Aira knew—
she might never talk to her again.
So she stopped expecting anything.
But on Holi—
something unexpected happened.
Aira noticed—
Aarohi had unblocked her on WhatsApp.
Her heart skipped a beat.
She felt happy.
But at the same time—
confused.
"Why did she unblock me?"
"Was it intentional… or just a mistake?"
She didn't want to hope.
But she couldn't stop herself from thinking.
The next day—
Aarohi unblocked her on Instagram too.
Aira had a habit—
she checked her profile every day.
Just to see—
if she was still blocked.
And today—
for the first time—
she wasn't.
Aira stared at the screen.
A strange mix of emotions filled her.
Happiness.
Confusion.
Fear.
Without wasting time—
she opened her profile.
Scrolling through every post.
Every photo.
Every video.
Aarohi had started content creation.
Aira didn't know about it before.
But seeing her like this—
happy, confident—
She smiled softly.
But there was a fear inside her.
"What if she blocks me again?"
So she watched everything quickly—
as if time was limited.
And then—
a notification popped up.
Everything stopped for a second.
Aarohi, "Hey, it's Aarohi here. How are you?"
Aira stared at the screen.
She wasn't okay.
But still—
Aira, "Hey. I'm good."
Aarohi, "I unblocked you from everywhere. I am sorry. I was stressed at that time. I blocked you and said things I never wanted to."
Aira read it slowly.
Aira, "What happened to you at that time? Is everything okay?"
Aarohi, "I followed you again. I was very much in grief. Right now, yes."
Aira, "I followed back."
Aarohi, "I am very happy. What about you?
Are you okay?"
Aira paused.
Aira, "Yes."
She didn't say more.
But her heart said everything.
Aarohi, "You know what? I wanted to share my achievements with you."
Aira felt something warm.
Aira, "Share with me."
Aarohi, "I started content creation because it was my dream to record myself. And now everything feels very beautiful."
Aira looked at her posts again.
Aira, "I saw everything."
Aarohi, "How?"
Aira, "Just now, when you unblocked me."
Aarohi, "Oh."
A small pause.
Aarohi, "See, I really love you as my friend.
You mean a lot to me."
Aira looked at that line.
Aira, "I know."
Her reply was short.
But her feelings weren't.
Aarohi, "I just can't block you because you mean a lot to me. And also, you know I finished my story."
Aira, "Why? I mean a lot to you."
Aarohi, "Because I was hurting the person who loves me more than anything. I don't know… you just get me, and you are really a great person whom I love."
Aira didn't know what to say.
Aira, "Sorry. I didn't read your story because my 12th has started, and I couldn't find time to read."
Aarohi, "Oh okay. I thought you read it because you always do."
Aira, "Hmm."
Silence again.
Aarohi, "Okay. Do you miss me? Because I do."
Aira's heart skipped.
Aira, "Sach mein?"
Aarohi, "I do. I really wanted you to not love me, that's why I blocked you. Sorry."
Aira, "Please don't."
They changed the topic.
Aarohi, "Did you play Holi?"
Aira, "Yes."
Aarohi, "My 11th is going to start soon."
Aira, "Which stream?"
Aarohi, "Humanities."
Aira, "Hmm. I am also interested in humanities."
Aarohi, "I am an all-rounder. I can do anything but not algebra."
Aira, "Me too."
Aarohi, "Meri behen hai tu."
Aira just liked the text.
Aarohi, "Do you consider me your sister?"
Aira, "No."
Aarohi, "Why? Friends can be like sisters too."
Aira, "Okay."
Aarohi, "Dil se bol rahi hai?"
Aira, "Nahi."
Aarohi, "Pata tha."
Aira, "Hmm."
The conversation felt normal.
But it wasn't.
Aarohi sent her photos.
Aarohi, "See, do I look good or not?"
Aira looked at them carefully.
She looked beautiful.
But words—
never came easily to Aira.
Aira, "Yes, very much."
Aarohi, "I don't like it."
Aira, "You don't like any of your photos."
Aarohi, "Are yaar, I don't look very good."
Aira, "When do you ever like your photos?"
Aarohi, "Sometimes. But mostly I don't look good."
Aira, "You keep saying 'love yourself,' and you don't even like your photos."
Aarohi, "I don't like my photos. I love myself very much. But in photos, I don't know… I look bad."
Aira, "Sometimes we feel like that. Don't worry."
After a pause—
Aira, "Can I ask you something?"
Aarohi, "Yup."
Aira, "Can you plant a tree for me?"
Aarohi, "Which plant?"
Aira, "Anything that you like."
Aarohi, "Why?"
Aira, "Just… I want you to plant one for me."
Aarohi, "I will plant it. Promise."
Aira, "Okay."
Aarohi, "I missed you. I didn't tell anyone that I started talking to you again."
Aira, "I missed you too."
Aarohi, "Because I feel like they don't understand how much you mean to me as a friend. I don't know… I think of you often."
Aira, "I used to talk to you in my mind."
Aarohi, "What were you talking about?"
Aira, "Like when something happy happened to me, I shared it with you in my mind."
Aarohi smiled.
Aarohi, "Wah. Itna pyaar.
I was also talking to you in my mind,
especially when something good happened."
Aira, "Hmm. I don't know, but I felt like you would text me. I was just waiting for your message."
Aarohi, "Intuition."
Aira, "Hmm."
They both missed each other.
A lot.
But still—
they pretended—
like everything was normal.
That night—
Aira lay on her bed, holding her phone.
The same phone that once felt empty—
now had her again.
But something still felt incomplete.
They were talking.
They were smiling.
They were sharing things again.
But not like before.
Aira opened their chat.
Read their messages slowly.
A small smile appeared on her face—
but her eyes didn't match it.
"Why does it still hurt… even after she came back?"
On the other side—
Aarohi was also holding her phone.
Staring at Aira's name.
She wanted to say something more.
Something real.
But she stopped herself.
Because some feelings—
once controlled—
are hard to confess again.
Both of them were back in each other's lives.
But this time—
with limits.
With fear.
With silence hiding between words.