...The next morning, Rayhan sat alone by the classroom window, his chin resting on his hand, staring out at the gray, sleepy sky. The whole night, he hadn't slept properly. Fahim’s broken voice, those half-smiles, the unshed tears — they all echoed endlessly inside him....
...Fahim wasn’t in school today....
...Rayhan clenched his fists under the desk....
..."He promised... he said he’d stay..."...
...He tried to focus as the teacher droned on, but the words floated past him like empty noise. His heart weighed heavy, like an anchor pulling him down into worry. What if Fahim lied to protect him? What if he disappeared without saying goodbye?...
..."No. He’s stronger than that. We’re stronger than that," Rayhan told himself....
...The lunch bell rang, a shrill sound that seemed to cut through the heavy air. Students burst out of the classroom, laughing, shoving each other, rushing towards the cafeteria. Rayhan stayed back, his bag untouched....
...That’s when he noticed it....
...A girl....
...Standing quietly at the far end of the hallway, just beyond the classroom door....
...She wore their school uniform, her bag slung low, her head tilted down so that her long black hair hid most of her face. She wasn't moving toward the cafeteria like everyone else. Instead, she leaned against the wall, hands gripping the straps of her backpack tightly, as if she were waiting. Watching....
...Rayhan frowned....
..."Who is she?" he thought. "And why does she feel... familiar?"...
Before he could react, the girl turned slowly and walked away, her figure disappearing into the crowded hallway. Something about her stirred a strange feeling in Rayhan's chest—a quiet unease mixed with curiosity.
Without thinking, he grabbed his bag and followed.
He weaved through the crowds, scanning for a glimpse of long black hair or that same slightly hunched posture, but she was gone.
Like a shadow slipping through sunlight.
Rayhan stopped near the staircase, breathing hard.
"Was she even real?" he wondered.
Just as he turned around to head back, a folded piece of paper caught his eye. It was stuck between two lockers, flapping slightly in the hallway breeze.
He pulled it out.
There, in neat handwriting, were just three words:
"Trust the silence."
No name. No explanation.
Rayhan's heart hammered. What was this? A prank? A warning?
He shoved the note into his pocket just as two familiar voices called out behind him.
“Oi! Rayhan!”
It was Maruf and Towsif, two of his classmates.
“Where’s Fahim today?” Towsif asked casually, tossing a ball in his hand.
Rayhan forced a small smile.
“He’s... sick. He’ll be back soon.”
The lie burned in his throat, but he didn’t know how to tell them the truth—not yet. Not until he knew Fahim was okay.
The rest of the day dragged on painfully. Every tick of the clock felt like a drumbeat in a funeral march. The teachers' voices blurred into background noise. Even the sunlight outside looked dull and lifeless.
At the final bell, Rayhan grabbed his stuff and rushed outside, half-hoping he’d see that girl again.
But the courtyard was empty, bathed in the golden sadness of late afternoon light.
He sighed and began walking home, kicking pebbles along the way.
As he crossed the small bridge near the park, his phone buzzed.
Unknown Number:
“Don’t give up. He needs you more than ever.”
Rayhan stopped in his tracks.
The sender had no name. No profile picture. Nothing.
His hands trembled slightly.
"Who... who are you?" he whispered into the empty air.
The river below reflected the cloudy sky — broken, restless, changing.
Somewhere deep inside, Rayhan felt it.
This was only the beginning.
Fahim’s story, their friendship, that mysterious girl—they were all threads of a bigger picture. A storm was coming. And Rayhan had no choice but to walk straight into it, even if he didn’t fully understand what waited for him at the end.
He pocketed his phone, straightened his shoulders, and whispered to himself,
“No matter what happens, I’ll find you, Fahim. I’ll keep every promise. Even if the world turns its back on us."
As the sun set, casting long shadows across the road, Rayhan walked forward — toward a destiny even he couldn’t yet imagine.
---
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