurses moved around Aanya.
Questions.
Blood pressure.
Pulse.
Temperature.
Oxygen saturation.
An IV line.
Blood samples.
A doctor came in.
"Where is the pain?"
Aanya answered weakly.
"Here."
The doctor examined her abdomen carefully.
The pain was significant.
There was tenderness over the lower abdomen, particularly toward the right side.
The doctor asked a few more questions.
"When did it start?"
Aanya struggled to remember.
"Tonight."
"Did it start suddenly?"
"I don't know."
"Vomiting?"
"No."
"Nausea?"
She nodded.
The doctor exchanged a brief look with the nurse.
More investigations were ordered.
An ultrasound was arranged.
Aditi stood outside, watching everything happen without understanding enough to feel reassured.
She had never seen Aanya like this.
Aanya was the person who complained about everything.
Who argued when she was tired.
Who studied when everyone else slept.
Who insisted she was fine even when she clearly wasn't.
Now she was lying quietly beneath a hospital blanket.
By the time the initial treatment had been started, the sky outside had begun to lighten.
Aditi sat beside Aanya's stretcher.
She held her hand.
She didn't even remember when she had started crying.
She only noticed when the tears stopped.
Aanya was sleeping now.
Her lips looked pale.
There was sweat along her forehead.
Her breathing had settled.
The doctors had stabilized her while they waited for the investigations.
Eventually, the diagnosis became clearer.
Acute appendicitis.
She would need surgical management.
Aditi stared at the doctor.
"Is she going to be okay?"
The doctor nodded calmly.
"Yes. We've caught it. We're treating her."
Aditi nodded.
But her eyes filled again anyway.
The emergency department was quieter by the time Sagnik arrived.
He came through the doors almost running.
His hair was disheveled.
His breathing was uneven.
He looked like he'd left everything behind the moment he'd seen Aditi's message.
He stopped when he saw them.
Aditi was asleep on a small stool beside Aanya's stretcher.
One hand was still holding Aanya's.
Her face was turned slightly toward the bed.
There were dried tear marks on her cheeks.
Sagnik didn't wake her.
He simply stood there.
Looking at Aanya.
Her face was pale.
Her hair slightly damp from sweat.
The sight of her made something inside him go completely still.
He pulled another stool closer.
Sat down.
And took her other hand.
He didn't say anything.
He just stayed.
Nearly half an hour later, Aditi stirred.
She opened her eyes.
For a moment, she looked confused.
Then she saw him.
Sagnik.
Sitting opposite her.
She straightened immediately.
"Oh."
She wiped quickly at the dried tears on her face.
"Hey."
Sagnik looked at her.
"Hey."
His voice was quiet.
Aditi swallowed.
"I don't kno—"
She stopped.
There were simply no words.
Everything had happened too quickly.
She had been asleep.
Then Aanya was crying.
Then the hospital.
Doctors.
Tests.
The diagnosis.
She didn't know how to explain any of it.
Sagnik stood.
He didn't ask her to.
He simply stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her.
Aditi held onto him.
"It's okay," he said quietly.
His voice wasn't entirely steady.
"She's going to be okay."
Aditi nodded against his shoulder.
"I was so scared."
"I know."
"I didn't know what to do."
"You did exactly what you had to."
They stayed like that for a few moments.
Then separated.
Both looked toward Aanya.
Neither of them said anything else.
They didn't need to.
The morning passed slowly.
The doctors continued monitoring her.
Her pain was controlled.
Fluids continued through the IV.
The surgical team had explained what would happen.
There was no immediate catastrophe.
But Aditi and Sagnik stayed anyway.
They took turns making sure she was comfortable.
Checking whether her vitals were stable, and if she needed further medical interventions
Eventually, after several hours, Aanya began to wake.
Her eyes opened slowly.
She blinked at the ceiling.
Then turned her head.
Aditi was there.
Sagnik was there.
Her eyes moved between them.
For a few seconds, she simply stared.
Then the first thing she asked was—
"What time is it?"
Aditi looked at the clock.
"12:45."
Aanya's eyes widened.
"What?"
"You've been sleeping."
"I've been sleeping since when?"
Aditi hesitated.
"Since yesterday."
Aanya immediately tried to sit up.
"I need my books."
Sagnik's expression changed.
"What?"
"My textbooks."
"Aanya—"
"I need them."
"Aanya, no."
"I have to study."
Aditi stared at her.
"You were just admitted to the hospital."
"I'm fine."
"No, you're not."
"I'm fine."
She tried to move again.
Then pain shot sharply across her abdomen.
Aanya immediately stopped.
Her face contorted.
A small gasp escaped her.
Sagnik was on his feet instantly.
"Don't move."
Aditi reached for her shoulder.
"Lie back."
Aanya breathed through the pain.
Her eyes filled with frustration.
"But my exams..."
Sagnik looked at her.
Not angry.
Not amused.
Just deeply worried.
"Your exams can wait."
Aanya shook her head.
"They can't."
"They can."
"I've already lost hours."
"Aanya."
His voice softened.
"You're sick."
She looked away.
"But I have thirty-five days."
Aditi exchanged a helpless look with Sagnik.
Aanya closed her eyes.
Her breathing slowly settled.
She looked exhausted.
Confused.
Frustrated.
And completely unaware that the timetable she'd been obsessing over had just collided with something neither studying nor discipline could control.
Sagnik gently pulled the blanket back over her.
"Sleep."
Aanya didn't answer.
After a moment, she whispered,
"Just wake me later."
He looked at her.
"Okay."
He knew he wouldn't.
Not until she was better.
And for the first time since the exam schedule had appeared on her phone—
Aanya's carefully constructed thirty-five-day plan didn't matter.
Not yet.