37 Should I Stay Back?
The week at home passed far quicker than Niyati had expected.
Between strict revision schedules, endless stacks of notes, mock question papers, and Diya's constant complaints about how much she hated studying, the days disappeared one after another.
Before they knew it, Monday morning arrived again, and the girls found themselves back on their way to Delhi.
This time, however, there was no excitement about returning to college.
Heavy exams were waiting for them. Their bags felt significantly heavier than usual, stuffed with thick textbooks and endless notes, while their minds remained completely occupied with everything they still had to revise.
By the time they finally reached their hostel, both girls were thoroughly exhausted.
Diya dropped her bag onto the floor with a loud thud the moment they entered their room. "I don't want to study anymore."
Niyati laughed, carefully placing her own bag on her bed. "You said the exact same thing yesterday."
"And I meant it yesterday too!" Diya groaned, collapsing onto her mattress.
"You also said you'd finish three full chapters today," Niyati pointed out gently.
"I changed my mind."
"Naturally."
Diya grabbed a pillow and threw it across the room at her. Niyati caught it mid-air, laughing softly.
For a few minutes, they simply enjoyed being back in the familiar comfort of their room, but the daunting reality of the coming exams quickly settled over them. Their little holiday was officially over, and the stressful part had just begun.
Across the city, Ansh was already back in Delhi, submerged in his work.
His apartment was only a short drive from the girls' hostel, but with exams beginning, the physical distance suddenly felt much greater.
During the first couple of days after Niyati returned, he didn't expect much from her.
He knew her inside out; when Niyati had exams, she disappeared completely into her books.
So when his text messages received replies hours later, he didn't complain.
When their usual long conversations shrank into short, quick updates, he didn't question her.
And when she completely forgot to send him a goodnight message one night, he simply smiled at his phone screen and set it aside on his nightstand.
He knew how hard she was working, and more importantly, he knew she was doing her absolute best.
Still, that didn't stop him from taking care of her in all the little ways he could.
On Tuesday afternoon, while sitting at his desk during his lunch break, Ansh opened a food delivery app.
He already knew what was happening at the hostel without even asking.
Niyati would be deeply absorbed in her studies, Diya would be complaining about her syllabus, and neither of them would have remembered to eat properly.
He placed a generous order for two full meals-a proper, comforting lunch for both of them, along with a sweet dessert on the side. Before placing the order, he added a quick note:
For my favourite girls. Eat properly and don't skip meals. - Ansh
A few minutes later, his phone rang. Seeing Diya's caller ID, he answered immediately.
"Hello?"
"Bhai!" Diya's voice came through the speaker.
"What?"
"Did you send food?"
"Hmm."
On the other end, Diya looked at the large delivery bags sitting on their study table. "You sent enough food for five people!"
Ansh chuckled quietly into the receiver. "Then eat it over the next two days."
"Very funny."
"Where's Niyati?" he asked, shifting his focus.
"Studying."
"Did she eat?"
Diya glanced toward Niyati, who was sitting cross-legged on her bed with a massive textbook open in front of her. "She said she's not hungry."
Ansh let out a quiet sigh. "Of course she did."
Diya laughed softly at his reaction. "Don't worry, Bhai. I'll make her eat."
"Good."
There was a brief pause on the line before Diya grinned, her tone turning teasingly sweet.
"Bhai?"
"Hmm?"
"You're such a typical boyfriend."
Ansh smiled to himself, leaning back in his office chair. "Eat your food, sister."
"You're not even denying it!"
"I'm hanging up."
Diya laughed as the call ended.
Across the room, Niyati finally pulled her gaze away from her notes and looked up. "Who was it?"
"Your boyfriend," Diya replied with a smirk as she began unpacking the warm containers.
Niyati's eyebrows rose in surprise. "He sent food?"
"Obviously."
A warm, helpless smile touched Niyati's lips despite herself. Picking up her phone from the desk, she saw a message waiting for her.
Ansh: Lunch has arrived. Don't tell me you're too busy to eat.
She quickly typed back.
She hesitated for a second, her fingers lingering over the keyboard before adding another line.
His reply came almost instantly.
Her heart melted at his words, a sweet ache blooming in her chest.
She stared at his message for a few seconds, her heart full, before typing her final response.
She laughed quietly, resting her forehead against her hand.
"Annoying."
Diya looked over from the table, a fork in her hand. "What?"
"Nothing," Niyati murmured, locking her screen with a soft smile.
And somewhere across the city, Ansh always seemed to know the exact moment they were reaching their limit.
