The Realisation

After spending so much time with Viansh, I gradually began to develop a very positive impression of him. At first, I thought it was just admiration, but slowly, I found myself genuinely liking his character. He was simple, sincere, and carried a charm that was hard to ignore. Without even realizing it, I started talking about him often with my friends, and sometimes, I even mentioned him at home. My heart felt lighter whenever his name came up, though I never admitted why.

Time passed, and we were promoted to 10th standard. It was the most important year of our schooling life, the year everyone said we had to work hard and focus completely on studies. Yet, destiny had a small twist waiting for me. During the summer, I joined a mathematics tuition to improve my problem-solving skills. To my surprise, I came to know that Viansh was also planning to join the same tuition. Without thinking twice, I encouraged him to join. Deep down, I was thrilled — this meant I could see him even during the holidays.

In class, both of us were naturally good at mathematics. I enjoyed solving sums quickly, and my friend Sanju, who was always by my side, was also in the same batch. Just like in school, Sanju and I remained inseparable. Slowly, with shared classes and little interactions, I felt I was getting closer to Viansh. Every day became special in its own way.

But happiness never comes without challenges. People around us started assuming that we were in a relationship. Their teasing and whispers made me uncomfortable. I was too young to handle such rumors, so I decided to distance myself from him. To my surprise, Viansh also stopped talking to me. Suddenly, everything changed. Even though we were in the same school and the same tuition, spending nearly ten hours together, we did not exchange a single word. Instead, we passed notebooks through others and silently pretended not to notice each other.

That silence was heavy. Strangely, in those quiet moments, I began to understand my feelings more clearly. At that age, I couldn’t fully define them, but I knew something was different. I shared my thoughts with my friends, and though they supported me, I still chose to keep everything locked in my heart.

I even began acting a little childish. If by chance, Viansh and I wore matching color outfits, my excitement had no limits. When his eyes suddenly met mine, my heart would skip a beat. These tiny things meant the world to me.

Then one day, after months of silence, something magical happened. In tuition, Viansh finally spoke to me. He invited me to his birthday party. Hearing his voice again after such a long time felt unreal. I was so happy that I couldn’t even express it in words. But at the same time, I knew my parents would never allow me to attend. I honestly told him that I couldn’t come.

On his birthday, I felt torn. I went to the temple, performed 108 pradikshanas, and offered a special pooja in his name. Even then, I regretted not being able to attend his celebration.

Finally, I gathered all my courage, borrowed Sanju’s phone, and called him. My voice trembled as I wished him, “Happy Birthday.” That moment changed everything for me. It was then I realized the truth…