Days kept moving.
Nothing really stopped.
Classes continued.
People talked.
Life followed the same routine.
From the outside—
everything looked normal.
And Aarvika—
looked the same too.
She went to college regularly.
Sat in her classes.
Listened carefully.
Completed her work on time.
No one had a reason to notice anything different about her.
Because she didn't let them.
She had learned how to stay composed.
How to keep things within herself.
But inside—
it wasn't that simple.
There was always something running in her mind.
Not loud.
But constant.
Like a background noise that never stopped.
She started spending more time with her books.
Not because she suddenly loved studying—
But because it helped her stay distracted.
Whenever her thoughts started going somewhere she didn't want—
she would open a book.
Read something.
Write something.
Anything—
to avoid thinking too much.
It worked.
But only for a while.
Because once she stopped—
everything came back again.
Sometimes, she would look around the classroom.
Students sitting in groups.
Talking easily.
Laughing without thinking.
Everything felt so effortless for them.
But for her—
it wasn't the same.
Even when she wanted to say something—
the words didn't come out naturally.
She would think first.
Then hesitate.
Then stay quiet.
So slowly—
she stopped trying.
Not because she had nothing to say—
But because it felt easier to stay silent.
She started keeping herself busy during breaks.
Either with her notebook.
Or just sitting quietly.
Observing everything around her.
Without becoming a part of it.
And somewhere—
that distance started feeling normal.
Not comfortable—
But familiar.
At home—
things were still unpredictable.
Her grandmother's condition kept changing.
Some days were calm.
And some days—
completely different.
Her reactions would shift suddenly.
Sometimes she would say things that didn't make sense.
Sometimes she would behave in ways that felt unfamiliar.
Aarvika didn't know how to respond.
She didn't know what was right or wrong in those moments.
So she chose the only thing she knew—
Silence.
She stayed quiet there too.
Listening.
Observing.
But not reacting much.
It felt like—
everywhere she went—
she was the same person.
Careful.
Controlled.
Holding everything inside.
Sometimes—
she would sit alone,
and suddenly feel tired.
Not because of work—
But because of everything she was carrying.
Those thoughts.
That constant awareness.
It didn't stop.
It just stayed in the background.
Even when she was doing something else.
Sometimes—
she would feel like things were getting better.
Like she was finally okay.
But then—
something small would happen.
And that feeling would come back again.
Not as strong as before—
But enough to disturb her.
Enough to remind her—
that nothing had really gone away.
Still—
she kept going.
Because stopping was not an option.
And slowly—
without even realizing—
pretending to be fine—
became a part of who she was.