Between hope and fear

As time passed, my feelings for Viansh grew stronger. Even though he did not talk to me, I could not stop myself from thinking about him. Every small moment related to him felt special. I would often imagine cute little things between us — walking together after class, sharing secrets, or simply smiling at each other. These thoughts made me happy, and slowly, I started assuming what life would be like if he was truly by my side.

With every passing day, my heart whispered the same desire — to finally share my feelings with him. I decided that on the very last day of my 10th class exams, I would tell him everything. But life doesn’t always move according to our plans. Due to certain circumstances, I couldn’t say a word. My exams ended, and with them, my last chance of confessing seemed to slip away.

After our results, 10th class was over. Suddenly, I realized how little I knew about Viansh. I didn’t have his phone number, his social media, or even any idea about which college he would be joining. The thought of losing him forever left me restless.

Meanwhile, Sanju and I joined a new college. One day, when we went there to submit some certificates, something unexpected happened. Among the crowd, my eyes fell on a familiar face — it was Viansh. For a moment, I couldn’t believe it. My heart skipped a beat. It was as if fate had given me a small gift — a chance to see him again after so many days. That moment filled me with joy. Yet, despite the happiness, I couldn’t gather the courage to speak a word to him.

Sanju and some of my friends casually asked him about the college he had joined. In my heart, I prayed silently, hoping he would say the same college as mine. But when he answered, my world fell quiet again. He had joined a different college. I felt disappointed, but deep inside, I knew it was something beyond my control.

Soon, our college lives officially began. Coincidentally, our colleges were located on opposite sides of the road. That meant whenever I went to college, I would see him returning from his. And whenever he went to his, he would see me walking back. This small routine became a part of my life. Day after day, I would see him from a distance, and even though we didn’t talk, those passing glances felt like silent conversations.

But my heart was no longer satisfied with silence. I wanted to tell him everything. I wanted to let him know how much he meant to me. Finally, I gathered all my courage and decided that the next time we crossed paths, I would confess.

And that moment came. The next day, when we walked past each other in opposite directions, I stopped him right in the middle of the road. My hands trembled, my voice shook, but somehow, words poured out of me. I told him clearly — I liked him. I asked him directly if he felt the same way about me.

For a moment, time froze. He didn’t say a word. His silence was louder than anything I had ever heard before. My heart raced as a thousand thoughts flooded my mind. What if he doesn’t like me back? What if he rejects me? What if this ends whatever little connection we had?

I stood there, waiting, my heart caught between hope and fear. That silence felt like an eternity. My entire world seemed to hang on the answer he was about to give.

And in that very moment, I realized — sometimes, the most painful part of love is not rejection, but waiting in silence for the answer that could change everything.

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