The campsite felt unbearably cold after the fight.
Not because of the mountain wind.
Because something between them had finally cracked.
Krish's words still echoed painfully in Aakrati's head while she sat alone near the campfire, staring blankly at the dying flames.
You broke the trust.
The sentence wouldn't leave her mind.
Behind her, the tents stood silent beneath the dark sky.
Arsh had quietly gone inside his tent after everything happened. For once, he hadn't argued back, hadn't tried to stop her, hadn't challenged Krish again.
Because even he understood—
the situation had gone too far now.
Aakrati hugged her knees closer, eyes burning slightly.
Everything had become such a mess.
She never meant for any of this to happen.
She never meant to hurt Krish.
But feelings were ugly things sometimes.
Complicated.
And she had spent so long drowning in confusion that by the time she understood what truly mattered—
she had almost lost it.
Movement near the cars suddenly caught her attention.
Aakrati frowned slightly before quickly standing up.
Krish.
He was packing his bags into the car.
Her heartbeat dropped instantly.
"No…"
She hurried toward him immediately. "Krish, what are you doing?"
He didn't answer.
Just kept placing things inside quietly.
That silence scared her more than shouting would have.
"Krish."
This time he looked at her.
And God—
his eyes looked exhausted.
Emotionally drained in a way she had never seen before.
"I'm leaving."
The words hit her instantly.
"What?"
"I don't think I can stay here tonight."
"No, no—please don't do this."
Krish shut the trunk calmly.
"You broke the trust, Aakrati."
Her chest tightened painfully.
"And now you don't get the right to stop me."
The sentence felt like a slap.
Aakrati stared at him helplessly.
Because deep down—
she knew he had every reason to leave.
Krish had loved her carefully.
Patiently.
While she stood confused between emotions she herself didn't fully understand.
And tonight—
he finally reached his limit.
A tear slipped down her cheek immediately.
"Please listen to me—"
"I listened for months," he interrupted quietly.
"I understood your confusion. I ignored things that hurt me. I gave you space to decide what you wanted."
His jaw tightened slightly.
"But I can't keep standing there while you emotionally drift toward someone else."
Aakrati shook her head desperately. "That's not what I want."
"Then what do you want?"
Silence.
The question shattered through her completely.
Because for months—
she truly hadn't known.
And maybe that had been the real problem all along.
Krish laughed softly under his breath, tiredly.
"You don't even have an answer."
He opened the car door.
And suddenly—
panic exploded inside Aakrati's chest.
Real panic.
The kind that leaves no space for overthinking.
Because the thought of him leaving right now felt unbearable.
Before she could think properly—
before logic could stop her—
the words escaped.
"Then let's get married next Sunday."
Everything froze.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
Krish slowly turned toward her.
"What?"
Aakrati's breathing had become uneven now, emotions running wildly inside her chest.
But for the first time—
her heart felt painfully clear.
"Let's get married next Sunday," she repeated softly.
Krish stared at her like he genuinely couldn't believe what he had heard.
"Aakrati…" he whispered slowly, "are you even in your senses right now?"
Aakrati looked straight into his eyes.
And despite the tears on her face—
there was certainty there.
"Yes."
Krish blinked once.
"I made this choice," she said quietly. "And I'm ready for it."
The silence between them became heavy.
Because this was Aakrati.
The same girl who struggled endlessly with decisions.
Who felt too much.
Who overthought everything until emotions swallowed her whole.
And now suddenly—
she was saying something irreversible.
Krish stepped closer slowly, still looking stunned.
"You're emotional right now."
"I know."
"You might regret this tomorrow."
"I won't."
"How can you be sure?"
Aakrati's eyes filled again.
"Because the thought of you leaving hurts more than anything else tonight."
That sentence landed directly inside his chest.
Aakrati stepped closer too now.
"I know I hurt you," she whispered shakily. "I know I confused you. I know I acted selfishly."
Her voice cracked slightly.
"But losing you made me realize what I actually want."
Krish looked at her silently.
His anger had already weakened the moment he saw her panic at him leaving.
Because despite everything—
he loved her too deeply to stay completely cold.
Aakrati swallowed hard before continuing.
"You make me feel safe."
Krish's expression shifted slightly.
"And maybe I was too emotionally stupid to understand it properly before…"
A weak laugh escaped her through tears.
"But I understand now."
The honesty in her voice shook him more than the proposal itself.
Because for the first time—
she wasn't confused.
Wasn't hesitating.
Wasn't standing between two feelings.
She had finally chosen.
Krish exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair.
"You're seriously asking me to marry you next Sunday after all this chaos?"
A tiny embarrassed smile appeared on her lips through the tears.
"When you say it like that, it sounds insane."
"It is insane."
"But it feels right."
That answer silenced him again.
The fire behind them crackled softly in the cold night.
Somewhere far away, thunder rumbled faintly through the mountains.
Krish looked at her for a long moment.
Trying to understand if this was fear speaking.
Guilt speaking.
Or finally—
her heart.
Then quietly—
he asked the one thing that truly mattered.
"And what about him?"
Aakrati knew instantly who he meant.
Her chest tightened briefly.
Because yes—
Arsh still mattered emotionally in ways she couldn't deny.
But some feelings were not meant to become futures.
Slowly, she shook her head.
"I can't keep hurting you because I'm confused."
Krish's eyes softened painfully.
Aakrati stepped forward and held his hand carefully.
"This is right."
The certainty in her voice finally broke the last wall inside him.
Krish looked down at her hand holding his.
Then back at her face.
And slowly—
very slowly—
he nodded.
Aakrati inhaled sharply.
Relief crashed into her instantly.
Krish pulled her gently closer then, resting his forehead briefly against hers.
"You really choose the most dramatic moments to make decisions," he murmured softly.
A small laugh escaped her through tears.
"Blame Siddharth. He influenced the atmosphere."
Krish actually laughed quietly at that.
And just like that—
the tension between them finally loosened.
Not perfectly.
Not completely.
But enough.
Enough for him to stay.
Enough for her to finally stop running from her own heart.