That feeling didn't come suddenly.
Maybe it had been there before.
Just not this clear.
When Aarvika was very small, there was one fear that quietly stayed with her.
She didn't understand it properly.
She couldn't explain it.
But she felt it.
Sometimes, she used to think—
what if one day her family leaves her?
It was not something anyone told her.
It was not something that happened before.
But once, she had seen something like that in a movie.
Where parents left their children behind.
That scene stayed in her mind.
After that, the thought came again and again.
What if it happens to her too?
She was too young to understand the difference between a story and reality.
But the fear felt real.
One day, she went to a family function.
There were many people around.
Relatives.
Voices.
Noise.
Everyone was busy.
Talking.
Laughing.
Moving from one place to another.
It was a crowded place.
Aarvika was holding her father's hand.
That was enough for her to feel safe.
Then suddenly, he stopped.
He made her sit on a chair.
"Sit here. I will come," he said.
She didn't ask anything.
She didn't question him.
She trusted him.
So she sat there.
At first, everything felt normal.
She looked around.
People were passing by.
Some were talking.
Some were laughing.
No one was looking at her.
But she didn't mind.
She was waiting.
She thought—
he would come back soon.
A few minutes passed.
She kept looking at the same direction again and again.
Every time someone walked by—
she thought it might be him.
But it wasn't.
Slowly, time started feeling longer.
The noise around her didn't feel the same anymore.
It felt distant.
She looked around again.
Trying to find her family.
But she couldn't see anyone familiar.
That was the moment—
something inside her changed.
A small fear started building.
At first, it was just a thought.
Maybe he is just taking time.
But then—
another thought came.
What if he doesn't come back?
Her fingers slowly held the edge of the chair tightly.
Her feet were not touching the ground.
They were just hanging.
She tried to stay there.
But her breathing started changing.
Her heart started beating faster.
She looked around again.
This time more quickly.
Still no one.
"Dad…" she called softly.
No answer.
She waited.
But waiting didn't feel easy anymore.
Her eyes slowly filled with tears.
She didn't want to cry.
But she couldn't stop it.
That same thought from the movie came back.
What if they left her?
What if she was alone now?
She couldn't sit anymore.
She got down from the chair.
And started searching.
She walked a little.
Then faster.
Looking around.
Trying to find someone.
But everything looked unfamiliar.
She felt lost.
She felt alone.
Then suddenly—
her father appeared.
He was also looking around.
Searching.
When he saw her—
he quickly came toward her.
He picked her up.
"I was looking for you," he said.
But Aarvika didn't say anything.
She just held him tightly.
As if she was scared to let go.
After that, they went back home.
Everything became normal again.
But that feeling didn't go away.
It stayed somewhere inside her.
After some time, something similar happened again.
She went on a trip with her family.
There was a lot of crowd.
And in that crowd—
she got lost.
For a moment—
she couldn't see anyone.
That same fear came back.
She started searching again.
Looking everywhere.
Feeling the same panic.
But this time also—
her family found her.
Everything was fine.
Nothing bad happened.
But inside—
that fear stayed.
Even when everything was okay—
she still felt it sometimes.
Like maybe one day—
someone might leave.
And she wouldn't be able to stop it.