Hi everyone,
Welcome to another chapter!
It honestly gives me so much joy knowing many of you didn't see that twist coming...... that was the goal, after all.
This part of the story took a lot of time, heart, and thought to write, and I truly hope it resonated with you. I know this genre is a bit of a shift from the usual, but sometimes it's the unexpected that adds the most flavor, right?
I'll be updating the next chapter when we hit 100 views, so if you're enjoying the ride, don't forget to show some love and let me know your thoughts in the comments. I always look forward to hearing from you.
Until then, stay curious, stay kind
Happy reading, and see you soon.
She ran to him like the world behind her no longer existed. And he caught her as if he'd been waiting forever. She jumped into his arms, and he held her effortlessly, like she belonged there, like he'd been molded to catch her fall. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck; her face buried in the curve of his shoulder. Then she broke. Tears streamed freely, as if every dam inside her had finally given way.
She wept like a child, raw, aching, vulnerable. And Anshuman? He didn't flinch. He just wrapped his arms around her tighter, anchoring her to reality, afraid that if he let go even for a second, she might vanish again. His eyes closed, forehead pressing gently against her temple, breathing her in. His arms were a shelter.
"Call my name again," she whispered. "Pakhi..." he said. She looked up, eyes brimming with tears, a flicker of disbelief in her gaze.
"Meri Pakhi..." he whispered again, voice soft as a lullaby. "Pakhi Anshuman Rathore." The words fell from his lips like a vow, slow, reverent, sacred. She cried harder.
"Anshuman..." she breathed his name like a prayer, clutching the lapel of his coat, her whole body trembling in his hold. "Tumhari Pakhi..." she sobbed, and then pressed herself into his chest again, as if she could crawl inside his skin and never leave.
He held her, rocking her gently. His hand slid up to cradle the back of her head, fingers weaving into her hair protectively. The world had fallen away. There were no eyes, no gasps, no consequences, only her tears soaking his collar and the fragile sound of her breath hitching between sobs. Time bent around them.
When her cries began to slow, Anshuman shifted slightly, lowering her just enough so her feet touched the floor. But even then, he didn't let her go. She sagged against him, half-leaning, half-held, as if her legs could no longer bear the weight of everything she'd carried.
He looked down at her. Her face, streaked with tears and glowing with a softness only he had ever seen. Her lashes were wet, long strands sticking together like dew-laced feathers. Her lips quivered, pulled into a trembling pout, sniffing her nose like a lost child. His heart ached, not from pain but from unbearable, soul-twisting love. Gently, he brushed her tears away, his thumb gliding across her cheekbones like he had memorized her anew.
"You're here..." he murmured. "You're really here." She nodded weakly, tears threatening again.
"I thought I'd never see you again," he confessed, his voice breaking for the first time.
