REGRETS: An Unspoken Longings

WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER

Veer’s Point of View

The next day at college, the atmosphere felt thick with tension. I’d barely slept, my mind replaying the events of the night before, Suhani’s tear-streaked face haunting me. Every time I closed my eyes, I could still hear her sobs, could still feel her trembling in my arms. It had taken everything in me not to go after Shivam right then and there.

But now, as I walked through the corridors of the campus, I knew that this wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

My fists clenched at my sides, knuckles turning white. Every step I took, the rage inside me grew, until it was all I could do to keep from exploding. I could hear people talking around me, but their voices were just background noise to the storm brewing in my head.

And then I saw him—Shivam—leaning against the wall, laughing with his group of friends like nothing had happened. Like he hadn’t spent the previous night tearing Suhani apart.

My vision blurred with anger, and before I knew it, I was storming over to him, every rational thought wiped from my mind. I could feel the blood pounding in my ears, my pulse racing as I closed the distance between us.

“Shivam!” I barked, my voice low and deadly.

He looked up, his smirk fading slightly when he saw the look on my face. But he quickly recovered, that same arrogant sneer sliding back into place. “Well, if it isn’t the knight in shining armor. What’s the matter, Veer? Did your little damsel in distress cry on your shoulder all night?”

That was it. That was all it took.

I snapped.

Without thinking, I lunged at him, my fist connecting with his jaw in a satisfying crunch. The force of the punch sent him staggering back, and his friends scattered, their eyes wide with shock. But I wasn’t done. Not by a long shot.

Before he could recover, I was on him, my fists flying, each punch fueled by the anger, the guilt, the helplessness I’d felt the night before. Shivam tried to fight back, but I was too far gone, too consumed by the need to make him pay.

“How dare you!” I roared, my voice cracking with rage as I landed another blow. “How dare you touch her! How dare you say those things to her!”

Shivam groaned, struggling to push me off, but I was relentless. All I could see was Suhani’s face, all I could hear were her sobs, and it drove me to hit harder, to hurt him the way he had hurt her.

“Veer! Stop!”

Arjun’s voice broke through the red haze clouding my mind, and suddenly, strong arms were pulling me back, dragging me away from Shivam. I struggled against them, still desperate to get at him, but Arjun held me firm, his voice stern in my ear.

“Veer, that’s enough! You’re going to kill him!”

The words finally registered, and I stopped struggling, my chest heaving as I tried to catch my breath. I looked down at Shivam, who was now lying on the ground, blood dripping from his nose, his lip split. He glared up at me, but there was fear in his eyes, and for the first time, I felt a sliver of satisfaction.

“Don’t ever go near her again,” I spat, my voice low and deadly. “If you do, I’ll finish what I started.”

Arjun tightened his grip on my arm, pulling me back further as Shivam slowly got to his feet, wiping the blood from his face. He didn’t say anything, just shot me a look of pure hatred before turning and stumbling away, his friends trailing behind him like lost puppies.

I stood there, breathing heavily, my hands still shaking from the adrenaline. But the anger hadn’t gone away. If anything, it had only intensified, because now that the fight was over, the guilt was creeping back in, stronger than ever.