Becoming Best Friends

The days that followed felt strangely different.

Every morning, before Ishika even got out of bed, there would already be a message waiting for her.

Sometimes it was a simple "Good morning."

Sometimes it was a random meme.

Sometimes it was a question so ridiculous that it made her laugh before she was fully awake.

And somehow, without realizing it, checking Aarav's messages became part of her daily routine.

One evening, Ishika was sitting on the balcony, watching the sunset paint the sky in shades of orange and pink.

Her phone vibrated.

Aarav: Important question.

She smiled immediately.

Whenever he said a question was important, it usually wasn't.

Ishika: Should I be worried?

Aarav: Extremely.

Ishika: Go ahead.

Aarav: If a penguin wore shoes, would it wear them on all four limbs or just the feet?

Ishika stared at the message.

Then burst out laughing.

Ishika: Why are you like this?

Aarav: Answer the question.

For the next fifteen minutes, they argued over penguin footwear like it was the most serious topic in the world.

By the time the conversation ended, Ishika realized something.

Whenever she talked to Aarav, the bad parts of her day somehow felt smaller.

And she wasn't the only one who felt that way.

A few days later, she received a call from him.

That was unusual.

Normally they texted.

Curious, she answered.

"Hello?"

"I need help."

His voice sounded dramatic.

"What happened?"

"Something terrible."

"Aarav."

"I finished my favorite snacks."

For two seconds there was silence.

Then Ishika groaned.

"I thought it was serious!"

"It is serious."

She couldn't stop laughing.

"You are impossible."

"Yet you're still my friend."

The words were casual.

Simple.

But for some reason they lingered in her mind.

Her friend.

When had that happened?

When had a stranger become someone she talked to every day?

Someone whose absence she noticed?

Someone whose messages she looked forward to?

The thought stayed with her long after the call ended.

---

Weeks passed.

The friendship grew stronger.

They shared stories they had never told anyone else.

Embarrassing memories.

Childhood dreams.

Fears about the future.

One rainy night, the conversation turned serious.

Aarav: Are you afraid of losing people?

The question caught her off guard.

Ishika: Sometimes.

Aarav: Me too.

For a moment, neither of them typed.

Then another message appeared.

Aarav: That's why I don't get attached easily.

Ishika read the words twice.

Something about them felt sad.

As though they came from a place he rarely allowed anyone to see.

Ishika: Then why did you become friends with me?

The typing bubble appeared.

Disappeared.

Appeared again.

Finally, his answer arrived.

Aarav: I don't know.

And for the first time, she felt like he wasn't joking.

---

That night, as she lay in bed staring at the ceiling, her phone lit up once more.

A message from Aarav.

Aarav: Thank you.

Ishika: For what this time?

Aarav: For staying.

Her heart skipped unexpectedly.

It was such a simple sentence.

Yet it carried a weight she couldn't explain.

She smiled softly before replying.

Ishika: You're stuck with me now.

Almost immediately, a reply arrived.

Aarav: Good.

Neither of them knew it then.

But somewhere between the jokes, late-night conversations, and random phone calls, they had become more than just friends.

They had become each other's safe place.

And sometimes, that's exactly where love begins.

Far away from grand confessions.

Hidden inside ordinary moments.

Waiting patiently to be noticed.

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