Some smiles are not real.
Shiva knew that.
He had seen it many times—
People laughing louder than they felt, speaking more than they meant, pretending to be something they weren't.
But Aarohi's smile…
It was different.
Or at least—
That's what he thought.
The day started like any other.
The classroom was alive with noise.
Aarohi was at the center of it, laughing with her friends, responding to everyone, carrying the energy like always.
"Come on, we're going out after school!" one of her friends said.
"Again?" Aarohi laughed. "You guys never get tired."
"Not when you're with us."
She smiled.
The same bright smile.
The same perfect expression.
The same… act.
From the last bench, Shiva watched.
Not directly.
Just enough to notice.
Something felt off.
Her laughter was there—
But something behind it wasn't.
A slight delay.
A faint emptiness.
Too small for anyone else to see.
But not for him.
During class, Aarohi was quieter than usual.
She still answered questions.
Still smiled when needed.
But in between—
She drifted.
Her gaze would fall somewhere distant.
Her fingers tapped lightly on the desk, restless.
Shiva noticed everything.
And for the first time—
It bothered him.
After school, the usual crowd gathered around her.
"Let's go!"
"Hurry up!"
"Don't ditch us today!"
Aarohi forced a smile.
"You guys go ahead… I have something to finish."
"Again? You've been skipping a lot lately."
"I'll come next time, promise."
They hesitated, then left.
The moment they were gone—
Her smile disappeared.
Completely.
Shiva saw it.
He was standing near the corridor, about to leave.
But his feet didn't move.
Aarohi walked in the opposite direction.
Not toward the gate.
Not toward the canteen.
But toward the quieter part of the school.
He followed.
Not intentionally.
Just… naturally.
She stopped near the back staircase.
A place where no one really came.
Silent.
Empty.
Safe.
Aarohi leaned against the wall.
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Then—
Her shoulders trembled.
And she broke.
Tears fell silently.
Not loud.
Not dramatic.
Just… real.
Like something she had been holding in for too long.
Shiva stood there.
A few steps away.
Watching.
Not judging.
Not interrupting.
Just… present.
After a moment, he spoke.
Softly.
"Are you okay?"
Aarohi froze.
Quickly wiping her tears, she turned away.
"Yeah… I'm fine."
The same answer.
The same lie.
Shiva didn't move.
"You're not."
Silence.
She didn't respond.
"You don't have to pretend," he said quietly.
Aarohi clenched her hands.
"Why are you even here?" she asked, her voice slightly shaky.
"I saw you leave."
"…So you followed me?"
"Yes."
There was no hesitation.
No excuse.
Just honesty.
Aarohi laughed weakly.
"That's kind of creepy, you know."
"…Maybe."
"But you're still here."
"…Yes."
She looked at him.
Really looked at him.
And for the first time—
She didn't try to smile.
"I'm just tired," she said softly.
"Tired of what?"
She hesitated.
Then—
"Everything."
The word hung in the air.
Heavy.
Unfiltered.
"Everyone expects me to be happy," she continued. "To be perfect. To always smile."
Her voice cracked slightly.
"I can't even have a bad day without people noticing… asking questions… expecting me to fix everything."
Shiva listened.
Without interrupting.
Without trying to fix it.
"I help everyone," she said, her eyes filling again. "But when it's me…"
She stopped.
The words didn't come out.
"No one notices," Shiva finished quietly.
Aarohi looked at him—
Surprised.
"How did you…?"
"…You hide it well."
That was it.
That one sentence—
Broke something inside her.
"I don't want to be strong all the time," she whispered.
Her voice trembled.
"I just want… to feel normal."
Silence filled the space again.
But this time—
It wasn't empty.
It was heavy with emotion.
Shiva stepped closer.
Not too close.
Just enough.
"You don't have to be strong," he said.
Aarohi shook her head.
"I do. If I stop… everything falls apart."
"…Not everything."
She looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
Shiva met her eyes.
Calm.
Steady.
Honest.
"At least not with me."
The words were simple.
But they carried something deeper.
Something real.
Aarohi's vision blurred.
Not from pain—
But from relief.
For the first time—
Someone wasn't expecting her to be okay.
Someone wasn't asking her to smile.
Someone just… understood.
She sat down on the stairs.
Shiva sat beside her.
No distance.
No awkwardness.
Just presence.
Minutes passed.
No words.
No pressure.
Just silence.
The kind Shiva liked.
The kind Aarohi needed.
"You're really strange," she said after a while.
"…I know."
"But… this helps."
Shiva didn't respond.
He didn't need to.
Aarohi took a deep breath.
Her tears slowly stopped.
Not completely—
But enough.
"Thank you," she said softly.
"…For what?"
"For not asking too many questions."
Shiva looked ahead.
"…Some things don't need questions."
Aarohi smiled.
Not the loud, bright smile everyone knew.
But a small, genuine one.
This time—
It wasn't fake.
And Shiva noticed.
As the sun began to set, the light reached them again.
Soft.
Warm.
Quiet.
Two people.
Sitting in silence.
But no longer alone.