8th December 2015

It was a Saturday, a rare day with fewer college lectures, and I decided to take it off completely. The weather was unusually cold, and I cocooned myself in a warm blanket, lazily scrolling through random videos on Facebook.

Somewhere between one video and the next, I didn't even realize when sleep claimed me.

The faint buzz of my phone stirred me awake. I glanced outside the window to find the world bathed in a soft orange glow—the sun, lazily inching toward the horizon.

"Shit! I slept too long," I muttered, realizing I had assignments to finish.

Still groggy, I found myself scrolling through Facebook again as I shuffled into the kitchen. My plan? Make chai.

Winters and chai—the ultimate combo. As the water began to boil and the aroma of tea leaves mingled with cardamom filled the air, I stumbled upon a hilarious video. Laughing, I couldn't resist sharing it with a friend.

Back then, I had a habit of chatting with online friends from various states, even strangers. Talking to strangers was oddly comforting—like reading a story without knowing how it might end.

As I continued scrolling, the friend requests tab caught my eye. Among the names was someone called 'Abir Abir' decent-looking guy from his profile picture.

Without much thought, I accepted the request and placed my phone on the table, turning my attention back to the sweet, addicting aroma of tea.

A few minutes later, with a steaming cup in hand, I poured one for my mother as well.

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Later that evening, buried in exam prep, my phone buzzed. A message:

Abir: Hey!

Curious, I opened Messenger and typed back a quick reply:

"Hey, wassup?" Sending it, I tried to focus on my books again.

But not even five minutes later, my phone buzzed once more.

Abir: Hey! All good! What about you?

I couldn't ignore the curiosity tugging at me. Putting down my books, I opened his profile and began carefully scrolling through his photos.

Strangely, all his pictures were from before 2015. A bit odd, but nothing alarming.

I asked him again, where are you from? And he was from Noida but surprisingly he said he is visiting my town.

Me: I am also good, just studying for exams! What do you do?

Abir: Me? I am a practitioner doctor!

A doctor? Interesting.

Me: Wow, that must be amazing! Saving lives and all.

Abir: It's not as glamorous as it sounds. Mostly long hours and not much time for myself.

Me: Oh... that sounds tough. Do you at least enjoy it?

Abir: I used to. But now it feels like I'm just going through the motions. What about you? What do you enjoy?

Me: Used to? I love writing. Stories, poems... it's like my little escape.

Abir: That's nice. Escaping sounds good.

Me: You, okay?

Abir: Yeah. Just... life didn't turn out the way I thought it would.

Me: I get that. It's hard sometimes. But maybe it's just a phase?

Abir: Maybe. Or maybe I just need to find something worth looking forward to again.

Me: You will.

His chats had a certain oddness to them, but I brushed it off, chalking it up to frustration or perhaps a need to vent.

When he didn't reply after five minutes, I didn't dwell on it and redirected my focus to the chores I'd been putting off.

The day passed uneventfully, and later that night, as usual, I stayed online until midnight or sometimes even 1 a.m. Just as I was about to log off, a notification popped up. It was Abir.

Abir: Hey!

I realized I'd almost forgotten about him. Instead of replying right away, I clicked on his profile again.

Scrolling through, I noticed the same few photos I'd seen earlier—all dated before 2015.

Mixed among them were motivational quotes interspersed with some surprisingly dark, depressing ones. Something about it felt... heavy.

After a moment of hesitation, I replied.

Me: Hey! Can't sleep?

Abir: Yeah, umm, just insomnia.

His response felt guarded, but I couldn't resist asking the question that had been nagging at me.

Me: Hey, just curious... Why haven't you posted anything after 2015?

He took a moment before replying.

Abir: I guess I just don't get enough time to click pictures. And honestly, I don't like posting much anymore.

There was something wistful about his tone, even through the screen.

Me: But you look good!

Abir: Is it? Thank you! 😊

We moved on to lighter topics after that. We talked about random things—his favorite food, my love for books, his struggles with work, and my little writing dreams.

He was polite and engaging, but there was an undercurrent of melancholy in his words, as if life had worn him down.

Despite the oddness, I couldn't help but feel intrigued. There was a story behind those years of silence, but I wasn't sure if I was ready to ask about it just yet.

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A week flew by without any messages from him—or from me, for that matter. My unit exams had consumed all my attention, leaving little room for anything else.

Finally, the dreaded exams were over, and the sense of relief was euphoric. To celebrate, I posted a happy update on my feed—a cheerful note about being done with exams and enjoying my freedom.

A notification popped up shortly after: Abir liked your post.

