𝐀𝐂𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄,【𝙎𝙝𝙪𝙗𝙢𝙖𝙣.𝙂】

Chapter 11: Shattered Hopes

Hira stood in front of her mirror, brushing her hair back into a neat bun as she prepared for her shift at the airport. 

Her mind was a tangled mess of emotions and thoughts, replaying the events of the previous week over and over again. 

She'd been avoiding Shubman, ignoring his texts and calls, hoping the distance would help her sort through her feelings.

Her phone buzzed on the dresser, and she sighed, already knowing who it was. Reluctantly, she picked it up and saw another message from Shubman.

Shub💜

We need to talk.

 Can you meet me today?

Hira stared at the message, feeling a mix of irritation and guilt. She didn't want to confront the situation, but she also knew she couldn't keep avoiding him. 

With a huff, she typed a quick response.

Okay

She shoved her phone into her bag and finished getting ready, her mind racing with what she would say. She had to face him eventually, and maybe it was time to clear the air and move on.

Arriving at the airport, she went through the motions of her job, trying to keep her focus on her tasks. But the thought of meeting him later kept nagging at the back of her mind. 

Many hours later, As her shift ended, she made her way to the agreed meeting spot, her heart pounding in her chest.

Shubman was already there, leaning against his car, looking tense and impatient. 

When he saw her approaching, he straightened up and took a deep breath, his eyes searching hers for any hint of what she was feeling.

"Hira," he started, his voice soft but insistent. "Why have you been avoiding me?"

She crossed her arms defensively, trying to mask her anxiety with irritation. "I've just been busy," she lied, knowing it sounded weak even to her own ears.

"Busy for a whole week?" he asked, his eyebrows raising skeptically. "We need to talk about what happened. We can't just pretend it didn't."

Hira took a deep breath, bracing herself for the conversation. "I know," she replied, her tone clipped. "Let's just get this over with."

He looked taken aback by her abruptness but nodded. "Alright. First, I want to know why you've been avoiding me. We can't just pretend that night didn't happen."

Her s eyes flickered with pain and regret. She knew she couldn't dance around the truth any longer.

 "Because I regret it, Shubman," she said bluntly, her voice cracking slightly. "I regret that night. I think we ruined our friendship."

He looked at her, stunned. "Regret it?" he echoed, his voice low and disbelieving. "I thought... I thought it meant something to you."

"It did," she admitted, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "But it also brought back memories I wasn't ready to deal with. I felt like I lost control, and now I don't know how to face you."

Shubman stepped closer, his expression softening with understanding. 

"Hira, it doesn't have to be like this. We can talk about what happened, about your past, about everything. We don't have to throw away what we have because of one night."