𝟏𝟗𝟒𝟔 ：𝑬𝒌 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒎 𝒌𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒂 ✓

𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘟𝘐𝘝. 𝘈 𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘊𝘳𝘺

[Play the song from the beginning of the chapter]

Manjari's POV;

I ran.

My feet carried me far away, as if distance could somehow ease the pain clawing at my heart. Eventually, I found myself by a quiet lake, its surface shimmering under the pale glow of the moon. The world around me was still, yet my mind was a storm of emotions.

I wanted to be alone.

But at the same time, I didn't want to be alone.

I know it sounds crazy-contradictory even-but right now, I was drowning in confusion and heartbreak.

I couldn't believe what had just happened.

Why does life always seem to take a sharp U-turn just when I start to feel happy? Why does happiness slip through my fingers like sand?

I was happy when I was with him.

And...I love him.

But I guess it was just me. It was never us. He loves someone else.

A sharp pang struck my chest, an unbearable ache spreading through me. Don't I deserve someone who cares for me? Someone who chooses me? My parents left me. My aunt left me. Everyone I have ever loved has either walked away or been taken from me.

Happiness has never been mine to keep.

A choked sob escaped my lips, and before I knew it, I was crying-hard.

The pain was too much. The betrayal, the loss, the realization that the one person I had come to cherish belonged to someone else-it was all too much.

I covered my mouth, my body shaking as wave after wave of sorrow crashed over me. My chest felt hollow, like an endless void of loneliness.

And then-

A hand.

Gentle. Steady. Resting on my shoulder.

I didn't think. I didn't hesitate. I turned and buried myself in the warmth of the stranger, wrapping my arms around him as if holding on for dear life.

I didn't care who it was.

I just needed someone. A shoulder to cry on. A presence to remind me that I wasn't completely alone in this world.

I wept against his chest, my sobs heavy, raw, unrestrained. And he held me. Tight. His arms enclosed me in a firm yet comforting embrace, his hand moving in slow, soothing circles along my back.

Bit by bit, my breathing steadied. My tears slowed.

After a long moment, I took a deep breath and pulled away, hesitantly lifting my gaze to meet his.

My breath hitched.

His eyes-deep emerald green-held a quiet intensity, reflecting something profound and unreadable. His lips, soft and slightly parted, were tinged with a faint pink, complementing the sharp lines of his perfectly sculpted jaw. His skin was a delicate shade of pale rose, smooth and ethereal under the moonlight.

And his hair-sandy chocolate in color-fell in loose waves, with a few rebellious strands tumbling onto his forehead.

He was breathtaking.

And for a moment, I forgot how much my heart ached.