Stay

Chapter 9 - Left Behind

"Sanjay and Atul went and got our bags for us. They said..." Neha paused. "They said you weren't at the hostel and that you were spending the night with Alan."

"Idiots!" Anjana chimed in. "They're friends with Abhishek and probably thought it would be a fun prank to play on you."

Fiza was annoyed. This was far from funny. Anjana and Neha joined their classmates on the bus, leaving Fiza alone with her luggage. She handed her suitcase to the conductor and walked in, carrying her backpack. As she passed Alan, she purposefully avoided eye contact and chose a seat two rows behind him. She felt on edge, her poor sleep and the stress of being left behind making her hyperalert.

Megha, one of the third-year students who had participated in the western dance, took a seat next to her. While some of the students played Anthakshari, Fiza closed her eyes, hoping to catch some much-needed sleep.

Alan desperately wanted to talk to Fiza, but he felt bad for how he had treated her last night. He couldn't get the image of her hurt face out of his head. Seeing her with her eyes closed, taking those deep breaths, it had torn him up inside. He knew he had messed up and had caused her pain. He questioned whether he was even capable of being a good friend to her.

The self-doubt overwhelmed him, and he stayed in his seat, unable to muster the courage to approach her. He figured he'd only end up making things worse by speaking to her.

The bus made a pit stop at Vellore, and everyone got off to stretch their legs and grab some tea. Fiza spotted Neha and Anjana and joined them. Anjana wasted no time in filling the others in on what those idiots Sanjay and Atul had done. She recognized them to be the ones who had intervened the previous night when Abhishek had been trying to pick a fight with Alan.

Fiza couldn't help but feel guilty for ignoring Alan. After all, he had been there for her when she had needed him, and she realized she was being childish for holding a grudge against him for being crude about his situation with Mownika. It was just the truth, and she had asked for open communication.

Deciding to make amends, Fiza ordered an extra cup of tea and walked over to Alan as a peace offering.

Fiza approached Alan with a smile, offering him the cup of tea which he gladly accepted. As she animatedly shared the morning's events, Alan's eyebrows shot up in surprise, eliciting laughter from Fiza.

"Unbelievable!" he exclaimed, taking a sip of his tea. He felt a sense of relief that she was speaking to him again. It amazed him how quickly she had become important to him.

"How was your morning?" Fiza asked in an attempt to turn the focus on him.

She immediately bit her lip, afraid she was prying. Alan considered her, feeling a surge of emotions just being in her presence. He didn't want to lie, yet he didn't want to put her off either.

"I stayed over at Mownika's hotel," he admitted. Fiza glanced down at her cup. "It was closer to the bus stand," he quickly added, hoping to provide some context.

Their eyes met, and Fiza silently questioned how he managed to separate physical acts from emotional connections. Alan seemed to understand her unspoken question. He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, feeling a tinge of judgment. Surprisingly, Fiza's gaze remained unwavering.

"I'm not using her, Fiza. We're just having fun, no strings attached," Alan assured her. He sensed her struggle with the concept.

Fiza's voice trembled as she spoke, her eyes casting down before locking with Alan's once again. "I would never be able to do that," she confessed, her words laced with vulnerability. "You know?" Her gaze bore into his. "Separate physical touch from physical affection and love?"