Closer Than Before | 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙙 ✅

Chapter 4: I'm suffocating you?

Radhika's POV:

As I settled into my new workspace, I couldn't shake the feeling of being on edge. The day had barely begun, and I already felt exhausted.

My eyes wandered around the office, taking in the sights and sounds of my new environment, but no matter how hard I tried to focus, my thoughts kept drifting back to Samar.

I had spent two years trying to forget him, trying to move on from the pain of our last fight, but here he was again, right in front of me, and it felt like no time had passed at all.

The clattering of keyboards and the hum of conversation buzzed around me, but all I could hear was the echo of our last argument, the words we threw at each other like weapons.

I could still see the look on his face, the way his eyes had darkened with anger, the way his voice had trembled when he told me I was suffocating him.

“Radhika, it's suffocating me! I need space!"

The words cut through me like a knife, the memory of that moment so vivid it felt like I was reliving it all over again.

I shook my head, trying to dispel the memory. But the harder I tried to push it away, the more insistent it became.

It was like a broken record, playing over and over in my mind, reminding me of the pain, the betrayal, the heartache that had driven us apart.

It was a beautiful evening, the sun setting in shades of pink and orange, casting a warm glow over the city.

Samar and I were sitting in a cafeteria, sipping on coffee, just like we had done a thousand times before.

But this time was different. I had planned to confess my feelings.

"Samar, I need to tell you something," I had said, my heart pounding in my chest. "I... I think I'm in love with you."

He had looked at me then, his eyes softening, and for a moment, I had thought that maybe, just maybe, he felt the same way.

"Radhika," he had said, his voice gentle. "I care about you more than anyone else. You're my best friend, and yes, there is something more than friendship between us. But... I'm not sure if it's love. Not the kind of love you're talking about."

His words had been like a punch to the gut. I had tried to hold back my tears, tried to be strong, but it was no use.

I had poured my heart out to him, and he had basically told me that he wasn't sure if he loved me the way I loved him.

But he hadn’t just left it at that. No, Samar, being the kind and considerate person he was, had tried to comfort me, had tried to explain that he needed time to figure out his own feelings.

He had promised that nothing would change between us, that he would still be there for me, that we could still be friends.

And for a while, it had worked. He had continued to be the same caring, attentive Samar, always there to listen, always there to make me smile.

I had tried to be patient, tried to give him the space he needed to sort through his feelings. But the more time passed, the more my insecurities grew.

I couldn’t help but wonder if he was just stringing me along, if he was only keeping me around out of pity.

The doubts gnawed at me, eating away at the foundation of our friendship until it all came crashing down.