Chapter 5 – Echoes in the Night
चाँदनी के सन्नाटे में बसी परछाई,
टूटी यादें, अधूरी दुआओँ की झिलमिलाई।
तेरी साँस में घुला मेरा डर,
तेरे हाथ की गर्मी में मिला एक सफ़र।
ख़ामोशी ने कहा जो हम नहीं कह सके,
रात की हवाओं ने छुपा लिया आँसू और फसके।
एक पल की नज़दीकी, एक अनकही कहानी,
टूटे दिलों के बीच पनपी एक नयी जवानी।
The Khanna house had gone quiet after the long day of ceremonies. Guests had trickled out, the fairy lights in the garden dimmed, and only the faint hum of crickets filled the still air.
Trisha lay on the large bed in her new room, staring at the ceiling. The sheets smelled faintly of lavender, too soft, too luxurious compared to what she was used to. She should have been relaxed, but her chest felt heavy. The laughter and chatter of relatives still rang in her ears, a world she wasn't sure she belonged to.
Her parents' voices, however, echoed louder. If you hadn't been there, Manya would still be alive.
She shut her eyes tightly, willing the memory away. But sleep didn't come.
---
Down the hall, Abhineet tossed restlessly in his own bed. His shirt clung to him with sweat despite the cool night. His jaw was tight, his hands curled into fists.
The dream had started again.
A van screeching in the street.
Yuvraj's panicked eyes, his hand slipping out of Abhineet's grasp.
The sound of shouting, the smell of dust, the helplessness crushing his chest.
"Yuvraj!" Abhineet shouted in his sleep, jerking upright. His heart hammered against his ribs, his throat dry. He dragged a hand down his face, forcing himself to breathe. But the guilt never left. No matter how many years passed, the image of his friend disappearing into the shadows haunted him.
He swung his legs off the bed, needing air. The silence of the house pressed too heavily.
---
In the corridor, their paths crossed.
Trisha startled when she saw him—shirt loose, hair mussed, eyes shadowed. He looked taller somehow in the dim light, broader, more imposing.
"You're awake," he said, his voice low, rough from sleep.
"So are you," she whispered back.
They stood there for a moment, two sleepless souls caught in the same stillness.
"Couldn't sleep?" he asked finally.
She shook her head. "Too many thoughts."
His gaze lingered on her pale face, the way her fingers twisted the edge of her dupatta. He didn't press further. Instead, he jerked his chin toward the balcony at the end of the hall.
"Come."
Something about his tone wasn't commanding but certain, as though he knew she needed it. She followed without questioning.
---
The night air was cool on the balcony, carrying the faint scent of jasmine. The city stretched out below them, Mumbai glittering with countless lights.
Trisha leaned against the railing, her arms wrapped around herself. Abhineet stood beside her, his presence solid, grounding.
"Do you ever feel," she began softly, "like the world doesn't want you to exist?"
Abhineet's jaw tightened. He didn't look at her, but his voice was steady. "Every day."
Her eyes flicked to him, surprised. "Every day?"
He nodded. "There are things I couldn't change. Mistakes I couldn't undo." His hands clenched on the railing. "People I should have saved... but didn't."
Something flickered in his eyes, raw and pained, before he looked away.
Trisha's breath caught. She had never heard someone speak so closely to the way she felt. It was as though his wounds spoke to hers, two broken pieces recognizing each other.
"I know what it's like," she whispered. "To be blamed for something you never meant to happen."
For the first time, she saw his expression soften, the hardness in his features loosening. He turned slightly toward her, as though her words had reached somewhere buried deep.
"You too?" he asked quietly.
Her throat tightened. The name rose unbidden—Manya—but she swallowed it down. Not yet. She wasn't ready to open that wound.
Instead, she gave him the smallest nod.
Silence settled between them again, but it wasn't heavy. It was understanding. Two people standing side by side, not needing to explain everything to be heard.
---
A sudden gust of wind tugged at her dupatta. It slipped off her shoulder, fluttering toward the edge of the balcony.
She gasped softly, instinctively reaching for it, but her balance faltered.
Before she could stumble, Abhineet's arm shot out, his hand gripping her wrist firmly. The heat of his touch seared her skin, steadying her. His other hand caught the dupatta with ease, pulling it back.
For a heartbeat, they stood too close—her chest rising and falling rapidly, his breath warm against her hair.
"Careful," he murmured.
Her cheeks flushed. "Th-thank you."
His hand lingered a second longer before releasing her. He didn't apologize for the closeness, and she didn't step back. Something had shifted in the air between them, quiet but undeniable.
---
When Trisha returned to her room, her heart still raced. She pressed her hand against her chest, where his warmth seemed to remain.
For the first time, she thought maybe this marriage wasn't just a cage her parents had pushed her into. Maybe, just maybe, it could become something else.
---
And down the hall, Abhineet sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the city lights.
Her words echoed in his mind: To be blamed for something you never meant to happen.
For years, he had carried Yuvraj's death like a punishment. But tonight, for the first time, he didn't feel entirely alone in that guilt.
And that scared him more than the nightmares.
---
✨ End of Chapter 5 ✨
---