The morning after her birthday came slow and soft.
Yashika sat near the reception desk, quietly scribbling in her little diary while Ms. Kavita flipped through papers behind her. The orphanage was still — except for the faint rustling of trees outside.
And then the phone rang.
Ms. Kavita answered, her voice the usual crisp politeness. "Yes? Chirag? Oh, okay. Hold on." She looked at Yashika, her expression unreadable. "It's for you."
Yashika blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected a call, not today.
"Hello?" she whispered.
"Hey dumbhead," Chirag's voice smiled through the phone. "Busy with your fancy orphanage work?"
Yashika rolled her eyes but couldn't help the laugh that escaped. "What is it now?"
"I have a surprise. Come outside. And don't ask questions."
After a few more teasing lines and a request, Yashika looked up at Ms. Kavita. "Ma'am… can I go out for a bit? I have some… work."
Ms. Kavita raised an eyebrow. "Work? With Chirag?"
Yashika's cheeks flushed. "Yes…"
Ms. Kavita narrowed her eyes, then sighed. "You're thirteen now. Fine. But don't be late."
Yashika nodded eagerly and ran outside. Chirag was already waiting, helmet in hand and a smug grin on his face. Ms. Kavita had followed Yashika but as she saw Chirag she smiled and turned back.
He took her to a public park near the outskirts — quiet, green, and a little dusty, with birds chirping in the background and the sky already softening into orange. As the bike halted, Yashika got down, brushing her t-shirt awkwardly.
"Close your eyes," Chirag said.
"What? Why?"
"Just do it."
"Chirag—"
"Yashikaaa…"
She huffed. "Fine."
He held her hand lightly. "Now… open."
In front of her was a small, slightly lopsided cake resting on a plastic table. It looked confused, like it had fought a war with the oven.
"Did you… bake this?" she asked, eyes wide.
"Of course I did," he said proudly. "Took me three tries to make something remotely edible."
"You dumbhead. You don't even know how to switch on a microwave."
He pretended to be offended. "Wow. The disrespect. Just taste it first."
She laughed — a real one — and it startled even her. There was something different about today. A soft breeze. A warmth. A lack of loneliness she couldn't explain.
She cut the cake.
As she reached to feed Chirag the first bite, he quickly turned her hand and made her eat it instead.
"It's tradition," he winked.
She made a face after chewing. "It's not that bad… surprisingly."
His grin widened. "I'll take that as a compliment."
They sat on the bench, watching the sun melt into the horizon.
"I'm sorry for yesterday," he said quietly.
She shook her head. "It's okay."
There was a pause.
"Oh — also," he added, like it just came to him, "Papa wants you to have dinner with us today. So come home."
"I can't—"
"I already called Miss Kavita."
"Chirag!"
"She said yes."
She glared at him but followed anyway, heart full.
The Chaturvedi house smelled like dal tadka and comfort. Raghuveer Uncle welcomed her with a warm smile.
The dinner was simple but delicious — chapatis, kheer, warm daal — but to Yashika, it tasted like home. They laughed. They talked. They teased Chirag about his cake.
For once, she wasn't just the girl from the orphanage.
She was just… Yashika.
After dinner, she stood to leave. "I should go now."
"I'll drop you," Chirag said.
She said goodbye to Raghuveer uncle, hugged him, and they drove back in silence.
"Goodnight," Chirag said as they stopped.
"Sweet dreams," she whispered back.
She walked inside and up to her room, closed the door, and exhaled deeply.
For the first time in many nights, sleep came easily.
She didn't know that peace is always quietest before pain.
It had been a few days since Yashika's birthday, and things had felt slightly lighter. Chirag had been calling, talking like before, teasing like always, and she felt… seen. Even if only a little.
One afternoon, after her tuition ended, she stepped out of the gate and noticed Chirag waiting by his bike. His arms were folded, his expression unreadable.
"Oh hey," she said, a little surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"I want to take you somewhere," he said.
"Where?"
"Just somewhere," he replied with a faint smile.
She nodded, and they both hopped onto the bike. The ride was quiet, except for the soft hum of the city around them. A few minutes later, they stopped outside a small, cozy café. Yashika tilted her head, confused.
"Why are we here?" she asked.
"I want you to meet someone," Chirag said.
"Who?"
"You'll know soon."
He walked in first and found a corner table. Then, without saying more, he ordered two coffees and one fruit juice.
Yashika blinked. Three stuffs?
They chatted lightly while waiting, Yashika throwing glances at the café entrance every now and then. Then, the door opened.
A girl stepped in.
She was beautiful. Not the kind of beauty you grow into — but the kind that feels unfairly perfect from the start. Long, straight hair that looked like it had never known a bad day. Clear, glowing skin. Hazel brown siren eyes that caught the light and held it. She wore a soft floral dress that moved gently as she walked.
Chirag's face lit up as he stood to greet her.
"Kanika!"
They hugged.
Yashika's eyes quietly widened.
The girl joined them, sliding in beside Chirag — not across from him, beside.
Chirag turned. "So… meet her. This is Kanika."
Kanika smiled at Yashika, friendly and sweet. "Hi! You must be Yashika, right? Chirag told me about you. You really are cute."
"She is," Chirag said, smiling. "No doubt, right little?"
"Little?"
That last word — little — tugged Yashika out of her daze.
"Huh? Oh… come on. I'm not cute."
Chirag chuckled. "So what do you think? Isn't Kanika beautiful?"
Yashika smiled, forced but soft. "Do you even have to ask?"
"I told you, right?" Chirag grinned at Kanika, "She's my best little friend. I'll never have another like her."
Kanika nodded. "Of course she is. Even though she's 5 years younger than us, and yet she's seriously mature."
"Actually 4 years from now on. It was her birthday at 5th June, remember I told you?" Chirag said looking at Yashika.
" Oh yeah, I remember. But seriously she is mature," Kanika replied.
Yashika smiled again, looking at them.
They looked perfect together, like a couple from a movie.
But something inside her slipped quietly out of place.
Later that night, the lights were off in her room. She lay curled up, hugging her teddy tight against her chest — the one Chirag gifted her. She stared at the ceiling, but her thoughts stayed glued to that café.
She hadn't expected to feel this way. She didn't even understand it fully.
But the ache was there.
Not loud. Not tearing.
Just… aching.
She kept thinking about Kanika. Her dress. Her eyes. Her laugh. Her appearance. The way Chirag smiled when she walked in. The way they hugged. The way he looked so happy.
She kept wondering if Chirag had ever smiled like that at her.
And the worst part was — she couldn't even be angry.
Kanika was wonderful.
It wasn't jealousy.
It was realization.
That maybe she was just the little friend after all.
And somewhere deep inside, she started believing…
she would never be anything more, nothing like Kanika.