One month.

Thirty days of silence. Thirty days of hollow eyes and empty expressions.

Dr. Sharma sat in one chair, his notebook open on his knee, his pen poised but unused.

On the other side of the table, the girl sat in her usual posture shoulders hunched, hands limp in her lap, eyes fixed on a point somewhere beyond the doctor's left shoulder. Her face was expressionless. Her breathing was shallow, barely perceptible.

Dr. Sharma studied her for a long moment, as he always did.

He sighed softly and leaned forward.

"So," he began, keeping his voice gentle, conversational. "How are you?"

A pause. He smiled ruefully.

"I know, I know. You aren't going to reply." He chuckled, shaking his head. "But I keep trying, don't I? That's what they pay me for."

He paused, watching her. No reaction. Not even a blink.

He leaned back in his chair, adopting a casual, almost friendly posture. His eyes, however, remained sharp, missing nothing.

"I was thinking," he continued, "ki humein friendship kar leni chahiye."

The word hung in the air.

Friendship.

He watched her carefully. Her fingers, which had been lying completely still in her lap, twitched. Just slightly. Just once. The barest flicker of movement.

Dr. Sharma's heart rate quickened, but his face remained calm.

"Kyunki agar hum friends banenge," he said slowly, deliberately, "to tumhe aasani hogi mujhse koi bhi  baat share karne mein. You know. Kyunki friends toh sab kuch share karte hain aapas mein."

He paused again, letting the words settle.

Her eyes had shifted. They were no longer fixed on the wall. They were now fixed on his face. Not exactly looking at him more like looking through him, but at least her focus had changed. That was something.

Dr. Sharma leaned forward slightly. He extended his hand across the table, palm open, an offering.

"So," he said softly. "Friends?"

His eyes widened as she had looked at his hand. Actually looked at it. Her gaze traveled from his face to his outstretched palm, and something flickered in those hollow eyes something that might have been recognition, or confusion, or fear. It was impossible to tell.

But more importantly she moved.

Not to take his hand. No, that would have been too much to hope for.

Instead, she shook her head.

It was tiny. Barely perceptible. A minuscule movement from side to side, so subtle that anyone not watching as closely as Dr. Sharma would have missed it entirely.

But he saw it.

He saw it, and his heart leaped into his throat.

"But why?" he asked, his voice gentle, inquisitive. "Kya main acha nahi hoon lagta  aapko?"

He waited, holding his breath.

For a long moment, she simply sat there. Her eyes were still on him , actually on him, not through him. Her face was still blank, but there was something different about the blankness now. A crack. A fissure.

And then, without warning, she stood up.

Dr. Sharma blinked, startled. "Wait"

She didn't wait. She turned toward the door, her movements still slow, still heavy, but purposeful. She walked to the door, opened it, and stepped out into the corridor without a backward glance.

The door swung shut behind her.

Dr. Sharma sat frozen in his chair, staring at the empty space where she had been.

♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡

Samara sat alone in the building park, the cold breeze hitting her face and sending shivers down her spine. She hugged her arms tightly, but it wasn't the chill that made her shudder , it was the weight of her own thoughts. Her gaze was distant, unfocused, lost in a labyrinth of feelings she couldn't untangle.

The park was quiet, the evening light casting long shadows across the grass. A few children played in the distance, their laughter muffled by the wind. But Samara heard none of it. She was somewhere else entirely.

Aryan approached on his bike, slowing down as he noticed her sitting alone on the bench. His brows furrowed in confusion. She looked so small, so lost. He parked his bike, pulled off his helmet, and ran a hand through his hair before making his way toward the park.

She didn't notice him. Not when he approached. Not when he sat down beside her. Not even when he waited for five full minutes, his eyes searching her face for any sign of what was wrong.

"Sam." He gently shook her shoulder.

She startled, blinking rapidly as if waking from a dream. "Tum kab aaye?" she asked, her voice slightly breathless.

"Jab tum na jaane kis ke khayalon mein khoyi hui thi," he tried to joke, a small smile playing on his lips. But when she didn't even crack a smile, his smile faded.

"Oye chashmish," he said softly, leaning closer. "Kya hua? Koi problem hai kya?"

She shook her head, but it was unconvincing. "Huh... nahi, kuch nahi."

"Sam." His voice was serious now, gentle but firm. "You know you can tell me anything."

She opened her mouth, and for a moment, the words she had buried so deep threatened to spill out. Kya batau tumhe, Aryan? Meri pareshani ki wajah toh tum hi ho. Main jitni in feelings ko avoid karne ki koshish karti hoon, tum jaane anjaane mein unhe aur badha dete ho. Main jitna tumse door jaane ki koshish karti hoon, tum aur nazdeek aa jaate ho. Maine apne aap se waada kiya tha ki main apni feelings ko enjoy karungi, toh kya hua agar tumhare dil mein mere liye koi feelings nahi hai? Main toh karti hoon na mohabbat , woh kaafi hai mere liye. Magar ye dil bahut laalchi hai... isko toh chahiye tumhara pyaar".

