Maya sat by the window, her eyes fixated on the raindrops chasing each other down the glass. She smiled, but it was the kind of smile that carried weight — a practiced lie she’d learned too well. From behind, Aryan watched her. Something in her stillness unsettled him.
“I made your favourite—spicy maggi with extra cheese,” he said, placing the bowl beside her.
She didn’t look at him, just gave a small nod. “Thanks.”
The silence that followed wasn’t peaceful. It was crowded—with unspoken words, bottled questions, and a kind of sadness that didn’t scream but slowly suffocated.
“You’ve changed, Maya,” Aryan said, his voice low. “You smile like you’re trying to convince yourself you’re okay.”
Maya finally turned to him. “And you still act like you don’t know why.”
He swallowed hard. “You think I don’t carry guilt every single day?”
She stood, walking slowly towards him. “Do you even know what I went through the night you disappeared? I didn’t sleep for days. I thought you were dead. And when I saw you alive, standing in front of me with blood on your hands, I didn’t know whether to hug you or run.”
Aryan looked away, jaw clenched. “I was protecting you.”
“By leaving me behind?” Her voice cracked.
Suddenly, Aryan pulled her into his arms. Maya resisted for a second, then gave in, her hands clutching the back of his shirt as if letting go would shatter her.
“I’m here now,” he whispered into her hair. “And I’m not leaving. Ever.”
“You say that,” she murmured, “but your world and mine don’t fit. We’re like two promises made in different lifetimes.”
He pulled back just enough to meet her eyes. “Then maybe we’ll rewrite this lifetime.”
Just then, the front door clicked open. Dr. Reyansh entered, pausing mid-step. He looked at the embrace, then at Maya — his eyes unreadable.
“Sorry,” he said stiffly. “Didn’t know you had company.”
Maya froze. Aryan tightened his hold.
And in that single moment, between the three of them, silence screamed.......
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