ROYAL HIGHNESS

32.Finding peace isn't difficult

Ovie noticed the way Sumbul would sometimes catch Rudr's eye and smile, a soft, tentative smile that seemed to melt a little of the ice between them. And Rudr, though hesitant at first, would respond with a slight nod or a quiet smile of his own. The change was slow, almost hesitant, like they were both unsure of where they stood but willing to take baby steps toward each other.

The conversations were brief, often just a few words exchanged in passing, but they seemed to open a door that had long been shut. A "good morning" here, a "how was your day?" there-small, simple words that carried the weight of something deeper. They were starting to rediscover each other, not as they were, but as they had become.

And then, one evening, Ovie saw it-a moment that made her heart swell with relief. She was in the kitchen, pretending to be busy, but her eyes were fixed on Rudr and Sumbul through the open doorway. They were sitting together in the living room, the space between them no longer filled with awkwardness or discomfort. They were talking, actually talking, with smiles on their faces and an ease that Ovie hadn't seen in a long time.

Sumbul said something, and Rudr laughed-really laughed-for the first time in days. It was a sound that seemed to fill the entire room, bright and genuine, like sunlight breaking through clouds after a long storm. His shoulders, which had been so tense and rigid all these days, seemed to relax, and his whole demeanor lightened as if a weight had been lifted off his chest.

Ovie felt a pang of happiness seeing Rudr like that, seeing the old Rudr she knew return, even if it was just for a moment. His eyes no longer held that haunting sadness, that distant look that had followed him ever since their trip abroad. Instead, there was a spark of life, a glimmer of joy that hadn't been there before. And Sumbul-well, she looked like her old self too, her smile reaching her eyes, her laughter free and unguarded.

It was in these moments that Ovie realized how much Sumbul meant to Rudr. His happiness, his very existence, seemed to be tied to her in a way that was undeniable. And whatever had happened between them in the past, whatever walls had been built, were slowly but surely starting to come down. They were finding their way back to each other, not just as friends but as two souls who had gone through something that neither was ready to put into words yet.

Ovie stood quietly in the doorway, a smile tugging at her lips as she watched them. She could see the unspoken understanding between Rudr and Sumbul, the silent language that passed between their eyes, the way they seemed to be reconnecting in a way that was even deeper than before.

She didn't say anything, didn't want to interrupt this fragile moment they had found. She simply stood there, watching as Rudr reached out, almost unconsciously, and tucked a loose strand of hair behind Sumbul's ear. The gesture was so tender, so intimate, that it made Sumbul's breath hitch, her cheeks flushing ever so slightly. She looked at Rudr with a mix of surprise and something else-something softer, something that looked like hope.

For the first time in a long time, there was no discomfort, no awkwardness between them. It was as if they had both decided to let go of the past and just be in the moment, to let their hearts lead them instead of their fears.

Rudr was smiling again, a real smile that reached his eyes, the kind of smile that Ovie thought he had lost forever. She felt a warmth spread through her chest, a deep sense of joy for her friend who had suffered in silence for so long.

Ovie could see it clearly now, more clearly than ever before, as she stood on that balcony watching Rudr and Sumbul. Something had changed between them, something fundamental, and whatever it was, it was tied to that last trip to Chandigarh. There was a story there, a story Rudr was keeping close to his chest, a story that Sumbul was unwilling to speak of.