Sometimes, the smallest detours can change everything. A call you weren't expecting, a walk you didn't plan , and a silence that somehow says more than a thousand words. That night didn't just blur the lines- it made me question why I ever thought I could let him go.
Love can be simple but keeping it alive when it has no clear future? That's the hardest part.
I have always believed that our generation complicates love more than it should be-- The essence of choosing someone -- just because you love them is lost.
Do you think in my case it was very important to end up together? To find that never ending love and imagine the future with that person? No that wasn't the case here, may be I never wanted that life, may be I never imagined any such thing would happen with me, but sometimes fate plays it's parts.
Sometimes you know the possibility of someone is really low but your heart just know one thing, That you will always have love for that person. And no on can take that away from you. Not all the stories end on happily-ever-after some also end what ifs and maybe, some runs on the same loop, some due to the moments two people had together and some are unique in it's own way, because it comes with sacrifices.
I didn't know whether I wanted forever with him or even if forever was possible. But what I did know was that my heart had already chosen him- quietly, stubbornly. And yet reality didn't match the way my heart wanted it to be. Still I can never forget that one person who was there by my side when I needed him the most, who help me rise each time I fell. And most importantly this journey taught me a lot more than I could imagine.
As September started, He was distant. Cold. Unreachable.
And on the night of September 3rd, I made up my mind. Enough. I can't keep doing this. I was so done by then, It wasn't as if he was not replying or we were friends no more but his distant nature hurt me. That was the moment I decided it was time to let go.
But life.....life never listens to your plans.
The next day—September 4th, 2024—was ordinary on the surface. My old physics coaching was hosting a small Teachers' Day celebration. It was going to be my unofficial farewell too since I had already left their classes in August because of the odd timings.
I decided I'd attend for the last time.
I got dressed carefully but casually—a wine-colored fitted top paired with a denim skirt that stopped just above the knees, my favorite nude heels, a flower-patterned clutch that felt too small for everything. I had to carry. I tucked a little handkerchief and a slim water bottle inside, and in my other hand, I carried a neat bouquet of flowers for the teachers.
I wasn't thinking of him that evening. Or at least I told myself I wasn't.
But just as I stepped out of the house, my phone buzzed.
It was him.
"Hey, where are you? What's up?"
I froze for a second before answering. His voice was soft, casual. Almost as if nothing was wrong.
"I'm heading to the physics class," I said, balancing everything awkwardly. "Just for the last time, you know, they're doing a small celebration."
"Oh." There was a short pause. "You could come to the shop… Dad isn't here today."
And just like that, As soon as I got off from bus, without thinking, I changed my route. Why? I don't even know. Maybe I still wanted to see him one last time before I tried to let go.
But halfway there, my phone rang again.
"I'm a little busy," his voice came through, faint and distant. "Can't meet right now. Sorry."
I stopped walking. My heels clicked against the pavement as I turned around sharply, annoyed. Did he think it was okay to make a girl change her path like this, walk halfway, only to cancel?
And then, as if the universe wanted to humiliate me further, I tripped. My heel slipped in a patch of mud, and I landed awkwardly. My phone hit the ground—screen cracking at the corner. The bouquet fell too, dirt splattering on the petals. My denim skirt had mud stains. I just stood there for a moment, frozen.
"Perfect," I muttered under my breath, clutching my flower clutch tightly.
I found a nearby tap, quickly wiping off the worst of it. But still, a faint mark remained on my skirt. Great, I thought, biting back my frustration.
By the time I reached the coaching building, people were already bustling about, decorating balloons, setting up cakes and chocolates for the teachers. Some complimented me—"You look so pretty today"—but I didn't feel it. I felt messy. Scattered.
And then, like some twisted fate, she walked in.
The girl I did mentioned in the very early chapters who eyed me as her biggest enemy.
She came with her soon-to-be boyfriend, laughing softly in a way that grated on my already fragile mood.
I tried to shake it off. Simran, my school friend, was already there. She knew bits about what was going on between me and Shresth.
"He said he might come," I whispered to her, fiddling with my phone.
"Really?" she asked, curious but cautious.
Before I could answer, my phone buzzed again.
A missed call.
Then two texts:
Hey, where are you?
I'm outside your building.
My heart skipped.
I rushed outside, scanning the street. Nothing.
I stood there, confused, about to head back in, when another text lit up my screen:
Right now. I'm here.
This time I looked more carefully. And there he was.
Sitting casually on his scooty, like he hadn't just completely turned my day upside down.
"Hi, madam," he said, his half-smile making my frustration waver for just a second.
"I fell," I blurted, holding up my cracked phone. "It's all scratched now."
His expression softened, a hint of guilt flashing in his eyes. "Sorry. I had some work. That's why I got delayed."
Before I could say anything else, Raj appeared. My sunshine-like best friend—alongside one of my classmates I could never stand.
Shresth's eyes flickered between us, unreadable.
I forced a small smile. "That's just Raj. He's a friend. He just came to say hi."
Shresth didn't respond. He just gave a polite nod.
I could already feel the whispers starting from inside the building.
I headed back up, determined to keep my cool. But of course, the teasing started.
"Who was that scooty guy?" one of my classmates asked, smirking.
Raj quickly jumped in before I could speak. "He's just a friend. Right?"
"Yes," I said firmly, brushing it off. "Just a friend. He literally just came to say hi."
Still, I could feel the tension lingering.
The celebration went on. Balloons. Cake. People laughing. I checked the time. It was getting late. Too late. And unlike the locals who could stay, I had to travel back.
So I texted him: I'm leaving now.
His reply came almost instantly: I'll meet you outside in two minutes.
My stomach twisted with that familiar adrenaline rush.
When I stepped outside, he was waiting for me again. Leaning casually on his scooty.
This time, I didn't want to ride. I said softly, "Let's just walk. The bus stop isn't far."
He nodded, parking his scooty carefully in a quiet corner of the lane.
We started walking side by side.
The night was dark but calm. The streets almost empty except for the occasional hum of a passing vehicle. Street lamps cast long, stretched shadows of us across the road. I hated how safe I felt in that moment—safe in a way that made me not want it to end.
The height difference between us felt comforting. He walked slightly behind me, letting me take the lead. His presence was quiet, but it was there. Strong.
At one point, someone near the stop lit a cigarette. The smell of smoke curled unpleasantly in the air. Without a word, he lightly touched my arm and steered us a little further ahead, away from it.
"It's better here," he said simply.
And I don't know why, but that small gesture made my chest ache.
When we reached the bus stop, I tried to make it easy for him. "You can go now. Thank you for coming with me."
But he shook his head. "No. You go first. Then I'll leave."
I laughed softly. "What, are we playing a game?"
He gave that crooked half-smile. "You go. I'll wait."
I stared at him for a second longer, feeling a strange mix of emotions I couldn't name.
Before I stepped into the auto, he said quietly, "Send your live location to your mom. Go safe."
On the way home, I called Priyanka, telling her everything. I sent my mom my location like he'd said.
That night felt… magical.
But even magic has its shadows.
Because sweet moments like these? They always come with a cost.
And I was about to see sides of him I wasn't ready for.
Teaser for the next chapter:
It's easy to believe in someone when they're kind. But what happens when the kindness comes with sharp edges you didn't see before? What happens when the same person who makes you feel safe can also make you feel lost?