But she swallowed the words. She couldn't say them. Not now. Not when everything was so fragile.

"Nothing," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She forced a smile and looked away. "Bas exams ke baare mein soch rahi hoon."

Aryan knew she was lying. He could see it in the way her eyes refused to meet his. But he didn't push. He didn't want to break the fragile peace between them.

So they sat in silence. The wind rustled through the trees, and the world around them continued its quiet rhythm.

After some time, Samara felt a weight settle on her shoulder. She turned her head slowly and saw Aryan's head resting there, his eyes closed, his breathing even. He had fallen asleep right there, on her shoulder.

A weak but beautiful smile spread across her lips. She looked at his peaceful face, at the way his lashes rested against his cheeks, at the way the evening light softened his features.

"I'll enjoy these beautiful feelings," she whispered to herself, her voice barely audible.

She leaned her head gently against his, closed her eyes, and let herself savor the moment. For now, this was enough. For now, she would hold onto this feeling and let it carry her through whatever came next.

♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡

The fab five, along with Akash, were gathered in the park outside the building, enjoying the pleasant evening. The little white Pomeranian puppy was the center of attention, his tiny paws padding across the grass as he chased after the ball Arohi had thrown.

"Baby, catch the ball!" Arohi called out, tossing the ball in his direction. The puppy's ears perked up, and he bounded after it with all the enthusiasm his small body could muster. But his coordination was still developing he missed the ball entirely, watching it roll past him with a confused tilt of his head.

He trotted after it, picked it up in his tiny mouth, and proudly brought it back to Arohi, dropping it at her feet with a soft thud. His tail wagged furiously, his little pink tongue lolling out.

"Very good, my baby!" Arohi cooed, patting his fluffy head lovingly. The puppy mewled softly, pressing his nose against her leg and giving it a gentle lick.

"Guys," Priyanka announced dramatically, placing her hands on her hips, "we need to decide a name for this cutie. We can't keep calling him 'baby' or 'cutie' forever. He needs his own identity!"

"Hmm, baat toh sahi keh rahi ho," Arohi muttered, scooping the puppy into her arms. He squirmed happily, licking her chin.

"Magar kya naam rakhe?" Samara asked, tilting her head thoughtfully.

Everyone fell into deep contemplation. The puppy looked up at them with his big, dark eyes, as if waiting for them to bestow upon him a name worthy of his royal fluffiness.

"Sheru?" Aryan suggested, his voice full of misplaced confidence.

Everyone rolled their eyes in unison.

"Sweety?" Veer offered, trying to be helpful.

"Dude, he's not a girl," Priyanka shot back, making Veer close his mouth with an audible click.

"Galaxy," Samara said dreamily.

"Tiger," Veer tried again.

"Rudy," Arohi chimed in.

Then Aryan, with a completely straight face, said, "Snowwhite."

The glare he received from everyone was so intense that even the puppy seemed to flinch.

"Are you serious?" Priyanka asked, her voice dangerously flat.

"It's a good name!" Aryan defended, holding up his hands. "He's white and fluffy like snow ! It fits!"

"Aryan, ek baar aur Snowwhite bola toh main tera Cinderella bana dunga," Veer threatened, picking up a stray ball.

Akash, who had been watching the chaos unfold with an amused smile, finally spoke up. "What about... Kiki?"

Everyone turned to look at him with done face.

Everyone was still deep in thought, tossing around names that ranged from ridiculous to downright absurd. The puppy sat in the middle of their circle, his tiny head tilting from side to side as if he were trying to understand the gravity of the decision being made on his behalf.

Akash's gaze drifted toward Arohi, who was quietly munching on a pack of Oreo biscuits. She had just taken a bite and was chewing contentedly when the little puppy, drawn by the sweet scent, padded over to her and stood on his hind legs, sniffing eagerly at the biscuit in her hand.

"Sorry, baby, this is mine," Arohi said with a mischievous grin, popping the entire piece into her mouth before the puppy could even get a whiff.

The puppy let out a small, pitiful whimper, his ears drooping as he stared up at her with the most betrayed expression a dog could muster.

Akash chuckled at the sight. "Oreo?"

Everyone turned to look at him, their brows furrowed in confusion.

"Oreo?" they repeated in unison, as if tasting the name for the first time.

"Yeah, I mean," Akash explained, gesturing toward Arohi and the puppy, "you see, Arohi loves Oreo biscuits. And I think this cute little guy also likes the smell he was trying to snatch the biscuit from her hand just now. Plus, he's white like the cream, so... yeah, Oreo."

There was a moment of silence as everyone processed the suggestion. Then Arohi's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Perfect! Then Oreo it is!" she declared, scooping the puppy into her arms and holding him up to her face. "Did you hear that, baby? Your name is Oreo now"

The puppy , now officially named Oreo yipped happily, his tail wagging so fast it was a blur. He licked Arohi's nose, making her giggle.

♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡

Short chapter😬

Hope you like the chapter?

Oreo kaisa laga aapko?

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