*That Day – Ruby's Silence*
The house felt heavier, every clock tick a reminder of the empty space between them. Ruby moved through the rooms like a ghost—eyes fixed on nothing, fingers brushing past things without really seeing them. She didn't answer when Dhruv called her name, didn't turn when he entered the kitchen, and the "good morning" she usually whispered was swallowed by the cold air.
Dhruv tried everything. He left a note on the mirror:
*"I'm sorry. I love you."*
She stared at it, then turned away, her shoulders stiff, her silence louder than any shout.
He tried to talk over breakfast, pushing a plate of her favorite pancakes toward her. She pushed it back, the clink of the fork against the plate echoing in the strained quiet. He tried texting:
_"Ruby, please. I can't do this without you."_
No reply. No emojis, no dots, just black screen.
By late afternoon, the weight crushed him. He found her in the living room, curled up on the couch, eyes glued to a window where rain began to tap against the glass. The room smelled faintly of her perfume—soft jasmine, something he'd always loved.
He couldn't stand it anymore.
*Dhruv dropped to his knees* on the carpet, the soft thud reverberating through the silence. He reached for her hand, but she pulled it back, eyes still fixed outside.
*"Ruby,"* his voice cracked, raw. *"I'm begging you. I don't want to lose you. I'm scared I've already lost you."*
He took a shaky breath, tears glistening at the corners of his eyes. *"Everything I did—lying about who I am, pretending to be poor—it was because I was terrified that love would turn into a transaction. I thought if you knew I had money, you'd stay for the wrong reasons. I was wrong. So wrong. I love you, not the lie, not the money—just you. The way you laugh, the way you look at me when you think I'm not watching, the way you hold my hand like it's the only thing keeping you grounded."*
He paused, his heart pounding so hard he could hear it. *"I'm sorry, Ruby. I'm so, so sorry. If you need space, I'll give it. If you need me to walk away, I'll do it. But I can't keep pretending I'm okay while you're slipping away from me. I don't want to lose you."*
Ruby's eyes finally shifted, wet with tears she tried to hide. Her lips trembled, but no words came out. She stared at him—kneeling, broken, vulnerable—and the silence stretched, thick enough to choke them both.