Masoom Raza

ResearchImmunology Open Access | 10.1172/jci.insight.195868 JCI Insight. https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.195868. Copyright © 2026, Falta et al. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

Sometimes, we carry a storm within us—loud, restless, but silent to the world outside. We laugh, we talk, we go about our daily life, yet deep inside, something feels heavy. It's like our heart wants to scream, but the voice just won’t come out. We all go through moments we can’t explain. A sudden sadness. An unknown fear. A quiet loneliness even in the crowd. And we wonder—"Is it just me?" But you’re not alone. Feelings are not always visible. Some live in our smiles, some hide in our silence.

--- It was the first day of 9th grade— New books, a fresh notebook, a little nervousness… But everything changed the moment I saw her for the first time. White kurta, blue ribbon, and a smile that quietly shattered every wall I had. She sat by the window, and I watched her from the last bench. Her laughter—it sounded sweeter than the school bell ringing for recess. Math never made sense to me, but the day she asked me a doubt, I swear I learned the whole chapter just for that one moment.