chapter 22

Part 22: There is no distance between the connection Days turned into weeks, and the routine of Class 10 was starting to settle down. Riya was attending her classes, completing notes, and laughing with her friends. But deep inside, something kept her a little quieter… a little more thoughtful.Every evening, her heart awaited just one thing – a message from the monkey.And he never disappointed.One evening, as she sat on her terrace with the wind hitting her face, her phone rang.Dhirav: “Aaj gaon mein bijli chaal gayi thi, so late ho gaya.”Riya: “Tere yaadon mein toh pura din light hi light thi.”Dhirav: “Wow! Poetess Riya is in action.”Riya smiled.Though miles apart, their hearts were always on the same page.Dhirav: "Today, Didi said, don't use your phone so much secretly. I said, I will talk to my bestie."Riya: "Just bestie?"There was a pause.Dhiraj: "What else should I write?"Riya: "Whatever is in my heart..."Another pause. There was no reply for a few minutes. Riya looked at the screen, her heart started beating a little.Then finally:Dhirav: "In my heart? You are there."Her eyes widened. She didn't know what to type back. Her fingers were moving on the keyboard.Riya: "Everything seems incomplete without you. Will you come soon?"Dhirav: "I am trying to come soon. I am not feeling like coming here without you."The night passed with stories, dreams and emotions wrapped between words.  The unspoken feelings were slowly turning into something deeper – something that neither of them had named, but both could feel.A few days later, when Riya walked into the school, she felt something different.The air around seemed… familiar.She turned around.And there he was – Dhirav, standing at the school gate with his usual smile, school bag slung over one shoulder.She couldn’t believe her eyes.He waved and said, “So White Crow, ready for the battle of Class 10th?”Riya blinked twice, then smiled – the biggest smile in days.“Welcome, Monkey.”And just like that, the story began where it left off – with a strong bond and hearts slowly understanding what it means to miss someone.