Blueprints of Love

20. A Heartfelt Confession

The golden hues of sunset draped the cliff in a soft glow, casting long shadows over the rocks below. Waves crashed gently against the shore, their rhythmic lull a contrast to the turmoil inside Savi's heart. She stood motionless, gazing out at the endless horizon, letting the salty breeze whip through her hair. This was the only place she felt she could breathe without the weight of her emotions suffocating her.

But she wasn't alone for long.

Footsteps crunched softly over the dirt path, and she knew who it was even before he spoke. She didn't turn around—she couldn't.

"Savi," Rajat's voice came from behind her, quiet yet resolute. "We need to talk."

She closed her eyes, as if doing so would somehow hold everything inside her together. She wasn't sure she was ready for this conversation, but a part of her had known it was inevitable.

Rajat took a few cautious steps closer. "I don't want things to end like this."

Savi exhaled slowly. "Then why did you come back, Rajat? Why now?"

He paused for a moment, as if gathering the right words. "I came back because... I realised I can't imagine a future without you."

His words hung in the air, delicate and vulnerable. For a second, Savi felt the air leave her lungs, and she gripped the edge of the railing tighter to steady herself.

Rajat's voice softened, filled with sincerity. "Back in college, I never understood your feelings—not the way I should have. I was young, stupid, and too caught up in my own world. But now... I see things differently."

Savi's heart pounded painfully in her chest. "You think just realising that now makes everything better?" she whispered, her voice laced with bitterness.

"No," Rajat admitted, stepping closer until he was only a breath away. "I know it doesn't fix what I did—or what I didn't do. But meeting Anshita forced me to look at things from your point of view for the first time. I started thinking about how much you were a part of my life back then, even if I didn't see it. You were always... there. And I just—"

He trailed off, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "I was an idiot for not realising it sooner."

Savi kept her gaze fixed on the sea, but Rajat could see the slight tremor in her hands. "So you came back hoping what? That I still liked you?" she asked, her voice tight.

"At first, yeah," he admitted quietly. "I hoped. But then I saw you—this version of you—and it was like meeting a stranger. You were so different, so... strong, confident. I didn't recognize you, Savi."

His voice dropped to a whisper, filled with emotion. "And I fell in love with you. Not the Savi from college, but this Savi. The woman standing right in front of me."

Savi's breath hitched, her heart now thudding in her chest like a wild drum. But the fear still lingered—sharp, painful, and unrelenting.

"I don't know if I can do this," she murmured, her voice cracking slightly. "I don't know if I can go through that again, Rajat. Getting hurt, being left behind..."

Rajat's gaze softened as he took another step closer, his voice tender but steady. "I get it. I know I've hurt you, and I know it's going to take time. But I'm not leaving, Savi."

Her throat tightened, and she could barely meet his gaze. "You say that now. But what if... what if things go wrong? What if I end up right back where I started?"

Rajat reached out, gently brushing his fingertips along her arm. The touch was light, like a promise. "I don't have all the answers, Savi," he whispered. "But I know one thing—I'm here. And I'm not leaving unless you ask me to."

Savi felt the weight of his words sink deep into her heart. It was a simple promise, yet it carried more meaning than anything he'd ever said to her before.

For the first time in years, she let herself imagine—just for a moment—what it would be like to trust him again.

The fear was still there, but so was something else... something that felt a lot like hope.

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They stood in heavy silence, the breeze carrying the scent of salt and jasmine through the air. Savi wrapped her arms around herself, more for comfort than warmth. Rajat's eyes stayed on her, unwavering, as if waiting for her to lower the walls she had built so high. But Savi stared past him, toward the endless sea, torn between everything she wanted to say and everything she was too afraid to admit.

Her voice, when it came, was a fragile thread. "You broke something in me, Rajat."

He flinched, the raw truth in her words slicing through him. "I know," he whispered, regret coating every syllable. "And if I could undo it, I would. But I can't. All I can do now is stay—if you'll let me."

Savi's throat tightened, and she swallowed hard, glancing down at her trembling hands. "I've spent so long convincing myself I didn't need you. That I could be okay without you. And just when I was starting to believe it... you came back."

Rajat took a cautious step forward. "I'm not here to mess things up again. I just—" He hesitated, then his voice softened. "I've learned to live with a lot of regrets, Savi. But losing you is one regret I can't live with."

Her heart clenched painfully at his words, but fear still gnawed at the edges of her mind. "I don't know how to trust you," she admitted quietly, more to herself than to him.

Rajat exhaled slowly, closing the distance between them until only a few inches remained. He didn't reach for her, didn't push—he just stood there, grounding her with his presence. "Then don't trust me all at once," he murmured. "Trust me little by little. I'll earn it, Savi. However long it takes."

Savi's defences wavered, the weight of his words stirring something deep within her. Her heart whispered things she wasn't ready to acknowledge, but the idea of shutting him out forever felt heavier than the fear she carried.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Then, without fully understanding why, Savi reached out—her hand brushing lightly against his. It was the smallest of gestures, but Rajat's breath hitched, and she felt the warmth of his relief radiating through the touch.

"I'm scared," she whispered.

"I am too," Rajat admitted softly. "But we can be scared together."

Savi closed her eyes, the beginnings of a tentative hope blooming in the quiet between them. It wasn't a grand resolution—there were still so many questions left unanswered, so much healing yet to be done. But standing there, on the edge of something new, Savi felt a shift. Maybe she wasn't ready to forgive entirely, but for the first time in years, she felt ready to try.

The sun had slipped below the horizon, painting the sky with soft purples and golds. In that fleeting moment, they stood side by side, two people learning how to step forward—slowly, hesitantly, but together.

And sometimes, Savi realised, that was enough.

Because love wasn't about knowing the future—it was about learning to trust the present, one fragile moment at a time.

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a soft, rosy glow over the sea. In that fleeting moment, standing side by side on the cliff, both Rajat and Savi knew that their journey was far from over. But for now, it was enough.

Because sometimes, love wasn't about having all the answers—it was about taking the leap, even when you were afraid of the fall.  

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