𝟏𝟗𝟒𝟔 ：𝑬𝒌 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒎 𝒌𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒂 ✓

𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘟𝘝𝘐𝘐𝘐. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴

*Play the song from beginning*

Edwards POV;

I lost her. I lost the one person who mattered the most to me. Her dance that night was mesmerizing, but before I could do anything, she was gone. I never even got the chance to talk to her, to explain, to fix things.

Tonight, I can't keep myself away any longer. I step out into the cold night air, the stars blinking dimly above, as if they, too, are uncertain about my fate. I find myself outside her house, my heart pounding as I peer through the window.
There she is-sleeping, but not peacefully. Her face is stained with smudged kajal, proof that she had been crying.

A sharp pang of guilt pierces my heart. What made her cry? What kind of man am I to have caused her pain? I had vowed never to hurt her, never to let a single tear escape from her eyes because of me.

And yet, here she was, wrapped in sorrow, clutching the same dress she had worn on her birthday.

That night... it was my fault. All of it.

Shame burns through me, and I turn away, unable to face her pain. But then, as if drawn by an invisible force, I look at her again.

I can't live without her. I need to tell her everything-every emotion, every regret, every ounce of love I have for her. And if she can't forgive me... I will do whatever it takes, even if it means staying far away from her, just to see her happy again.

Taking a deep breath, I walk towards her front door.

My hand lifts to knock, but hesitation grips me. What if she doesn't want to see me? What if she shuts the door in my face? I stare at the wooden surface, lost in thought, before gathering my courage and finally knocking.

Silence.

I knock again. Still nothing.

Disappointment settles in my chest, and I sigh, turning to leave. But just as I take a step away, I hear the soft creak of the door. Spinning around, my breath catches in my throat.

There she is-Manjari.

Her eyes are squinted, drowsy with sleep, and she lets out a small yawn. God, she looks adorable-so effortlessly beautiful, even in her half-asleep state. She blinks slowly, her eyelashes fluttering like delicate wings, and then her gaze focuses on me.

Her eyes widen in shock. She opens her mouth, about to say something-

A noise behind me.

I react instantly, pressing a hand over her lips to silence her. I don't know who it is, but I can't risk being seen here at this hour. Without thinking, I pull her inside and swiftly shut the door with my foot.

The air between us thickens. We are close-so close I can feel the warmth of her breath against my skin. The room is silent, save for the sound of our unsteady breathing. She stares at me, her eyes searching mine for answers, for explanations, for truths I have yet to speak.

I look into those deep, tear-stained eyes and see the pain, the vulnerability. My fingers reach for her cheek, caressing it gently. The moment my touch lands on her skin, she closes her eyes, a single tear slipping down her cheek.

And then she shocks me-she throws her arms around me, holding on as if afraid I'll disappear. Her sobs shake her small frame, and I feel her hands clutching my shirt, gripping me tightly.

She's scared.

The realization hits me like a punch to the gut. I let her down. I made her feel unsafe, uncertain. She pulls away only to hit my chest with her fists, over and over, murmuring something incoherent through her tears.