...[Private Chat – Kashish & Agustya]...
...Kashish: I blocked Maryam....
...Agustya: Good. I hope she cries....
...Kashish: Wow, you’re evil....
...Agustya: You just realized?...
...Kashish: I mean, I always knew you were annoying, but evil is new....
...Agustya: I contain multitudes....
...Kashish smiled at her screen, shaking her head....
...Agustya: So… what’s the plan?...
...Kashish: Plan?...
...Agustya: You’re moving on, right? That means we need a plan....
...Kashish: Moving on isn’t a strategy game, Agustya....
...Agustya: It should be. We should have levels. Objectives. A leaderboard....
...Kashish: You play too many video games....
...Agustya: And yet, I have a social life. Unlike some people....
...Kashish: …I’m literally talking to you right now....
...Agustya: That’s sad. I’m your last option?...
...Kashish: Shut up....
...She rolled her eyes, but her heart felt a little lighter....
...Maybe she really could move on....
...---...
...[Group Chat – Chaos Unleashed]...
...Saba: Zaid, are you free today?...
...Kashish closed the chat....
...She didn’t want to see it....
...She wouldn’t see it....
...Not anymore....
...Instead, she tapped on a different chat....
...---...
...[Private Chat – Archie & Kashish]...
...Kashish: Hey, are you busy?...
...Archie: For you? Never....
...Kashish: Smooth....
...Archie: I try. What’s up?...
...Kashish: Let’s call....
...Archie: Give me two minutes....
...Kashish sighed, waiting for the phone to ring....
...Maybe distracting herself with Archie wasn’t the worst idea....
...---...
...[Private Call – Kashish & Archie]...
..."Okay, tell me everything," Archie said the moment she answered....
...Kashish groaned. "Why do you sound so excited?"...
..."Because drama is entertaining. And you, my friend, are living in a soap opera."...
...She sighed. "It’s not that dramatic."...
..."You left the group chat. Blocked Maryam. And now you’re calling me instead of crying over Zaid."...
..."…Okay, maybe it is a little dramatic."...
...Archie laughed. "So, what’s the plan?"...
..."Why does everyone keep asking me that?"...
..."Because moving on takes effort. You need a distraction."...
..."Like what?"...
..."Like me."...
...Kashish blinked. "Excuse me?"...
..."You heard me," Archie said smugly. "Let’s hang out. Virtually, of course."...
...She hesitated....
...Spending time with Archie felt easy. Fun. Safe....
...Maybe it was exactly what she needed....
..."Fine," she said. "What do you have in mind?"...
..."Movie night. I pick the worst possible movie, and we suffer together."...
...Kashish grinned. "Sounds perfect."...
...For the first time in a long time, she felt okay....
...---...
...[Private Chat – Zaid & Harry]...
...Zaid: Kashish blocked Maryam....
...Harry: Good....
...Zaid: That’s it?...
...Harry: What do you want me to say?...
...Zaid: I don’t know. It’s just… weird....
...Harry: What’s weird?...
...Zaid: She’s acting different....
...Harry: Maybe because she’s done waiting for you....
...Zaid stared at the message....
...His stomach twisted....
...Zaid: What does that mean?...
...Harry: Figure it out....
...Zaid exhaled, tossing his phone aside....
...Why did it bother him so much?...
...Why did it feel like he was losing something?...
...---...
...[Private Chat – Kashish & Saba]...
...Saba: Are we… okay?...
...Kashish blinked at the message....
...She hadn’t expected Saba to reach out....
...Kashish: Why wouldn’t we be?...
...Saba: Because of Zaid....
...Kashish: Saba, you don’t need my permission to like him....
...Saba: I know. But I also know how you feel....
...Kashish’s breath caught....
...Saba: Or felt....
...Kashish hesitated....
...Should she be honest? Admit that it still hurt?...
...Or pretend she was over it?...
...She took a deep breath....
...Kashish: It’s in the past....
...It wasn’t....
...But maybe if she said it enough times, it would be....
...---...
...[Private Chat – Kashish & Agustya]...
...Kashish: Guess who messaged me?...
...Agustya: Zaid?...
...Kashish: No. Saba....
...Agustya: Yikes. What did she want?...
...Kashish: To check if we’re okay....
...Agustya: And?...
...Kashish: I said we are....
...Agustya: Are you lying to her or to yourself?...
...Kashish sighed....
...Maybe both....
...Kashish: I just want to move on....
...Agustya: Then do it....
...Kashish: Easier said than done....
...Agustya: No, it’s not. It’s a decision. Make it....
...She exhaled....
...Maybe he was right....
...Maybe it really was just a decision....
...And she had already made hers....
...She was moving on....
...No matter what....
...---...
...To Be Continued…...
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