The Chat That Changed Us

By Ritisha Ekka

It was December, and our world lived inside a tiny screen,

A group of four — three girls in 8th grade and one boy in 9th — our secret routine.

We texted till midnight, sent memes, laughed without end,

He was the senior in the group, to me just a friend. 

What I didn’t know was that behind every late-night reply,

He liked me deeply, though I never caught his eye.

We both loved cricket, shared dreams about the game,

But I thought he was just flirting, the way he did with all the same. 

I trusted him, so one day I told him the truth I carried inside,

That I was already in a relationship, with someone by my side.

I thought he’d smile, maybe tease me, maybe joke like before,

But instead, his replies slowed down, his laughter came no more. 

The group began to fade — from four voices down to two,

Conversations grew shorter, the silence only grew.

At school we started ignoring each other, avoiding each glance,

As if friendship had ended, without giving a chance. 

Months passed in this way… until July,

Now we girls were in 9th grade, and he in 10th, standing tall, nearby.

One ordinary school day, I saw him with another old friend,

My heartbeat ran faster — was this silence about to end? 

He smiled and said, “Hey Ritz, congrats for becoming captain!”

It hit me then — he had been captain before, and now my chapter began.

That evening my phone buzzed — his name flashed on the chat,

After months of nothing, he finally wrote back. 

We talked again, not like strangers but not like before,

Just two people remembering what we once had in store.

The same memes, the same reels, the same silly fights,

Late-night gossip, cricket dreams, endless chats and lights. 

But still something was missing — that special charm we once knew,

Our laughter was the same, yet the bond didn’t feel true.

A friend had once told me, “He has a crush on you,”

But I’d brushed it aside, thought it couldn’t be true. 

I called him my younger brother, though he was two years ahead,

And on Raksha Bandhan I asked, “Shall I tie you a rakhi instead?”

He denied and when I asked why, he gently said, “Nah, just normally.”

And deep down I knew — it was more than it seemed to be. 

One day we trusted each other enough to share our passwords too,

Curious, I opened his chats, not knowing what I’d view.

Most were in Telugu, words I struggled to translate,

But then I found December’s messages — and uncovered his fate. 

There he wrote to his best friend, with heartbreak in his tone,

“She broke my heart… my first love remained unknown.

If she already had a boyfriend, why did she talk so kind?

Why did she smile, why did she fill my mind?” 

Reading those words, my world stopped still,

A heavy silence pressed, a pain I couldn’t kill.

I never knew that being sweet could cut so deep,

I never meant to hurt him, yet I made him weep. 

That night I cried, truly cried, my heart in despair,

Because unknowingly, I had been unfair.

Now every chat with him feels heavy, not free,

A shadow of guilt keeps haunting me. 

The feeling of being the villain in someone’s tale,

Of breaking a heart, though I never set sail.

I never wanted to be the bad memory in his song,

Yet here I am — the reason his love went wrong. 

After some days ,things changed, the silence was past,

Our chats found rhythm, a bond built to last.

No longer the weight of December’s ache,

But a friendship mended, though slightly opaque. 

He began to see me as elder, not more,

The “younger brother” I’d called him before.

But then came a twist, both silly and sweet,

A crush on our counselor — his heart skipped a beat. 

She was older by twelve years, maybe more,

Yet he spoke of her often, like love to explore.

I laughed at the thought, but inside I knew,

His feelings were tender, his heart was true. 

For he was different from what most could see,

A “playboy” in masks, but soft underneath.

Sensitive, loyal, he cared without end,

A brother, a dreamer, a heart I’d defend. 

So I played along, like a sister would do,

Helping him plan, though I knew it untrue.

Little gestures, small tips, excitement alive,

Though chances were none, it kept him revived. 

Because sometimes it’s not about winning the part,

But protecting the hope that lives in a heart.

And I’d rather see him smiling, even in chase,

Than sadness return to shadow his face. 

Even now, our chats remain,

Filled with chaos, cricket, laughter, and playful pain.

We tease, we prank, we share every vibe,

More than friends, like siblings, side by side. 

The crushes faded, the heartbreaks all gone,

But the bond we built continues strong.

Late-night memes, silly fights, cricket scores we defend,

In this little world of ours, there’s no need to pretend. 

For in the end, what truly stayed true,

Was the laughter, the mischief, the “us” we always knew.

Not love, not loss, just a connection so deep,

A friendship to cherish, a promise to keep.

By Ritisha Ekka