Beautiful love

Chapter 3

Sahil and Vanya arrive outside the hotel and are shocked by what they see. It’s the same hotel they had visited together five years ago during their school trip. They exchange a look, and memories from the past flood their minds—both the good times and the pain they had endured.

As they walk into the hotel, they approach the reception desk. 
Sahil: "We need two rooms for the night. Our car broke down, so we’ll leave by morning." 
Receptionist: "I’m sorry, sir, but we only have one room available. If it’s not a problem, you can stay together in the room." 

Sahil, though reluctant, has no choice but to take the single room. They both head to the room in silence. As soon as they enter, Sahil places their bags down and heads to the washroom to freshen up. Meanwhile, Vanya unpacks her bag, looking for something comfortable to wear for the night.

Sahil steps out of the washroom and glances at Vanya. 
Sahil: "You can change now. I’ll order some food in the meantime." 

Vanya nods and goes into the washroom to change. Sahil picks up the room phone to call for room service, but the line is dead. He decides to go downstairs and place the order in person. 
Sahil (calling out to Vanya from outside the washroom): "Vanya, I’m just going down to order dinner. I’ll be back soon." 
Vanya: "Okay." 

As Sahil reaches the stairs, he suddenly remembers that he left his phone in the room. He turns back to get it. Meanwhile, Vanya emerges from the washroom and notices that the room is completely dark. She starts breathing heavily, her fear of the dark taking over. Her condition worsens rapidly, and she collapses to the floor, struggling to breathe.

At that moment, Sahil opens the door and is shocked to find the room engulfed in darkness. He quickly switches on the lights and is horrified to see Vanya on the ground, gasping for air. 
Sahil (rushing to her side): "Vanya! What’s happening? What’s wrong? Talk to me!" 

Vanya, barely able to speak, struggles to get out a word. 
Vanya (with great difficulty): "My… pump…" 

Sahil immediately understands and quickly searches through her bag, finally finding her inhaler. He cradles her in his arms and helps her use the pump. Slowly, Vanya's breathing returns to normal. Sahil gently lifts her and places her on the bed.

Vanya (weakly): "I’m okay now…" 
Sahil (concerned): "Vanya, since when have you been using this pump?" 
Vanya (hesitant): "For the past three years... ever since…" 

Just as she is about to explain, there’s a knock on the door, and Vanya falls silent. Sahil gets up and opens the door to find a room service boy standing there. 
Boy: "Sir, here’s an extra blanket. It can get quite cold at night around here." 

Sahil takes the blankets, nodding in acknowledgment. He returns to Vanya, only to find that she has fallen asleep from exhaustion. He carefully covers her with a blanket and sits down on the couch, his eyes never leaving her.

As he watches her sleep, his mind is filled with questions. 
Sahil (to himself): "What happened to Vanya? What could have changed so much in these five years that the girl who once pulled me out of the darkness is now terrified of it herself? I can’t make sense of any of this…" 

Next Morning

Sahil wakes up to the soft morning light filtering through the curtains. As he blinks awake, he notices that Vanya is still fast asleep. He slowly gets up from the couch and walks over to her. Vanya’s hair has fallen across her face, framing it like a delicate veil.

Sahil finds himself captivated by her beauty. Without thinking, he gently brushes the strand of hair away, tucking it behind her ear. His hand lingers on her face as he holds her cheek, lost in the moment.