𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞

Chapter 11: Drifting Apart

As the weeks went by, the strain on Aanya and Meera's relationship became more and more apparent. What had once felt like an unbreakable connection was now stretched thin by the constant pressure from the outside world.

Aanya was drowning in guilt. Every conversation with her family left her feeling torn apart. Her mother had stopped calling as often, and when they did speak, there was an undeniable distance between them. It felt like a part of her was slipping away, and she didn't know how to hold onto it.

Meera, on the other hand, seemed to be withdrawing. She wasn't the same confident, bold girl Aanya had fallen in love with. The viral video, the rumors, the constant judgment from their peers—it had taken a toll on Meera in ways Aanya hadn't fully understood.

One night, after a particularly tense dinner with Meera's friends, Aanya could feel the shift between them. Meera had been quiet all evening, barely engaging in the conversation, and when they got back to Aanya's apartment, she seemed distant, her thoughts somewhere far away.

"Meera," Aanya said gently, reaching out to touch her arm. "What's going on? You've been acting different lately."

Meera shrugged, avoiding Aanya's gaze. "I don't know. I guess I've just been thinking."

"About what?"

"About everything," Meera replied, her voice heavy. "Us. The video. Our families. This whole mess."

Aanya's stomach twisted with anxiety. "Do you regret it?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Do you regret being with me?"

Meera's eyes flashed with something—pain, frustration, guilt—but she didn't answer right away. And that silence was enough to make Aanya's heart sink.

"I don't regret you, Aanya," Meera finally said, her voice soft but strained. "But I don't know if I'm strong enough for this."

Aanya's chest tightened, the fear she had been pushing down for weeks rising to the surface. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that maybe we rushed into this," Meera said, her words slow and careful. "Maybe we weren't ready for everything that came with it."

Aanya felt like the ground was crumbling beneath her. "So, what? You want to break up?"

Meera's expression was conflicted, torn between what she felt and what she thought was right. "I don't want to hurt you, Aanya. But I also don't want to keep pretending that this is easy. Because it's not. It's hard. And I don't know if I'm strong enough to handle it."

Aanya's heart shattered at Meera's words. She had known things were difficult, but she had never imagined that Meera would want to walk away. "Please, Meera. Don't do this. We can figure it out."

Meera shook her head, her eyes filled with regret. "I don't know if we can."

And with that, she turned and walked out the door, leaving Aanya standing alone, her heart breaking in ways she had never imagined.