Chapter 13 Chapter: Unplanned Departure

The next morning, Hazel woke with a dull ache in her head and a nagging unease in her chest. As she sat up in her dorm room, the memory of last night—Meera’s cryptic message, Arav’s silent acknowledgment—kept replaying in her mind. She rubbed her eyes and reached for her phone, scrolling through a few missed notifications. Nothing from Arav. Just the remnants of what she’d already seen.

Sighing, she forced herself to get ready, throwing on a cozy sweater and jeans. The chill in the air reminded her that winter was truly coming. She skipped breakfast, determined to get to class and bury herself in numbers and theories—anything to distract her from the lingering question: What did Meera mean?

On campus, as she walked through the leafy paths toward her lecture hall, Hazel’s thoughts drifted between last night’s events and the steady, reassuring presence of Arav. She had hoped his silence meant nothing, but it nagged at her nonetheless.

By the time her first class ended, she was already dreading the inevitable encounter. As she made her way toward the campus courtyard, she spotted Arav sitting on a bench under a large oak tree, scrolling through his phone. He seemed lost in thought, as though carrying the weight of yesterday’s confessions in his eyes.

Hazel hesitated for a moment before approaching him. “Morning, Arav,” she greeted softly.

He looked up, his expression neutral, but his eyes betrayed a hint of worry. “Morning, Hazel,” he replied. There was a pause—a silence heavy with unspoken questions.

Finally, she ventured, “About last night… I—”

Arav held up a hand, stopping her words. “Let’s not rehash it now.” His tone was careful, almost apologetic, as if he feared opening old wounds.

Hazel frowned, biting her lip. “It wasn’t just about last night, was it? Meera said something… confusing.”

Arav’s eyes darted away momentarily before he met hers again. “Meera and I have a long history. Our families have been close for as long as I can remember. There’s nothing to worry about.”

Hazel searched his face for sincerity, then nodded slowly. “I… I just don’t want to be left wondering.”

Arav sighed softly. “I know, Hazel. I’m sorry if my silence added to that. I didn’t want to say anything in the moment—you were not in the right state of mind.”

A long pause followed as Hazel digested his words. The morning light filtered through the trees, casting gentle shadows around them.

“Maybe… maybe we’ll talk more later,” she murmured. “For now, I’d like to focus on class.”

Arav gave a small nod. “Sure.”

They parted ways with a quiet understanding—a promise that, despite the unspoken doubts and painful memories hinted at by Meera’s text, there was something in their connection worth exploring.

Hazel walked away slowly, her mind still buzzing with questions, but also with a new resolve. Today, she would face the day, work through the math class, and try to forget the ghosts of last night—even if only until the next moment with Arav.

And somewhere deep inside, she hoped that, one day, all the uninvited questions would finally find their answers.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Hazel barely focused during class, her mind still tangled in the morning’s conversation with Arav. But before she could overthink it any further, her phone buzzed with an unexpected message.

Mom: Hazel, I need to see you. It's urgent.

Hazel froze. Her mother rarely contacted her. Their relationship had been distant for years, more out of habit than any major fallout. But this? This was unexpected.

Before she could even respond, another notification popped up—an email confirmation for a plane ticket. Hazel’s pulse quickened as she clicked it open.

A ticket. For tonight. No explanation.

Her stomach churned. Her mother had never been the type to demand her presence, let alone send plane tickets without context.

She had no time to think. She grabbed her bag, stuffing in essentials, her mind racing with questions she wasn’t sure she wanted answers to.

She shot a quick text to Naina:

Hazel: Something urgent came up. I have to leave. I’ll explain later.

She hesitated before texting Arav. But in the end, she didn’t.

No one else knew she was leaving.

As the cab sped toward the airport, Hazel stared out the window, a strange weight settling in her chest.

What could be so important after all this time? And why did it feel like her past was finally catching up to her

The moment Hazel stepped out of the airport, the crisp Swiss air hit her, sending a shiver down her spine. She pulled her coat tighter around her as her eyes scanned the crowd. And then—there she was.

Her mother.

