Notes of Love

in my arms

The night stretched on, and the weight of unspoken words seemed to press down on both Nandini and Manik from opposite ends of the world they had once shared. The space between them felt insurmountable, as though the distance wasn't just physical, but emotional, like an invisible wall had sprung up between their hearts, blocking every bridge they once built.

Manik lay on his back, the soft hum of his air conditioning the only sound breaking the silence of his room. He reached for his phone once more, his thumb hovering over her contact, as if the mere act of calling her could fix everything. But the uncertainty of their last conversation-those harsh words, the hurt in her eyes-kept him from pressing "send." He thought of what he could say, but nothing felt right. Everything that had passed between them was too much, too complicated, for simple apologies or excuses.

His phone slipped from his fingers, landing on the bed with a soft thud as he let out a frustrated sigh. He rolled over, staring up at the ceiling, willing his mind to quiet. How did we get here? He thought, but the question didn't have an answer. Not yet.

On the other side, Nandini sat at her desk, her phone clutched tightly in her hand. Her fingers hovered over the screen, typing and deleting message after message. She tried to find the right words-something that wouldn't sound too desperate, something that would make him understand-but nothing came out the way she wanted. Every sentence seemed to slip away from her as quickly as it formed. What's the point? she thought bitterly. She'd just end up hurting him more.

With a frustrated sigh, she let the phone fall to the table, the harsh click of the screen shutting off echoing through the stillness. She stared out the window into the quiet night, lost in her thoughts. Her heart ached for him, for them, but the path to reconciliation seemed impossible. How could she even begin to explain what she felt? How could she bridge the chasm that had opened between them?

Both of them, lost in their own pain, did not see how close they were to breaking the silence.

It was only when the clock struck midnight, the quiet hour of the night when emotions feel the rawest, that they found themselves reaching for each other in the most unexpected way.

Manik, still lying in the dark, finally sat up. The silence around him had become suffocating. He couldn't sleep, not with the constant echo of Nandini's words, and the sharp edge of her hurt still ringing in his mind. But it was something more than just guilt or regret-it was the love he had for her, that deep, undeniable connection that pulled him out of his self-imposed isolation.

He grabbed his phone again, but this time, instead of overthinking it, he simply typed:

"I miss you."

It was simple. Honest. It wasn't perfect, but it was the truth. Before he could second-guess himself, he hit send.

On the other side of the room, Nandini's phone buzzed with a soft vibration on her desk. Her heart leapt in her chest as she saw Manik's name light up on the screen.

She stared at the message, her breath catching in her throat. She had been so afraid to reach out first, to be vulnerable, but now here it was-his words, raw and simple, and suddenly she felt a surge of hope.

I miss you.

Nandini's hands trembled as she picked up her phone, her thumb hovering over the screen. She thought of all the things she wanted to say. How much she missed him. How much she regretted their fight. How badly she wanted to just fix things.

With a shaky breath, she typed back:

"I miss you too. So much."

She paused before adding: