——Chapter 1: Shattered Moments
Siddharth and Ashi had been in a relationship for a year, meeting for the first time during Navratri. Sid was her brother Aryan’s best friend, which brought them even closer. Ashi had two siblings, Aryan and Kirti, who loved her dearly and always supported her.
One evening, Sid asked Ashi to join him for a long drive. She happily agreed, unaware that this drive would change everything. Ashi felt a flutter of excitement as she accepted Siddharth’s invitation for a long drive. They had been together for a year now, and every moment with him was something she treasured. She adjusted her hair, a smile tugging at her lips, as they drove through the evening streets. The familiar warmth of his presence was something she had grown to love, and tonight felt like just another chapter in the beautiful story they were building together.
But something was off. She noticed it in his silence, the way he seemed preoccupied, his usual laughter absent. She told herself it was nothing, that maybe he’d had a tough day, and dismissed the strange feeling tugging at her heart.
As they reached her street, Siddharth pulled over, his face cast in shadow under the streetlamp. He turned toward her, his eyes serious. “Ashi, I think… I think we need to break up.”
Her heart stopped, the words hitting her like a wave crashing against the shore. She stared at him, uncomprehending. “What? Siddharth, why? What happened so suddenly? I thought we were happy. Did I do something wrong?”
He shook his head, his gaze flickering away from hers. “It’s not you, Ashi. It’s just… this isn’t working. I don’t think we’re meant to be together.”
The air seemed to thicken, pressing down on her, making it hard to breathe. She tried to find the right words, her voice trembling. “But… but everything was fine. We were fine. Why are you doing this?”
He sighed, glancing at his hands before looking back at her, his expression unreadable. “Please, Ashi. Just get out of the car. It’s better this way.”
Without another word, she opened the door and stepped out, her legs feeling like they could barely hold her up. He gave her a tight, sad smile, a quiet, “Take care,” before he drove away, his taillights vanishing into the distance. She stood there, frozen, the reality of what had just happened sinking in. She felt like someone had punched her in the chest, leaving her gasping for air.
With trembling hands, she pulled out her phone and dialed Aryan’s number. Her voice was small, hollow as she explained what had happened, asking him to conference Siddharth in. She wanted to know why. She needed to hear it from him, even if it broke her all over again.
When Siddharth picked up, Aryan spoke, his voice tight with barely concealed anger. “Sid, why did you break up with her? What happened?”
Siddharth hesitated, then sighed. “She doesn’t put enough effort into our relationship, Aryan. She’s… she’s nice, she’s kind, but there’s something missing. I can’t explain it.”
Aryan’s voice rose, frustration lacing his words. “Are you listening what you are saying ??. You’re already hurting her by doing this. Do you even realize what you’re throwing away? You’re not going to find another girl like her. Not in a million years.”
Siddharth’s voice softened, a hint of sadness coloring his words. “I know, Aryan. I know I won’t. But something isn’t right, and I can’t keep pretending it is.”
“Then why are you giving up?” Aryan demanded. “If you love her, then work through it. Talk to her, for God’s sake!”
Siddharth fell silent, and Ashi felt tears slip down her cheeks, the reality of his words cutting into her heart like a knife. She muted the call, unable to listen any longer, her mind filled with self-doubt. She thought of all the ways she had failed him, the ways she hadn’t measured up. She had never been good with words, always struggling to express herself. But she had loved him with every part of her, in her quiet, unspoken ways, and now… now it seemed like that wasn’t enough.
That night, she lay in bed, staring at his photo on her phone, her heart breaking as she whispered a soft, “I’m sorry,” to the darkness. She felt as though she had lost a piece of herself, and no amount of tears would bring it back.
Over the next few days, she put on a brave face for Aryan and Kirti, pretending that she was okay, that she had accepted what had happened. But every night, when she was alone, she cried into her pillow, her heart aching with the loss of the only person she had ever truly loved.
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