The alarm buzzed loudly, cutting through the peaceful quiet of the morning. Sid groaned, reaching out blindly to hit the snooze button, but his hand missed. The noise persisted.
“Aah, who is this?” Sid mumbled, rubbing his eyes as he forced himself to sit up. He had no intention of getting out of bed just yet. “I don’t want to wake up... what’s the rush? Just five more minutes...”
He flopped back down on the bed, pulling the blanket over his head, hoping to drown out the world for a little longer.
“Sid!” His mom’s voice rang through the door. “Do you want to miss that movie date with Nisha today?”
The name jolted him awake. His eyes flew open, his heart racing as he scrambled for his phone. “Oh no! The movie date!” He grabbed his phone from the nightstand, squinting at the screen. 10:45 AM. His heart sank as he saw 15 missed calls from ajay.
“Oh my god... I screwed up!” Sid shot out of bed, stumbling over himself as he rushed to the bathroom. “I’m so late!”
He muttered a quick, “Godspeed,” to himself before hopping into the shower. His mind raced as the water hit him, trying to figure out how to salvage the day. Today was the day he had planned to confess his love to Nisha—he couldn’t mess this up.
“I’ll make it up to her,” he said, grabbing a towel and sprinting out of the bathroom. He threw on his best black t-shirt and white pants, the ones with the subtle black thread design that he always thought looked cool. He barely glanced at himself in the mirror before grabbing his keys and rushing out the door. “I have to tell her today... I have to!”
As he revved up his bike, his phone buzzed again. It was Ajay, his best friend, and the only one who knew about Sid’s feelings for Nisha. Sid answered quickly.
“Sid, where the hell are you, man? You’re already 15 minutes late! Nisha’s been calling you nonstop!” Ajay’s voice was urgent, tinged with frustration.
“I know, I know, I’m on my way!” Sid shouted over the roar of his bike as he sped through the streets. His thoughts were racing just as fast. Today’s the day—the day he would finally tell Nisha how he felt. Every time he saw her, he fell in love with her all over again, and today, he was going to tell her the truth.
As he pulled up to the mall, Ajay was already waiting outside, his face a mix of annoyance and amusement.
“What are you doing, man?” Ajay said, shaking his head. “You didn’t even answer my calls.”
“I’m sorry, I was... busy,” Sid lied quickly, his mind too focused on what was coming. “Let’s just go in.”
Ajay sighed. “Fine, but Nisha’s pissed. She’s inside with Geetha. You better make this right.”
Sid nodded, following Ajay into the theater. Inside, Nisha was standing by the concession stand with Geetha, her cousin. Nisha was wearing a lavender t-shirt and dark blue jeans, her hair falling softly around her face. As soon as Sid saw her, his breath caught. She looks beautiful, he thought, completely lost for a moment.
“Hi, Sid,” Nisha said, her tone sharp but her eyes softening when she looked at him.
Sid scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. “Uh... hi, Nisha. Sorry I’m late. I had an... important meeting with a client. It was unavoidable.”
Nisha raised an eyebrow. “A meeting? On a Saturday?”
Sid shrugged sheepishly. “Work never stops, right?”
Ajay stepped in, trying to diffuse the tension. “Alright, guys, let’s not waste any more time. The movie’s about to start.”
Sid breathed a sigh of relief as they made their way toward the theater, but his mind was still racing. How am I going to confess? Should I do it during the movie? No, that’s stupid. Maybe after... or... during?
Nisha called out to Sid, her voice pulling him out of his thoughts. “Sid, come on! We’re going in.”
Sid had a whirlwind of thoughts racing through his head as they walked into the movie theater. His heart was beating fast, not from excitement about the movie, but from the weight of what he planned to do. Confessing his feelings to Nisha wasn't going to be easy, and now that he knew they were watching a horror movie, his nerves were shot.
The theater was dimly lit, and Sid's palms were already sweating. Nisha, sitting right next to him, was engrossed in the trailers, her lavender t-shirt standing out against the dark backdrop. Sid couldn't help but steal glances at her, mesmerized by her presence.
“Sid, are you okay?” Nisha asked, noticing his silence.
“Y-Yeah, I’m fine,” Sid replied, forcing a smile. But inside, he was panicking. The idea of proposing in the middle of a horror movie now seemed like the worst plan ever.
The movie started, and from the get-go, the eerie background score sent shivers down Sid's spine. He tried to keep calm, but every jump scare made him flinch. Nisha, on the other hand, seemed unfazed, occasionally laughing at Sid’s reactions. He was trying hard to keep his composure, but his fear was betraying him.
As the movie progressed, Sid was waiting for the right moment to whisper his feelings to Nisha. His mind raced through different scenarios, trying to figure out how to make it special despite the terrifying surroundings.
In one particularly intense scene, Nisha grabbed Sid’s arm, startled by a loud jump scare. Her touch made Sid’s heart skip a beat. This was it—the moment he had been waiting for. He took a deep breath, leaned in closer to her, and whispered, “Nisha, there’s something I need to tell you.”
