The noise of the auditorium felt distant as Aarav walked back in.
Nothing had changed.
The music was still loud.
People were still laughing.
Raj was still reacting like every performance deserved a standing ovation.
But something had.
"You took your time," Karan said, glancing at him.
Then, after a pause—
"That 'someone' you saw outside… who was it?"
Aarav dropped into his seat. "Just needed some air."
Raj didn't look away from the stage. "You always need air during the boring parts."
"This wasn't boring," Aarav said.
That made Raj turn.
Karan's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Then what was it?" he asked.
Aarav didn't answer.
For a few seconds, only the sound of music filled the space between them.
Raj leaned closer. "Okay… now I'm interested. What happened?"
Aarav exhaled slowly.
"I told you… I think I saw someone."
Karan frowned. "And you're just going to leave it at that?"
Aarav looked straight ahead.
"Someone I didn't expect to see here."
Raj raised an eyebrow. "That sounds like a suspense trailer. Just say it."
Aarav shook his head. "It's nothing."
Karan let out a short breath. "You don't freeze for 'nothing.'"
Aarav glanced at him.
"You froze?" Raj asked. "I missed that?"
Karan nodded. "Completely. Like his system shut down."
Raj looked back at Aarav. "Wow. That's serious."
"It's not," Aarav said quickly.
Too quickly.
Karan noticed.
Of course he did.
"Then why are you avoiding it?" he asked.
Aarav didn't reply.
The performance ended with loud applause, but Aarav barely registered it.
Because his mind was still outside.
Still stuck in that moment.
It had been almost two years.
Two years since he last heard her voice.
And somehow—
it still felt the same.
"Let's go," Raj said, standing up. "I'm hungry."
"Of course you are," Karan muttered.
They walked out with the crowd, heading toward the canteen.
Voices overlapped. Chairs scraped. Conversations filled the air.
Everything felt normal again.
Except Aarav.
They found a table and sat down.
Raj immediately started scanning for food.
Karan didn't.
He was watching Aarav.
"You're not fine," Karan said.
Aarav leaned back. "I didn't say I'm not."
"You didn't say you are either," Karan replied.
Raj leaned forward. "Okay, now I'm definitely not ignoring this. What's going on?"
Aarav tapped his fingers lightly against the table.
A habit.
"Drop it," he said.
"No," Karan replied instantly.
Raj nodded. "Yeah, not happening. You looked like you saw a ghost."
Aarav let out a dry laugh. "Something like that."
Silence.
Karan crossed his arms. "Who was it?"
Aarav looked down.
For a moment—
he thought about brushing it off again.
But that wouldn't work.
Not with them.
"…Someone I used to know."
Raj frowned. "That doesn't help."
"It's not supposed to," Aarav said.
Karan leaned forward slightly.
"For how long?"
Aarav looked up. "What?"
"How long have you been carrying this?" Karan asked.
That question hit harder than the rest.
Aarav looked away.
"…A while."
Raj sat back. "And you didn't tell us?"
"It's not that simple."
"Then make it simple," Karan said.
Another silence.
The noise around them blurred again.
Aarav ran a hand through his hair.
He had spent two years trying not to think about her.
Trying to move on.
Trying to forget.
And now—
she was right here.
Real.
"I didn't think I'd ever see her again," he said quietly.
That was the first real answer.
Raj blinked. "Her?"
Karan didn't speak.
He already understood enough.
Aarav exhaled slowly.
For a moment—
he considered stopping.
Walking away.
Changing the topic.
But he didn't.
Because maybe—
it was time.
"You guys really want to know?" he asked.
Raj nodded immediately. "Yeah."
Karan didn't hesitate. "We do."
Aarav looked down at the table.
His fingers stilled.
"It started during lockdown," he said.
And just like that—
the past began to find its way back.