One evening, Niyati sat staring blankly at her open notes, her mind completely saturated.
"I can't remember anything."
Diya didn't even look up from her pillow. "Same."
"I've read this three times already."
"Same."
"I hate this subject," Niyati groaned, dropping her pen onto the desk.
Before Diya could reply, Niyati's phone buzzed with an incoming text.
Ansh: Dinner is coming.
A soft smile broke through her fatigue.
Niyati: Again?
Ansh: Yes.
Niyati: You don't have to keep ordering for us.
Ansh: I know.
Niyati: Then why do you?
There was a brief pause before his reply appeared on her screen.
Ansh: Because I want to. And because I know you'll forget to eat when you're stressed.
Niyati stared at the screen, a tender warmth washing over her.
Niyati: You know me too well.
Ansh: Unfortunately.
She laughed quietly, catching Diya's suspicious gaze from across the room.
"What?" Niyati asked, trying to keep a straight face.
"Nothing," Diya teased, leaning on her elbow. "You're smiling at your phone."
"I'm not."
"You are!"
Niyati quickly locked her screen, turning her face away to hide her blushing cheeks.
"Eat your dinner when it comes."
Diya grinned knowingly. "Your boyfriend is taking care of us."
Niyati couldn't stop the radiant smile spreading across her lips.
"He is."
On some days, Ansh didn't just order food; he cooked for them himself.
One Thursday evening, Diya received an unexpected text from him.
Diya immediately shot back a reply.
She stared at her screen in utter disbelief.
"You made all this yourself?"
"Yes."
"Since when can you cook?" she asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.
"I've always known how."
"Liar!"
Ansh chuckled, shaking his head. "Take it upstairs before it gets cold."
Diya carried the heavy containers back up to their room. The moment she entered, Niyati looked up from her study table, sniffing the air.
"What is that?"
"Dinner."
"From where?"
"Bhai made it," Diya announced, setting the containers on the table.
Niyati's expression softened instantly, her eyes widening in surprise.
"He cooked?"
"Apparently."
Niyati walked over and opened one of the lids. A soft, breathless smile touched her lips as she looked at the dish.
"He remembered what I like..."
Diya caught the intense, affectionate look on Niyati's face and shook her head with a dramatic sigh.
"Okay, girlfriend."
Niyati glanced at her, her face turning pink.
"Don't start."
Diya simply laughed and happily served herself a portion.
What Niyati appreciated most about Ansh was that he never once demanded her time. He never asked why she hadn't called, never complained about delayed replies, and never made her feel guilty for prioritizing her studies.
Instead, he remained a steady, quiet presence in the background of her chaos-a sweet message every morning, a gentle reminder to eat, a quick call between his work meetings if she had a free moment, and an encouraging good-luck text before every exam.
Sometimes, when he knew she was completely overwhelmed, he sent nothing more than:
You've got this.
One night, after studying until nearly midnight, Niyati finally picked up her phone and dialed his number.
He answered on the second ring.
"Hi," he said softly, his voice carrying the quiet fatigue of a long workday.
"You're still awake?" she asked, leaning her head back against her pillow.
"I was waiting for your call."
A soft smile bloomed on her lips. "You didn't have to."
"I know."
She fell quiet for a moment, tracing the edge of her duvet.
"I'm sorry, Ansh."
"For what?"
"I haven't really talked to you properly since coming back to Delhi."
"Niyati..."
"I know you're understanding," she continued softly, "but still..."
"I'm proud of you," he interrupted gently, his deep voice carrying an undeniable sincerity.
Niyati went completely silent, her breath catching in her throat.
"What?"
"I'm proud of you for working so hard."
Her eyes softened, a wave of affection washing over her.
"You're really not upset?"
"Why would I be upset?"
"Because I barely give you any time."
Ansh smiled softly on his end of the line.
"I don't need you to choose between me and your exams, Niyati."
A faint, sweet smile touched her face.
"You're very mature suddenly."
"Don't ruin the moment," he replied, a clear smirk in his tone.
She laughed softly into the quiet room.
"I missed you."
"I missed you too."
"I wish you were here..."
"I'm only a few minutes away."
"I know. But..."
"I know," he whispered gently.
Niyati closed her eyes, letting the quiet comfort of his presence fill the silence between them.
After a moment, Ansh asked softly, "Did you eat?"
Niyati smiled.
"Of course."
"Properly?"
"Yes."
"Liar."
She let out a helpless laugh.
"Okay... mostly."
"I knew it."