ANIRUDH POV

I increased the speed of my bike as her face flashed before my eyes. She couldn't say no? I expected nothing from Arjun, but I love her, and she did this to me?

She was silent. But she didn't know how much her silence was killing me. I knew Arjun would do this. He always took away the things I love. Ruhi wouldn't be an exception.

My phone started ringing. I knew it was her. She had called me over 50 times now. I didn't want to answer, but I stopped the bike and did so, as I didn't want her to worry anymore. "Where are you?" she asked.

"Why do you care?" I said, and she fell silent.

"Come back," her voice broke. My heart clenched. I made her cry. Again.

I remained silent as she spoke again, "Come back, please, I beg you." She started crying as I ended the call. Ugh, why is my life a mess?

She called again, I picked it up. “What do you want?”

“Drive safely. Please don't overspeed” I closed my eyes. The feelings mixed with frustration and guilt.

I wanted to throw my phone away. I wanted to break everything in sight. When did I start to lose my patience like this? I never used to be like this. You made me like this, Ruhi. Everything is your fault."

The hours that followed were a blur. I eventually calmed down and decided to head home. I glanced at my watch, horrified to see it was 1:35 AM. Five hours had passed? I hadn't even noticed the time.

I swung onto my bike and sped towards home. As I pulled into the garage, I saw Ruhi sitting on the doorstep. She hadn't left? She was still sobbing, her face buried in her knees. My heart sank deeper with each sniffle.

I slowly approached her, kneeling down beside her. My hands gently touched her shoulders, and she immediately looked up, her eyes red-rimmed. "You're back? Are you okay? Nothing happened, right?" I shook my head, assuring her.

"Why didn't you go home?" I asked, standing up. She remained silent, turning to leave. I stopped her, gently grasping her arm. She looked at me, then quickly withdrew her hand from my grasp. "I was worried about you. Now that you're home safely, I can finally go home in peace."

I pulled her close, my grip firm but not forceful, and turned her to face me. Our faces were inches apart, and I searched her eyes for any sign of understanding. "So you're trying to ignore me now?"

"You're hurting me, Ani," she winced, pulling her arm away. I noticed her wrist, noticing the deep gashes and the scattered pieces of a broken bangle embedded in her skin. My eyes widened in horror. "Did I do this?" I asked, my voice filled with guilt. She averted her gaze, unable to meet my eyes.

“Why did you wait for me?” I asked in a low voice.

“Wait?” She laughed. “Wait. Wait. Wait”

“Yahi toh karti aai hu. Itne saalon se, ek mahine se. Itne saalon se wait kiya ki koi mujhe samajh le. Pichle ek mahine se wait kiya tha tu kabhi na kabhi aake baat karega… or aaj raat huh. This isn't new for me Ani.” She finished as I kept silent.

(This is what I've been doing till now. For all these years, from last one month for someone to understand me. I waited a month for you to comeback to me and talk to me and tonight... Huh)

“You know nothing about me Ani, NOTHING. That one month when no one of you saw me, you don't have any idea how I went through it alone. It ruined me. I ruined myself in that one month but did I say anything? I didn't because it was my fault. It was me who messed up things that's why I tried to make things work this time. But you?

I wrapped my arms around her and she wiggled.

"Let me go. Why would you even talk to me? You actually thought I would say yes to him? Marry your worthless brother?" She spat out the words, her voice trembling with anger and hurt. I pulled her into a hug, holding her close. "I'm so sorry," I whispered, feeling the tremors of her sobs against my chest.

“I don’t understand, Ani… I tried to make this day special for you. Why did you let him ruin the day?” She shouted the last part, and I drowned in guilt. It’s true. I should’ve been a little patient.

Her words cut through me, leaving me speechless. I knew she was right, but I couldn’t seem to find a way to explain myself without making things worse.

"I didn't mean for this to happen," I said quietly, my voice breaking. "I was just… angry. I didn’t think. I should’ve trusted you, should’ve listened to you instead of letting my own emotions get the best of me."