It had been years since she last saw her in person, and yet, she looked almost the same—elegant, poised, and completely unreadable.

Hazel wasn’t sure what she was expecting to feel, but the rush of emotions tangled inside her left her unsteady. There was no warm reunion, no dramatic embrace. Just a moment of silence as they stood across from each other, the weight of time thick between them.

"Let's go," her mother finally said, breaking the silence.

The drive to the hotel was quiet, apart from the occasional polite questions. Hazel gave short answers, too distracted by the unfamiliar city and the storm of emotions inside her.

By the time they arrived at the hotel, her mother handed her a keycard. "Your room is next to mine. Get freshened up and come down. We need to talk."

Hazel hesitated. "Talk about what?"

Her mother’s lips pressed into a thin line. "Everything."

With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Hazel standing in the hotel hallway, heart pounding.

Everything?

Hazel wasn’t sure if she was ready for that.

Hazel sighed as she entered her hotel room, tossing her bag on the neatly made bed. The moment she connected to the WiFi, her phone buzzed violently, overloaded with missed calls, messages, and notifications.

Her fingers hovered over the screen as she scrolled through them. A few from Naina, some from college group chats, and—her heart skipped a beat—Arav.

Arav: Where are you?

She swallowed, locking her phone without replying. She wasn’t ready to deal with that yet. There were already too many emotions swirling in her head, and adding Arav to the mix would only make it worse.

Dropping onto the bed, she let out a deep breath. She had barely processed being here, let alone facing the conversation waiting downstairs.

And now, Arav was looking for her.

Hazel took a long shower, letting the warm water wash away the exhaustion from the long flight. But no matter how much she tried to clear her mind, the emotions remained tangled.

Stepping out, she dried her hair, changed into something comfortable, and checked her phone again. No new messages. Arav hadn’t followed up. Maybe he thought she was ignoring him on purpose.

With a sigh, she made her way downstairs, where her mother was already waiting at a table in the hotel’s restaurant. She looked as elegant as ever—poised, composed, and distant, just like Hazel remembered.

“You look tired,” her mom observed as Hazel sat down.

“A thirty-six-hour flight does that to you,” Hazel replied, forcing a small smile.

Her mother nodded, signaling the waiter. “I ordered for you. You always liked mushroom soup when you were younger.”

Hazel bit her lip. That was years ago. But she didn’t say anything, letting the silence stretch between them.

Finally, her mother sighed. “I know this is sudden, Hazel. But I needed to see you.”

Hazel leaned back. “You’ve needed to see me for years. But you never did.”

Her mother flinched, but recovered quickly. “I deserve that.”

Hazel crossed her arms. “Then why now?”

Her mother hesitated for a second before answering, “Because I don’t want the past to define us anymore.”

Hazel stared at her, trying to figure out if she really meant it. But before she could respond, her phone vibrated again.

Another message from Arav.

Arav: Seriously, where are you?

Hazel turned her phone face down on the table, choosing to focus on the moment. Whatever Arav wanted could wait—this was bigger.

Her mother exhaled softly, folding her hands together. "Hazel, there's something I need to tell you."

Hazel remained silent, waiting.

"I'm getting married."

For a second, Hazel thought she misheard. Her grip tightened around the napkin in her lap. "Married?"

Her mother nodded. "Yes. His name is Daniel. We've been together for a while now, and I wanted you to know before—"

Her mother sighed. "Hazel, I didn’t want to hide this from you. I want you to be a part of my life again."

Hazel let out a humorless laugh. "Mom, you walked away years ago. And now, suddenly, you want me involved because there's a new man in your life?"

"It's not like that—"

"Then what is it like?" Hazel leaned forward. "Because right now, it feels like you just need to tick a box. Like, ‘oh, let’s inform Hazel before the wedding invitations go out.’”

Her mother looked hurt but didn’t deny it.

Hazel shook her head, pushing her chair back. "I need a minute."

Her phone buzzed in her hand.

Another message from Arav.

Arav: I don’t know what’s going on, but just… let me know you’re okay.