She turned her head slightly, still half-focused on the movie. “What is it, Sid?”
Sid’s mind went blank for a second, the words stuck in his throat. “I... I...” he stammered, trying to form the sentence.
Suddenly, the screen flashed with another horrifying image, and the whole theater erupted in gasps. Sid nearly jumped out of his seat, completely losing the nerve to confess.
Nisha chuckled softly. “You’re such a scaredy-cat, Sid.”
He forced a laugh, hiding the fact that his confession had been derailed. “Yeah, maybe horror movies aren’t my thing,” he admitted, feeling defeated.
Ajay, sitting a few seats away with Geetha, glanced over at Sid with a knowing smirk. He had been rooting for Sid all along, and it seemed like he knew what was happening—or not happening.
As the movie reached its climax, Sid realized time was running out. If he didn’t confess now, he might never get the chance. With newfound determination, Sid took a deep breath, leaned in closer to Nisha again, and whispered, “Nisha, I’ve been meaning to tell you this for a while... I... I really like you.”
Nisha’s eyes widened in surprise. She turned to face Sid fully, her expression unreadable in the dim light of the theater. Sid braced himself for her reaction.
“You... what?” she whispered back, her voice barely audible over the dramatic music on screen.
Sid swallowed hard. “I like you. A lot. More than just as a friend.”
For a moment, there was silence between them, the tension building along with the suspense in the movie. Sid’s heart was pounding so loud he could hardly hear anything else. Then, Nisha smiled softly, her eyes twinkling in the dark.
“I was wondering when you’d finally say it,” she whispered back.
Sid’s eyes widened in surprise. “Wait, you knew?”
Nisha chuckled. “Sid, it’s been pretty obvious for a while now. I was just waiting for you to tell me.”
Sid felt a wave of relief wash over him. All the fear and anxiety he’d been holding onto vanished in an instant. He smiled back at Nisha, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. “So... does that mean...?”
Nisha nodded, her smile growing wider. “Yes, Sid. I like you too.”
Sid’s heart soared. The movie may have been terrifying, but this moment made it all worth it. The two of them exchanged a look, one that said everything they needed to know without words.
Ajay, who had been watching from a distance, nudged Geetha. “Looks like it finally happened,” he whispered, grinning.
Geetha smiled. “Took him long enough.”
As the credits rolled and the lights came back on, Sid felt like he was walking on air. He had done it—he had confessed his feelings, and Nisha felt the same way. This was the beginning of something new, and Sid couldn’t have been happier.
Outside the theater, as they all said their goodbyes, Nisha gave Sid a quick hug. “I’ll see you tomorrow?” she asked, her voice soft.
Sid nodded, still smiling like a fool. “Definitely.”
As Nisha walked away with Geetha, Ajay clapped Sid on the back. “Well done, man. I didn’t think you had it in you.”
Sid laughed, still a bit dazed by everything. “Neither did I.”
As they all parted ways, Sid rode his bike back home, his mind still replaying the events of the day. The confession hadn’t gone exactly as planned, but in the end, it didn’t matter. What mattered was that Nisha felt the same, and that made everything perfect.
As Sid rode home, his heart was still pounding, but this time it was out of pure happiness. He couldn’t believe how perfect the day had turned out. The weight of his confession had been lifted, and Nisha liked him back. Everything seemed to be falling into place.
But as he pulled into his driveway, his phone buzzed. It was Ajay. Smiling, Sid picked it up, expecting to hear some teasing from his friend about the movie or his long-overdue confession.
“Ajay, man, what’s up?” Sid said, his voice full of excitement.
There was a heavy silence on the other end of the line, an eerie pause that made Sid's smile fade instantly.
“Ajay?” Sid asked, concern creeping into his voice.
“S-Sid,” Ajay finally said, his voice shaking. “There’s been an accident...”
Sid’s heart dropped. “What do you mean? What accident?”
Ajay’s voice cracked, and Sid could hear him struggling to speak. “Nisha... Sid, there was a car crash. Just after you left... She... she didn’t make it.”
For a moment, Sid couldn’t process the words. His mind went blank, the world around him seeming to stop.
“Wh-What? No, no... you’re wrong. That’s not possible. I just saw her. She was fine, she was...” Sid’s voice trailed off, his hand gripping the phone so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
“I’m so sorry, Sid. I just got the call from Geetha... The car... it came out of nowhere. She died on the spot.”
Sid’s legs gave out beneath him, and he sank to the ground. His vision blurred as tears welled up in his eyes. Everything felt surreal, like he was stuck in a nightmare he couldn’t wake from.
“N-No... no... this can’t be happening,” Sid whispered, his voice breaking. He felt like he was suffocating, the weight of the news crushing his chest.
He had just told her. She had just smiled at him, laughed with him. How could she be gone?
“Sid, I... I don’t know what to say...” Ajay’s voice was barely audible now, lost in the haze of Sid’s grief.
Sid couldn't speak. He couldn’t think. All he could see was Nisha’s face, that radiant smile she had given him just hours ago. And now, she was gone.
Gone.................................................................. 3 years later......
Write a comment ...