Love Before Graduation

At night...

I was sitting at the corner of the bed. The blue light from my phone fell on my face like a torch placed on a corpse in a hospital. Subh's name was shining on the screen. The man who had silently wrapped himself in the cloak of disappearance.

I called—why, maybe even I didn't know.

It rang... once... twice... "Hello?"

It wasn't a voice, it was an old wound still being poked.

"Hi... Subh," I said.

"Aira? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine... just wanted to check if you're alive or dead."

He didn't laugh. Neither did I. There was a moment of silence, as if both of us were thinking of our own lies.