The moment the senior said, "I want to tell you something," I froze.
For a second, hundreds of thoughts rushed through my mind.
Was something wrong?
Had I done something?
Or was he about to say something important?
After overthinking for almost a minute, I finally gathered courage and replied,
"Yes... what is it?"
He looked at me for a moment before speaking.
"You told me everything about your crush. But there's one thing I still don't understand."
I looked at him curiously.
"What?"
He smiled slightly.
"If you followed him... then why don't you message him?"
That question immediately made me silent.
Because honestly...
I had asked myself the same question thousands of times.
I looked down and softly replied,
"I never had the courage."
He listened quietly.
"Before, when I finally gathered courage, he didn't even accept my request. And now, after all these years, he finally accepted it."
I paused before continuing.
"But now I'm scared."
"Scared of what?" he asked.
I sighed.
"What if he has a girlfriend?"
"What if he rejects me?"
"What if he thinks I'm weird for liking him for so many years?"
"What if he thinks I'm obsessed?"
"What if he doesn't even remember me properly?"
"So many questions are there."
For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then the senior said softly,
"I know it's not easy."
His voice was calm as always.
"But sometimes you need to collect courage and take one step forward."
I looked at him.
"If you genuinely like him, then maybe you should message him."
Before I could respond—
A familiar voice suddenly came from behind us.
"Exactly!"
Both of us immediately turned around.
And there she was.
My best friend
Standing right behind us.
With her arms crossed.
And an expression that clearly said she had heard everything.
My eyes widened.
"How long have you been standing there?"
She started laughing.
"That doesn't matter."
Then she pointed dramatically at the senior.
"What matters is that he is absolutely right."
The senior started laughing too.
Meanwhile, I wanted the ground to open and swallow me.
My best friend sat beside us and continued,
"Listen. You've liked him for years."
"You still think about him."
"You still stalk his profile."
I immediately interrupted.
"I do not stalk his profile."
Both of them looked at me.
I looked away.
"Okay... maybe sometimes."
That answer made them laugh even more.
Then my best friend became serious.
"You don't have to confess immediately."
"But at least send a message."
"You deserve answers."
For the first time that day, I couldn't find a reply.
Because deep inside...
I knew she was right.
The problem wasn't him.
The problem was my fear.
Fear of rejection.
Fear of disappointment.
Fear that the story I had protected in my heart for four years might end with a single message.
After that, the conversation slowly shifted toward lighter topics.
And honestly, I was grateful.
Because my brain needed a break.
We ordered ice cream and spent the next few hours talking about everything.
School memories.
College life.
Hostel stories.
Funny incidents.
Embarrassing moments.
Dreams.
Future plans.
Everything.
It felt nice.
Really nice.
For a few hours, I forgot about stress completely.
The senior and my best friend surprisingly got along very well too.
Sometimes they would talk about me as if I wasn't even sitting there.
And whenever they did that, I immediately became suspicious.
Because usually, whenever two people know too much about your life, it's dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Still, seeing them laugh and talk made me happy.
Because they were two people I trusted.
And somehow, both had become important parts of my life.
But while they were talking...
my mind kept returning to the same question.
Should I really message him?
Would it change anything?
Or would it only create more confusion?
The more I thought about it, the more complicated it became.
And somehow, the senior noticed.
As always.
He didn't say anything.
But every now and then, I caught him looking at me with an expression that clearly said,
"You're overthinking again."
And unfortunately...
he was correct.
Hours passed quickly.
Before we realized it, it was already 7 PM.
After finishing our ice cream, we decided to walk around for a while instead of leaving immediately.
The weather was beautiful.
Not too hot.
Not too cold.
Just perfect.
The kind of evening that makes you wish time would slow down a little.
We walked through nearby streets, looking at shops, street lights, and groups of people enjoying their weekend.
Meanwhile, my best friend kept clicking random pictures.
Some of them were nice.
Most of them were embarrassing.
And unfortunately, I was the victim in almost all of them.
"Delete that one," I said immediately after seeing a picture.
"No."
"Please."
"No."
The senior looked at the picture and started laughing and said btw you look beautiful.
And just like that, both of them started bullying me together again.
Honestly, I should have expected this.
