When Stars Align : Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Midnight Conversations

Days passed, but that late-night conversation refused to fade from Dhaval's mind. He wasn’t sure if Anamika would reach out again, yet a part of him secretly hoped she would. Every time his phone buzzed, he glanced at it, half-expecting her name to appear.

And then, one evening, it did.

"Busy?"

A single word. Simple, yet powerful enough to send his heart racing. He stared at the screen, thousands of thoughts flooding his mind. Why now? What did she want? Was this just a casual check-in, or was there more?

Dhaval hesitated for a moment before replying.

"Not really. You?"

The reply came quickly.

"Not much. Couldn’t sleep."

He smiled to himself, feeling a strange sense of comfort. The night had that effect — it stripped away pretense, leaving people vulnerable, honest.

"Late-night thoughts?" he typed.

"Something like that. You ever get those?"

"More often than I’d like to admit."

The messages flowed effortlessly, each word drawing them closer. Anamika spoke of her love for stargazing, how the night sky reminded her of home. Dhaval listened, captivated by the way she painted memories with words. He, too, opened up, sharing stories from his childhood — the narrow lanes of his hometown, the laughter that echoed through his home.

There was laughter, a touch of nostalgia, and a growing warmth neither could deny.

"It’s strange, isn’t it?" Anamika wrote. "We hardly know each other, but this feels… easy."

Dhaval’s fingers hovered over the screen. He felt it too — the rare comfort of being understood.

"Yeah. It does."

Minutes turned into hours, the conversation refusing to lose its spark. But as the clock neared 3 a.m., a lingering silence fell between them. Neither wanted the night to end, but the weight of unsaid words hung in the air.

Finally, Dhaval broke it.

"You should get some sleep."

"You too," she replied.

But just as he was about to put his phone down, another message flashed.

"Dhaval… I’m glad I texted you."

He stared at the words, a warmth spreading through him.

"Me too."

The night ended, but the connection remained. And neither of them could shake the feeling — something had begun.

Stay tuned for Chapter 5!