BRIDGING HEARTS

{37}

                             JEIA

"I love you, Jeia."

The words hung in the air, heavy. His gaze never left mine as he spoke again, stepping closer, his breath unsteady.

"I don't know how or when it happened, but…" His words faltered, and he reached out, holding my hands gently. His fingers trembled slightly. "It started so subtly, I didn’t even notice it at first. But then…" His voice dropped, filled with something raw.
He held my hands tighter, his touch grounding me.

"It wasn’t supposed to be like this." He shook his head. "At first, you were just my competition, my rival. Someone I wanted to beat, not… someone I couldn’t stop thinking about. But somehow, everything about you started to matter. The way you smiled, the way you scrunched your nose when concentrating. And then there were the times…" A sigh escaped him.

"I hated it—every time another guy tried to get close to you. When Sameer asked you to dance just to tease me, and you agreed—I couldn’t stand it. And Rishi, with his stupid jokes and shameless flirting, making you laugh…" His voice grew quieter, frustrated. "I hated how easily they got to be close to you while I just stood there, pretending I felt nothing."

I swallowed hard. "Aarav, I—"

He shushed me, placing a finger against my lips. "Shhh, please. Let me speak."
The vulnerability in his eyes was almost too much. He ran a hand down his face.

"Moments like those made me realize just how much I’m hopelessly in love with you." His hands lifted, cupping my face. The raw emotion in his eyes mirrored the turmoil I felt, but the guilt gnawed at me.

"I was always labelled the Casanova," he whispered, his voice cracking. "And for a long time, I was just that. No strings, no attachments—because I thought that was what I wanted. But then you came along and made me crave things I thought I never needed." His voice softened. "You weren’t just another face, Jeia. You became the exception."
The weight of his confession was crushing me.
"Please say something, Jeia," he murmured, his eyes softening. He cupped my face again.

I swallowed hard, my throat tightening. He meant every word.

But my heart didn’t.

"I’m sorry, Aarav," I muttered, taking a step back, breaking free.

His hands fell. His expression shifted—hope flickering before crumbling.

"I... I don’t—" I exhaled shakily. "I don’t feel the same way." But the thought of losing you as a friend…
The words felt cruel.

Aarav blinked. "You…" His voice faltered. He looked away, clenching his jaw, then met my eyes. "You never saw me that way, did you?"

I hesitated. "Aarav…"

"Just tell me," he pressed, resigned. "Was there ever a moment? Even for a second?"

I wished I could lie.
I shook my head. "No," I whispered. "Not like that."

"Aarav, you and me?" I continued, trying to keep my voice steady. "It could never happen."
He didn’t say anything, but I saw the heartbreak in his eyes.
"In the beginning, I didn’t even like you," I admitted. "We were like arch-enemies. I never thought we’d even be in the same room without fighting."
"But then, things changed. We stopped fighting. We started talking, understanding each other. And somehow, in these last two months, we became… friends." I smiled faintly. "Good friends, actually."
His eyes searched mine.
But I couldn’t give him what he wanted.
"And that’s all it ever was for me, Aarav," I said gently. "I have never seen you the way you see me. Not romantically."
His shoulders stiffened. He just stared at me. Then, slowly, he nodded, his expression unreadable.
"Aarav…" I hesitated. "I’m so, so sorry."
A bitter smile tugged at his lips. "Yeah," he murmured, running a hand down his face. "I figured."