Waited For You

Chapter 33

{ The Present }

The apartment was unusually quiet.
Too quiet.

Sanchi moved around restlessly, rearranging things that didn’t need rearranging—books already aligned, cushions already straight, shelves already clean.

But her hands kept moving.
Because her mind wouldn’t stop.
She has been restless.

Every thought, every memory… all tangled.

She sighed, wiping an already clean table again.
“Get a grip, Sanchi…” she muttered.

Just then—
Ding dong.
The doorbell rang.

She frowned slightly and walked toward the door, opening it without much thought.
And froze.
“ANSHI?!”

Before she could react, Nihanshi rushed forward and hugged her tightly.

“Oh my God, Sanchi!” she squealed. “You know the honeymoon was AMAZING!”

Sanchi blinked, still processing her sudden arrival.

Nihanshi pulled back but didn’t stop talking.
“We literally travelled for one whole month—no work stress, nothing! And the after-marriage rituals? Uff, so good. And my mother-in-law? She is AMAZING. And my husband—”
She paused dramatically, grinning.
“—is obviously amazing.”

Sanchi let out a small, automatic smile.

Nihanshi continued, completely in her own world.
“And you know—”
“Do you want to drink something?” Sanchi suddenly interrupted.
Nihanshi blinked.
“Huh?”
“Tea? Coffee? Juice?”
“No, no—”

Before she could finish—
Sanchi suddenly stepped forward and hugged her tightly.

Not a casual hug.
A desperate one.
And then—
She broke.

Her grip tightened as silent sobs turned into uncontrollable crying.
Nihanshi froze for a second.
“Sanchi?”

But Sanchi didn’t respond.
She just kept crying—
Bitterly.
As if something she had held in for years was finally breaking out.

Nihanshi immediately wrapped her arms around her.
“Sanchi… kya hua?” she asked softly, panicking a little.
“Batao… kya ho gaya? Sanchi? Bacha? Sanchi…”
After a few moments, Sanchi pulled back slightly.
Her eyes were red, her voice trembling.
“I… I need to tell you something.”
Nihanshi nodded instantly.
“I’m here.”

Sanchi took a shaky breath.
“When I was 17… Papa got transferred to UP.”
Her gaze dropped.
“We shifted to Kashi.”
A faint, broken smile appeared.
“And there… I met a boy.”
Nihanshi listened silently.
“He was… the sweetest person I had ever met,” Sanchi continued softly. “Kind. Gentle. Different.”
“He was from Maharashtra.”
Her voice softened even more.
“I fell in love with him.”

A pause.

“But he wasn’t ready.”
Nihanshi frowned slightly.
“So we became friends.”
Sanchi let out a weak breath.
“Actually… the best of friends.”

She looked up slightly, her eyes distant.

“I didn’t really have friends back then. Papa’s constant transfers… new cities, new schools… it was always temporary.”
“And he did have friends… but they weren’t very nice.”
A small silence.
“So we became everything for each other.”

Her voice steadied a little as memories flowed.

“We talked… chatted… shared everything about our lives.”
“Every little thing.”
A tear slipped down her cheek.
“Then during holidays… he travelled all the way… just to meet me.”
Nihanshi’s eyes softened.
“And… to propose me.”
Sanchi let out a shaky laugh.
“Those ten days…”
She closed her eyes briefly.
“…were the best days of my life.”
“The most magical.”
Her voice cracked.
“We got into a relationship.”
“It was long distance… but those few months…”
She smiled faintly through tears.
“They were so precious.”
“We talked, teased, fought…”
“…but always came back to each other.”