...[Private Chat – Zaid & Kashish]...
...Zaid: You left the group chat....
...Kashish: Yeah....
...Zaid: Why?...
...Kashish: I needed space....
...Zaid: That’s stupid....
...Kashish: Thanks for your input....
...Zaid: You’re really ignoring everyone?...
...Kashish: Not everyone. Just the ones who make me feel like I don’t belong....
...Zaid frowned at the message....
...Zaid: Who made you feel like that?...
...Kashish: I don’t know, Zaid. Maybe the people who treat me like an afterthought?...
...His fingers hovered over the keyboard....
...He wanted to say she was overreacting. That nothing had changed....
...But that would be a lie....
...Things had changed....
...And for the first time, he wasn’t sure if he liked it....
...Kashish: I don’t want to fight....
...Zaid: Then don’t....
...She sighed, staring at the screen....
...She could feel it—the distance between them....
...And maybe this time, it was permanent....
...---...
...[Private Chat – Archie & Kashish]...
...Archie: So, when are we doing this again?...
...Kashish: Doing what?...
...Archie: Our movie night. I’m officially making it a weekly thing....
...Kashish: Oh, so now I have to watch bad movies with you?...
...Archie: Obviously. It’s part of your healing process....
...Kashish: Who made you my therapist?...
...Archie: You did. The moment you called me instead of crying over Zaid....
...Kashish rolled her eyes....
...Kashish: I wasn’t crying....
...Archie: Right. And I’m secretly a billionaire....
...Kashish: Wow, can I get a loan?...
...Archie: Only if you admit I’m your favorite person....
...Kashish: Now you’re pushing it....
...Archie laughed. "So, what do you say? Another movie night?"...
...She hesitated for only a second....
..."Yeah," she said. "Why not?"...
...Maybe a distraction was exactly what she needed....
...---...
...[Group Chat – Chaos Unleashed]...
...Harry: Where’s Kashish?...
...Jack: She left, dude....
...George: Yeah, but she always comes back....
...Saba: Maybe not this time....
...Zaid watched the messages pile up....
...He had thought the same thing....
...Maybe this time, she was really gone....
...And for some reason, that didn’t sit right with him....
...Zaid: She’ll be back....
...Agustya: You sound sure....
...Zaid: She always comes back....
...Agustya: Not if she finds a reason to stay away....
...Zaid stared at the screen....
...A reason to stay away....
...Was he that reason?...
...---...
...[Private Chat – Kashish & Saba]...
...Saba: I miss you in the chat....
...Kashish: You’ll survive....
...Saba: That’s not the point....
...Kashish: Then what is?...
...Saba: Are you mad at me?...
...Kashish sighed....
...She wasn’t mad....
...She was just… tired....
...Kashish: No....
...Saba: Then come back....
...Kashish: I can’t. Not yet....
...Saba hesitated before sending another message....
...Saba: Does this have to do with Zaid?...
...Kashish: Does it matter?...
...Saba: It does to me....
...Kashish closed the chat....
...She wasn’t ready for this conversation....
...Maybe she never would be....
...---...
...[Private Chat – Agustya & Kashish]...
...Agustya: How’s life on the outside?...
...Kashish: Peaceful....
...Agustya: Boring?...
...Kashish: …A little....
...Agustya: Told you. You need drama....
...Kashish: No, you need drama....
...Agustya: And yet, you always give me something to talk about....
...Kashish smirked....
...Kashish: Maybe I should stop....
...Agustya: No, please. I’ll die of boredom....
...She rolled her eyes....
...Kashish: You’re dramatic....
...Agustya: And you miss the group....
...She didn’t reply....
...Because maybe—just maybe—he was right....
...---...
...[Private Chat – Zaid & Archie]...
...Zaid: You and Kashish seem close....
...Archie: We are....
...Zaid: Since when?...
...Archie: Since you started ignoring her....
...Zaid clenched his jaw....
...Zaid: I didn’t ignore her....
...Archie: Could’ve fooled me....
...Zaid exhaled sharply....
...Zaid: I didn’t think she’d take it this seriously....
...Archie: Maybe because it is serious to her....
...Zaid hesitated before typing....
...Zaid: She’s mad at me, isn’t she?...
...Archie: No. That would mean she still cares....
...Zaid frowned....
...She did care....
...Didn’t she?...
...---...
...[Private Call – Kashish & Archie]...
..."You sound tired," Archie said....
...Kashish sighed. "It’s been a long day."...
..."Did Zaid say something?"...
...She paused. "Why would you ask that?"...
..."Because you always sound drained after dealing with him."...
...Kashish let out a humorless laugh. "Wow, thanks."...
..."I’m just saying," Archie said. "You don’t owe him anything."...
..."I know that."...
..."Then act like it."...
...She frowned. "What’s that supposed to mean?"...
..."You keep looking back," Archie said. "Like you’re waiting for him to give you a reason to stay."...
...Her grip on the phone tightened....
...She hated that he was right....
...But what was she supposed to do?...
...Just forget about Zaid?...
..."Let it go, Kash," Archie said softly. "If he wanted you to stay, he would’ve stopped you from leaving."...
...She closed her eyes....
...She wished it were that simple....
...---...
...[Private Chat – Zaid & Kashish]...
...Zaid: Do you hate me?...
...Kashish stared at the message....
...Her heart clenched....
...She could lie....
...Say yes....
...Say that she had moved on....
...But instead, she typed:...
...Kashish: No....
...Because no matter how much she tried to, she never really could....
...---...
...To Be Continued…...
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