Only For Her

AUTHOR'S POV : Chapter 33

AUTHOR'S POV

It had been 8 months since their trip to Auckland, and Yash had started to reconnect with his family. He was spending more time with them, talking and engaging like he used to before everything fell apart. Slowly, the walls he had built around himself from his family were coming down.

However, since their return to Mumbai, Avni had been persistently reaching out to Yash. She called and messaged him frequently, trying to re-establish their friendship, but Yash knew what was driving her actions. He had seen it in her body language, in the way she spoke to him, and in the eagerness behind her words. She wanted more than just friendship, and that scared him.

Yash had grown accustomed to the hints Avni was dropping-her long texts, her attempts to meet up, the warmth in her eyes when they crossed paths at family gatherings. She had never confessed her feelings directly, but it was clear, and that made things complicated for him.

Yash's phone vibrated on the table beside him. The screen lit up, showing Avni's name. He stared at it for a moment, taking a deep breath, then pressed "ignore." He wasn't in the mood to have any conversation and to keep pretending that everything was casual between them. He wasn't cruel, but he didn't want to encourage something that could never be.

As he stared at his phone, his thoughts drifted back to the first fight he and Janhvi had because of Avni. It had been during Akash and Yuvi's engagement where he met Avni first time. Janhvi had always been confident, but when it came to Avni, there was a vulnerability she couldn't hide.

Yash could still hear her voice from that evening-"She's perfect for you, Yash. She fits into your family and your life so easily. Your family loves her, and I- I don't know if I'll ever be enough. I know she's your family friend, and I trust you," Janhvi had said one evening, "but sometimes, I feel like I'm standing in the way of what everyone expects from you."

Yash's phone buzzed again. Another call from Avni. He sighed and let it go to voicemail. It wasn't just about avoiding the conversation-he didn't want to lead her on. His feelings had been buried the day Janhvi left him, and he wasn't willing to dig them up for anyone else, not even for someone like Avni, who might have seemed perfect in everyone else's eyes.

He knew he had to keep his distance, and over the past few months, he had been doing exactly that. He wasn't cruel or rude, but he was careful-polite yet distant. Whenever they met at social gatherings, he would exchange pleasantries but quickly excuse himself, avoiding any prolonged interactions. He didn't respond to her texts as often as he once did, and if he did, they were brief, nothing more than polite responses.

As he sat there, staring at the phone, Yash's mind drifted to the promises he had made to himself after Janhvi's death. He had promised to stay focused, to avoid relationships, to bury himself in work. He wasn't ready to let anyone in again, and he certainly wasn't ready to deal with the expectations that came with someone like Avni.

Yash knew he couldn't directly reject Avni without hurting her. She hadn't confessed her feelings outright and confronting her would only make things awkward for both of them. But ignoring her wasn't the solution either. Still, he figured that with time, she would understand his silence and the distance he was creating.

Yash let out a heavy breath, silencing the thoughts in his head. For now, ignoring the call was his way of protecting both from a future that wasn't meant to be.