But this time, he didn't just like it. He messaged me.

Abir: Hey, congrats on finishing your exams! 😊

His timing was perfect. I was in such a good mood that I replied almost instantly.

Me: Thank you! I feel so free now.

The chat was light at first, but then he asked something unexpected.

Abir: So, um... would you like to meet sometime?

I know what you might think—it sounds reckless or impulsive—but in that moment, caught up in my happiness, I replied without hesitation.

And yes, as I mentioned, I had talked with lots of strangers by then and even had met few online friends so it was not a big deal for me!

Me: Sure, why not?

We agreed to meet at a nearby café the next evening. It felt surreal, and as the night unfolded, we ended up having one of the longest conversations yet.

Abir: So, tomorrow it is then. What time works for you?

Me: Around 5? The café near the bookstore?

Abir: Perfect. I'll be there.

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That night we had very deep life related conversation. Short glimpse of our chats.

Abir: You ever feel like no matter what you do, it's just... pointless? Like life keeps piling up, and you can't breathe anymore?

Me: Abir, what's wrong? Are you okay?

Abir: I don't even know. Every day feels the same—work, expectations, silence. Sometimes I wonder if it's worth it.

Me: Hey, don't say that. Everyone has rough days, but it doesn't mean things won't get better.

Abir: What if they don't? What if this is it? Just dragging through days that don't mean anything?

Me: Abir, listen to me. Life isn't just about the bad moments. You've been strong to come this far. Sometimes we need to step back and find the little things that make us smile.

Abir: Like what? I don't even remember what makes me happy anymore.

Me: Start small. Have you taken a break lately? Or done something just for you?

Abir: Not really. I barely have time to think.

Me: Then maybe you need to take a breather. Go for a walk, listen to music, or even just watch something silly. And remember, you're not alone. You can always talk to me.

Abir: You're kind. I don't even know why you're bothering with someone like me.

Me: Because I care. And you're not just "someone." You're a person who deserves kindness and peace. You'll get through this, Abir. I know you will.

Abir: I hope you're right. For now, I'll just hold on to your words. Thank you.

Me: Always here if you need me. 😊

After that heavy exchange, Abir went quiet for a while. I wondered if I'd said the right things or if he was still spiraling in his thoughts.

Five minutes later, my phone buzzed.

Abir: Thank you for listening to me! I'm glad I could talk with you.

His words felt heartfelt, almost vulnerable. I didn't know what to say, so I sent a simple smile emoji.

Me: See ya tomorrow.

He didn't reply after that. I figured he'd probably fallen asleep or gotten busy with something. Either way, I let it go, deciding not to overthink it.

His words often struck me as odd—sometimes, it felt like he was just venting, dealing with the kind of anxiety that everyone experiences.

But at other times, what he said felt far beyond the realm of what any sane person would say.

The way he spoke about life, his disillusionment, and his emotions—it was as if there was something darker lingering beneath his words.

It was as if, in that virtual space, I was communicating with someone who wasn't entirely... there.

The more we spoke, the more I wondered whether his struggle was one of deep, personal turmoil, or something far more unsettling.

I went offline, the thought of tomorrow buzzing in my mind. Meeting him in person felt surreal after all these chats.

There was a nervous excitement bubbling within me—I couldn't wait to finally see him face-to-face.

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The next evening, I arrived at the café, a mix of anticipation and nerves. The clock ticked past 5:10 PM, then 5:30. No sign of him.

I told myself it was fine, that maybe he was running late. By 5:30, I decided to text him and see where he was.

Pulling out my phone, I opened our chat. And then... I froze.

The screen in front of me didn't make sense. All of our chats were gone—every message from his side had vanished. It looked as though I had been chatting with myself the entire time. My throat tightened as confusion turned into panic.

I quickly scrolled through the messages, looking for any sign of what had happened. There was no trace of him.

The chat thread was empty. Every message, every interaction, gone. It looked as if I'd been talking to myself all along.

No notifications that he'd unsent anything. Nothing.

And I knew for a fact that Facebook didn't have an unsend feature at the time, and even if someone could unsend a message, there would still be a trace—a notification saying, 'This message was unsent.'

But here, there was nothing.

A chilling thought crossed my mind: Had he blocked me?

Determined to find answers, I switched to my secret Facebook account—the one nobody knew about.

I searched for him, but there was no sign of Abir. His profile was completely gone, as if it had never existed in the first place.

I sat there, my hands trembling slightly, staring at the empty chat. A thousand questions swirled in my mind, none with an answer.

Who was Abir? And more disturbingly, what had just happened?