For some reason, they had become a team very quickly.
A team whose main purpose seemed to be teasing me.
After walking for some time, we sat on a bench near a small garden.
For a few minutes, nobody spoke.
We were simply enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.
Then my best friend suddenly looked at me and smiled.
"You know what?"
"What?"
"You look happier."
Her words caught me off guard.
"Happier?"
She nodded.
"Yes."
Then she pointed toward the senior.
"Ever since he became your friend."
Immediately I became nervous.
The senior almost choked on his drink.
And my best friend looked extremely proud of herself.
"Can you stop creating imaginary stories?" I asked dramatically.
"I'm just saying facts."
The senior quickly replied,
"I think I should leave before I get blamed for something."
That answer made all three of us laugh.
But somewhere deep inside, I started thinking.
Was I happier?
Maybe.
Not because of any relationship.
Not because of any romantic feelings.
But because for the first time in a very long time, I wasn't carrying everything alone.
I had people.
People who genuinely cared.
My best friend.
My roommate.
My college friends.
And the senior.
People who listened.
People who understood.
People who stayed.
And honestly, that realization felt comforting.
After some time, the conversation shifted toward future plans.
My best friend talked about her career goals.
The senior spoke about his dreams after completing MBBS.
And when they asked me, my answer was immediate.
"I want to become a good doctor."
Not famous.
Not rich.
Not successful according to social media.
Just a doctor who makes her parents proud.
A doctor who helps people.
A doctor who doesn't give up.🩺👩🏻⚕️
Both of them smiled after hearing my answer.
The senior then said,
"You'll become one."
I looked at him.
He wasn't joking.
He genuinely meant it.
And somehow, hearing someone else believe in my dream felt special.
Because there were many days when I doubted myself.
Many nights when I felt behind everyone.
Many exams where I questioned my abilities.
But hearing those simple words made me feel stronger.
Then suddenly my best friend pointed at us and said,
"You two are literally the same."
Both of us looked confused.
"What do you mean?" we asked together.
She immediately started laughing.
"See? Even your timing matches."
For the next five minutes, she kept finding random similarities between us.
And honestly, it became impossible to defend ourselves.
Eventually the sun started setting completely.
The sky turned orange, then pink, and finally darker shades of blue.
And at that moment, I realized something.
Today had been one of the happiest days I had experienced in months.
No stress.
No overthinking.
No crying.
No worrying about the future.
Just laughter.
Friendship.
And peace.
Maybe that was exactly what I needed.
A reminder that life wasn't only about heartbreaks and unanswered feelings.
There were still beautiful moments happening around me too.
The lights around the streets slowly switched on.
And it was finally time to leave.
My best friend had to return home.
The senior and I had to return to college.
After hugging my best friend goodbye, we started walking back.
For some time, neither of us spoke.
The evening breeze felt peaceful.
The campus looked beautiful under the lights.
Then suddenly the senior broke the silence.
"Don't overthink so much."
I looked at him.
He smiled.
"It's your choice."
"Whatever decision you make, make it because you want to."
Not because someone else told you to."
I don't know why.
But hearing those words made me emotional.
Because throughout all these months, he had never forced his opinions on me.
He always listened.
Always supported.
And somehow, he always appeared when I needed someone.
I smiled softly and said,
"Thank you."
He looked confused.
"For what?"
"For supporting me."
"For listening."
"For being there whenever I needed someone."
For a moment, he didn't say anything.
Then he simply smiled.
And somehow, that smile said more than words.
Soon we reached our hostel buildings.
After saying goodbye, I went upstairs to my room.
The moment I entered, I walked straight toward the window.
Outside, the campus lights glowed softly.
Students were still walking around.
Some laughing.
Some studying.
Some talking on calls.
Meanwhile, I stood there quietly.
Thinking.
Thinking about him.
Thinking about the message.
Thinking about the advice both my best friend and the senior had given me.
Maybe they were right.
Maybe I had spent years waiting.
Maybe it was finally time to do something.
My heart was beating faster now.
Slowly, I picked up my phone.
Opened Instagram.
Opened his profile.
And then...
for the first time in four years...
I made a decision.
A decision that could change everything.
But whether it would bring me closer to him...
or break the hope I had protected for years....