Votes target for next chapter : 70 votes,90 followers.

Kayalvizhi's pov:

Today I'm going to Athai and Maama's house.

Or well... Ezhil's house.

It's literally right next to ours. Just a thin compound wall, one small gate, and a few steps away. That's all.

This entire land belonged to Thatha and Paati. Years ago, they split it equally between Amma and maama. Two houses. Two families. One childhood.

When Ezhil was around thirteen, they moved away because Maama got transferred. And for a while, that gate between our houses stayed closed. But a few years ago, when Maama retired, they came back. Just like before. Like nothing had changed.

Except... everything had.

Back then, I'd run between the two houses a dozen times a day , mostly to escape Amma's scolding or to sneak extra sweets from Athai's kitchen. Ezhil would sit on the verandah, legs swinging, solving sudoku puzzles like a mini scientist.

Sometimes I'd pull his hair and run away just for fun.

Sometimes he'd help me hide after I broke something at home.

We grew up like that , tangled in each other's days without even realizing it.

So, me going to their house now isn't something new. It's familiar. Safe. Home in a different colour.

But today... it feels different.

Because Ezhil isn't there.

He's still in Chennai. Paper correction work, he said. University deadlines. I understood. I even told him, "Don't stress, I'll am fine here."

But the truth?

It's been just a day.

Just one day.

And I miss him.

Terribly.

I miss hearing him mumble to himself while making tea. I miss him asking where I kept his socks, even though they're always in the same drawer. I miss him sitting beside me while I study, his knee brushing mine just slightly.

I miss the quiet moments too — when we don't talk, just exist near each other like that's enough.

It's not like we message all day or anything dramatic.

It's just... there's this strange silence without him.

I entered their house and Athai greeted me with a bright smile. "Paati's upstairs. She's been asking about you."

I smiled and handed over the snacks I brought. "Where's Maama?"

"Inside, watching cricket. Go and greet him."

Everything is the same.

The walls, the smell of filter coffee, the wooden swing that creaks too loudly.

Even my old handprint is still faintly visible on the back gate where we once painted the fence together.

But I leaned against the doorway and sighed.

Because somehow, even in the middle of this comfort, a part of me was missing.

A part that looked like him.

I glanced at my phone.

No message.

I almost typed "Are you eating properly?" and then deleted it.

Maybe I'll just wait for evening.

Or maybe I'll go upstairs and look at the terrace we once painted together in school , and smile at the memory of how I ruined his white shirt that day.He got a lot of scoldings from everyone

Because the truth is...

We may live in different cities now.

But no wall, no gate, no distance is enough to keep him out of my thoughts.

Even here, even in his house - he's everywhere.

Ezhil's pov

I never thought I'd say this, but the house feels... too quiet.

Too still.

Too unlike us.

It's been barely two days since Kayal left for her home, and yet every corner of this place seems to ache with silence.

Her books are still stacked neatly on the shelf.

Her little sticky notes - reminders and formulas and silly doodles ,still cling to the refrigerator.

Her scent lingers faintly on the sofa cushion, like jasmine after a breeze.

And me?

I'm walking around like a lost schoolboy who misplaced his partner during group activity.

I tried distracting myself. Corrected answer scripts. Worked on my thesis revisions. Even organized some old files in the cabinet.

But every few minutes, I'd find myself glancing at the door like she'd walk in, chattering about random things - the neighbour's noisy dog, a weird snack she found online, or some gossip her friend shared.

I even made tea. For two.

Out of habit.

And then stood there, staring at the empty cup I had poured for her.

It's funny how someone becomes part of your routine without even trying.

And the moment they're gone, the absence roars louder than any sound.

I sat on the edge of the bed, scrolling through my phone, not really reading anything.

Then her name flashed on the screen.

"Kayal calling..."

A small smile found its way to my lips before I could stop it.

I answered, "I was just thinking about you."

"Really?" she sounded surprised.

"You have excellent timing."

She giggled. "I'm at our house. Athai and Maama's. I just finished dinner. Paati asked about you."

I leaned back, closing my eyes, letting the sound of her voice soothe my mind.

"I miss you," I said, quietly.

She went silent for a second, then replied, "Me too."

"Did you eat?"

"I did. But not your tea," she teased. "I tried making it like you do, but it tastes like... yuck."

I laughed. "I'll make it when you're back."

"I know," she said, softly.

A pause.

The kind where nothing is said, but everything is felt.

"Can we... talk for a while?" she asked.

"As long as you want," I replied.

We didn't talk about anything major. Just... life.

She told me how Paati still forgets the medicine box in the same spot, how Maama brought her all her favorite snacks from the town shop, how the swing still creaks too loudly at night.

And I told her how dull the chutney tasted without her making fun of it, how even the fan feels noisier, and how I tried to work but couldn't.

By the end of the call, she had curled up under her old blanket, and I was lying on our bed, phone pressed to my ear like I was sixteen again.

"Sleep," I whispered.

"You too."

"Kayal..."

"Hm?"

"Come back soon."

"I will," she promised, her voice feather-light.

The call stayed on.

Neither of us cut it.

She dozed off slowly, her breathing steady in my ear.

I closed my eyes, smiling.

And for the first time in two days, sleep found me.

Because even if she wasn't beside me tonight, her voice was.

And sometimes, love sounds exactly like someone breathing quietly on the other side of a phone call.

Votes target for next chapter : 70 votes,90 followers.

Hello, my dear fam! Your love and support means everything. Please vote, follow, and share your thoughts! Follow me on Instagram for exclusive spoiler updates!

Please do follow to get further updates of chapter.

Love you all <3