She took a deep breath, her tears slowing down but her eyes still filled with hurt. "You let Arjun control everything, Ani. Every time, it’s like you choose him over me. Why can’t you see that I’m here, trying to make things right? I don’t want to fight with you."

I felt a knot tighten in my chest. “I don’t want to fight with you either, Ruhi. I just... I don’t know how to stop feeling like I’m losing everything when he’s around. I just do not trust him.”

She stepped back, wiping her eyes, still trying to regain some composure. “You don't trust me either and I need you to start believing that I’ll be with you no matter what.”

I could see the pain in her face, the frustration that I had failed to understand her all this time. I stepped forward, gently touching her arm. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to push you away, Ruhi. I just… I get scared. I don’t know how to handle my own feelings sometimes.”

She looked at me for a long moment before shaking her head, pulling me into a hug as I bury my face into her neck. “I might sound stupid. But you know what? Aaj bohot dard hua mujhe. I was very hurt both physically and emotionally but right now I don't know or I should say I don't want to know what's right or wrong. Because even after everything you did to me, I still want to be with you.”

The words hit me like a punch. I wanted to say something—anything—that would make it better. But I couldn’t. The damage was done.

"I don’t want to lose you, Ruhi. I’ll do whatever it takes to fix this."

She nodded, though doubt still lingered in her eyes. “I need to see that, Ani. I need to believe you.”

I stood there, feeling the weight of everything. I didn’t have all the answers, but I knew I had to try harder—for her. For us.

RUHI POV

“Maybe you'll never be able to love me

“Maybe you'll never be able to love me. Maybe I’ll always be that unwanted girl in everybody’s life who is always there to make others happy but never gets the first place in somebody's life. Even when I needed my close people, I was buried in studies, and no one asked about me. My family also never spent time with me, no matter how much I tried to make them happy. But I just want one thing from you. Just don’t let me go. Ever.” I spoke, my voice cracking as I stared at the ground, feeling the weight of everything I had kept inside for so long.

I chuckled lightly, almost bitterly. “Maybe I’m impossible to love.”

It’s true. I’ve been loved—by my family, by friends—but it always felt like conditional love, love that depended on my ability to keep things together for everyone else. No one ever asked if I was okay, if I needed someone. I was always the one who gave, never the one who received.

I looked up at him, but he was still standing there, his gaze fixed on the ground. I couldn’t read his expression, and that scared me more than anything.

“Ani… I don’t want to be that person anymore. I don’t want to keep pretending I’m fine when I’m not. I just need someone who sees me, who values me, not because of what I can give, but just because I’m me.”

He still didn’t say anything. The silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating.

Finally, he spoke, his voice low and almost unsure. “Ruhi, I don’t know if I’ve ever fully understood what you’ve been going through... but I swear to you, I’ll try. I’ll try to be the person you need. I won’t let you go. Not now, not ever.”

I blinked, not believing what I was hearing. “But you... you’re not sure about us. About me.”

He finally lifted his gaze, his eyes filled with something I couldn’t quite place—fear, regret, hope? “I’ve been afraid. Afraid of losing you, afraid of not being enough. But I know now… I don’t want to lose you, Ruhi. Not after everything. I’m not perfect, and I don’t have all the answers, but I’ll try to love you the way you deserve.”

I took a shaky breath, his words slowly sinking in. I wanted to believe him, wanted to trust that things could get better, that we could heal. But the fear lingered in my heart.

“I don’t want to be afraid anymore,” I whispered.

“Then don’t be,” he said softly. “Main hu idhar... Aur humesha rahunga.”

(I'm there for you and will always be)

For the first time in a long while, I let myself believe that maybe, just maybe, we could figure this out together.

I turned my heels to leave when he stopped me again. I groaned in frustration as he cupped my face. “I don't know how to explain this. But you're not impossible to love.” My heart skipped a beat.

He attached his forehead with me.

“Kal subha tak waqt de mujhe. Sab thik kar dunga”

(Give me time till tomorrow morning, I'll get fix everything)

Saying this he kissed me for the last time.

🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