The World That Existed Only for Them - Part 8

 

When the Future Knocked Gently

Ananya’s days began to change shape.

Her new teaching assignment meant mornings filled with lesson plans and evenings spent correcting notebooks. The district office visits became fewer, intentional rather than routine. Still, on the days she did go, Aarav was often there—sometimes waiting, sometimes arriving just after her.

They adjusted without discussion.

One evening, as they walked their familiar stretch of road, Ananya mentioned her home again.

“Amma keeps asking about my work,” she said. “She’s happy… but also worried. Temporary jobs make parents nervous.”

Aarav nodded. “My mother is the same. Stability is her favorite word.”

“She asks about you,” Ananya said, then stopped. “About the people I walk with, I mean.”

He didn’t tease her. He didn’t smile.

“My sister asked too,” he said. “She thinks I’ve become… calmer.”

Ananya laughed softly. “That’s good, no?”

“Yes,” he said. “It is.”

They walked on.

“I might be transferred next year,” Aarav added, carefully. “Nothing confirmed.”

“Oh,” she said, equally careful.

Neither asked where. Neither asked what it would mean.

But the future had entered the space between them—not as a threat, not as a promise, but as a presence.

That night, Ananya lay awake longer than usual. Not anxious. Just thoughtful. She realized she was no longer imagining her days without considering whether Aarav might be part of them.

Aarav, miles away in his room, wondered if she would remain in Madurai after her contract ended. The thought unsettled him more than he expected.

They were still not in love.

But they were no longer untouched by the idea of tomorrow.