Hazel exhaled, her thumb hovering over the screen.

But she still couldn’t bring herself to answer.

Hazel took a deep breath before returning to her seat. She had splashed cold water on her face in the restroom, hoping it would calm the storm raging inside her. It didn’t.

“There’s something else also i wanted u to know”

Hazel raised an eyebrow, waiting.

Her mother took a sip of her wine before setting the glass down carefully, as if measuring her words. “I wanted to tell you this sooner, but I wasn’t sure how you’d take it.”

Hazel folded her arms. “Just say it.”

Her mother inhaled deeply.

Hazel blinked. “What?”

“daniel is someone I’ve known for a long time. And… that’s the reason your father and I got divorced because I was with him.”

The words sliced through Hazel like ice.

She felt her stomach drop, her breath hitching as she stared at the woman across from her.

"You what?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Her mother sighed, glancing down at her hands. "I didn’t want you to find out this way."

Hazel let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "Oh? And what way would’ve been better? A wedding invitation? A happy family dinner where you introduce me to the man you left Dad for?"

Her mother flinched. "It wasn’t like that, Hazel."

Hazel clenched her jaw, every muscle in her body tense. "It wasn’t like that? Then what was it like? Because from where I’m sitting, it looks like you cheated and walked away without looking back."

"I had my reasons."

Hazel shook her head, feeling the sting of betrayal sink deeper into her chest. "Reasons? You had a family. A husband. A daughter. And you threw it away for him?"

“I didn’t tell you before because I knew you wouldn’t understand.”

Hazel let out a bitter chuckle, shaking her head. “You mean because you knew I’d hate you for it?”

Silence.

She pushed back her chair abruptly, the legs screeching against the floor.

“I shouldn’t have come here,” she muttered.

Her mother reached for her hand, but Hazel pulled away before she could touch her.

“I need air.”

Without another word, she stormed out of the restaurant, the cold Swiss air biting at her skin.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket.

Arav.

But Hazel didn’t even bother looking.

Right now, she didn’t want to talk.

She just wanted to forget.

Hazel slammed the door shut behind her as she entered her hotel room. The moment she was alone, the weight of everything crashed down on her.

She sat on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the floor, her breathing uneven. A lump formed in her throat, but she refused to let the tears fall—until the anger, the betrayal, the years of silence all caught up to her at once.

She buried her face in her hands, her body shaking as the sobs finally broke free.

She wasn’t just mad that her mother was getting married. She was furious that she had abandoned her. That she had left without looking back. That she hadn’t even tried to be a mother.

Not a single visit. Not a single moment where she thought, Maybe I should see my daughter. Maybe she needs me.

Nothing.

And now, after all these years, the first thing she does is announce her marriage?

Hazel let out a shaky laugh between her tears, but there was nothing funny about it. It was pathetic. It was cruel.

She had spent years wondering why her mother never came back. Wondering if she ever thought about her. If she ever missed her.

But now, she knew the answer.

She had been too busy building a new life. A life where Hazel didn’t exist.

Her phone vibrated beside her on the bed. She glanced at the screen through blurry eyes.

Arav: Are you okay?

Hazel shut her eyes.

She wasn’t.

But she didn’t want to talk.

Not to him.

Not to anyone.

She turned off her phone, curled up on the bed, and let the exhaustion of the day pull her into sleep—hoping, for just a little while, she could forget.

The very next morning, Hazel booked the earliest flight home. She couldn’t stay here any longer—not when every second in this place suffocated her.

It had been six days. Six days of ignoring Arav’s messages. Six days of shutting herself off from everything. Six days of pretending she wasn’t hurting when, in reality, she was drowning in emotions too heavy to carry.

By the time her cab pulled up outside her apartment, exhaustion weighed down her every step. She dragged her suitcase inside, locked the door behind her, and let out a deep breath.

Home.

It didn’t feel like home.

Not when everything inside her still felt unsettled.

Without bothering to change or check her phone, Hazel collapsed onto her bed. She didn’t want to think. She didn’t want to feel.

She just wanted to sleep.

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