Aalankrit never tried to replace what Tripti had lost.

He simply became someone who stayed.

On days she couldn't smile, he'd find the smallest reasons to make her laugh. If she skipped lunch, he'd remind her to eat. When her eyes filled with tears, he'd quietly change the topic. He never asked her to "move on."

He just made sure she didn't have to carry the pain alone.

Some days, he would purposely stay back after class, knowing she hated walking into an empty corridor with a heavy heart. Other days, he'd send her a random question about studies just to distract her from overthinking. He remembered the little things she forgot to mention twice, proving that sometimes the deepest care isn't spoken - it is quietly noticed.

Slowly, Tripti's laughter returned—not because the pain had disappeared, but because someone had given her a safe place to feel it. Aalankrit never expected credit. Seeing her smile, even for a moment, was enough for him.

Little did Tripti know, the boy everyone overlooked was quietly becoming the strongest reason she believed that not every goodbye is followed by loneliness.

He celebrated her smallest victories as if they were his own. A better test score, a genuine smile, a day without tears—nothing escaped his notice. When she doubted herself, he reminded her of the strength she couldn't see. He wasn't trying to become the most important person in her life.

He was simply making sure she never again felt like she had no one beside her.