What A Beautiful Face She Has

Rejection

Stella's POV:

The sun had just begun to set, casting a golden glow over the roof-top restaurant where Raghu had asked me to meet him. I was waiting for Raghu and it's been 10 minutes.

I had ordered a coffee and a croissant since I was feeling hungry.

I was enjoying the view, sipping the coffee when I heard his voice.

"Hi, Stella."

I looked towards him.

"Hi, Raghu. Vaa, ukaru.", I said.

Author's POV:

Raghu sat at the corner table, his heart pounding in his chest. He had been rehearsing what to say for days, trying to find the right words to convey his feelings. Stella, on the other hand, sat across from him, absentmindedly stirring her coffee, lost in thought.

Finally, Raghu broke the silence.

Stella's POV:

"Stella, romba naala un kita onnu sollanumnu wait pannitu irundhen."

I looked up, my eyes searching his face, sensing the seriousness in his tone.

"I know you’ve been through a lot. And I don’t want to pressurize you… but I need to be honest with you."

He paused, gathering his courage. I waited, my expression calm but guarded.

"Apdi enna solla pora, Raghu?", I asked.

"Nee thappa eduthuka matenu nambura.", he said, wiping the sewat beads forming on his forehead.

"Apdi enna solla pora?", I asked with serious expressions on my face.

"Adhu vandhu... I... I’ve fallen for you, Stella. I’ve loved you for a while now. You’re strong, kind, and every moment we’ve spent together has meant the world to me.", he confessed.

My hand froze on my cup. My heart skipped a beat, but I know that it wasn’t from excitement—it was from fear. I didn't know that this day would come, also I wasn’t ready for it. I wasn’t sure I ever would be.

Raghu continued, his voice soft but earnest.

"I know you’ve been hurt before, and I don’t expect you to feel the same way right now. Konja time eduthuko and medhuvave ennaku oru reply kudu. I just wanted you to know that I really love you, no matter what, I’m here for you."

He took out a small box from his pocket and opened it. I was baffled to see that it was a ring.

Holding that ring in his hand, he asked me, "Stella, will you marry me? I promise to stand by you. Let's help many broken people, together and make their life colourful."

For a long moment, there was silence. I stared down at my coffee, feeling a weight settle in my chest. I knew how much Raghu cared for me, and I cared for him too—just not in the way he hoped.

Finally, I looked up, my eyes filled with sadness that I couldn’t hide.

"Raghu… I don’t know how to say this."

Raghu’s heart sank, but he forced himself to listen.

"You’re an amazing person. You’ve been my rock through everything, and I don’t know what I would’ve done without you. But… I don’t believe in love anymore."

He blinked, taken aback by my words. He had expected rejection, but this? It was deeper than he had imagined.

"Stella, what do you mean? You deserve to be loved, to be happy."