The Space Between

Whispers of Healing

The festival's celebratory air had started to wane, and people were dispersing, the night settling into a quiet calm. Rajat lingered near the bonfire, glancing at Savi every so often as she sat quietly with the anklet still in her hands. It wasn't forgiveness, but it wasn't outright rejection either. For now, that was enough for him.

As the last guests departed, a sudden commotion broke out near the kitchen area. Someone shouted, and within moments, a thick column of smoke began to rise. The festival tents had caught fire, the colourful decorations quickly consumed by the flames.

Panic erupted. People scrambled to grab water buckets and extinguish the fire. Savi tried to get up to help, but her injured ankle made her stumble. Rajat was at her side in an instant, steadying her.

"Savi, stay here," he said firmly.

"No! I need to help—"

"Aise nahi!" he snapped, his voice trembling with urgency. "Please, just trust me!"

Before she could argue further, he ran into the chaos, shouting instructions and helping organize a line of water buckets. The fire roared, fierce and unrelenting, but Rajat worked tirelessly, refusing to stop until every last ember was extinguished.

The crackling sound of the fire was deafening. Savi's voice cut through the chaos, screaming Rajat's name as flames engulfed the warehouse where he was trapped.

Rajat stumbled through the suffocating smoke, his lungs burning with every gasp. The fire roared around him, hungry and unrelenting. His mind was fixed on Savi— on her tear-streaked face, the searing pain in her eyes when she had turned away from him. Mujhse itni nafrat thi usse? Now, as heat licked at his skin, he didn't care if this fire consumed him. Maybe she was right to hate him. Maybe this fire was justice, burning away his failures. Maybe he deserved it.

But then, through the thick haze of despair, he saw her. A blur of red and gold tearing through the inferno. Savi?!

His heart stopped.
"Savi, nahii!" Rajat's voice cracked, desperation drowning out the roar of the flames. He watched in horror as she dodged a collapsing beam, her figure illuminated by the fiery chaos around her.

"Rajat!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the madness, sharp and unyielding. "Haath pakado mera! Move!" Her hand gripped his arm with an urgency that rivaled the heat of the flames, her touch burning more than the fire. She was relentless, yanking him toward the faint glow of an exit. The ground beneath them cracked and groaned, threatening to crumble.

A massive beam shattered above them, and Rajat moved instinctively. He wrapped himself around her, shielding her from the raining debris. "Kuch ho jaata toh?!" he choked out, his voice raw with emotion. Her anger didn't matter now. His guilt didn't matter now. All that mattered was getting her out alive.

They stumbled outside just as the fire brigade arrived, the cool night air hitting them like a lifeline. Rajat's hands trembled as he gripped Savi's shoulders. His voice broke. "Tum pagal ho gayi ho kya? What were you thinking? Running in like that—"

She pushed him away, her eyes blazing even as tears threatened to spill. "Don't you dare lecture me. Tum wahan kya kar rahe the? Agar tum mar jaate toh, Rajat—" Her voice cracked, but she caught herself, biting down on the sob threatening to escape.

Rajat stared at her, his heart twisting at the sight of her shaking frame. "Savi..." he whispered, reaching for her, but she staggered back, holding up a hand as if to keep him away.

"Don't," she said, her voice breaking. "Don't act like you care now."

And yet, even as she turned away, her shoulders heaved, betraying the storm inside her. Rajat stood frozen, her words slicing through him deeper than any flame ever could.