It's A Love Story (Edited)

Unspoken Truths

Laksh had noticed a shift in Swara over the past couple of days. There was a distance in her demeanor that hadn't been there before—a deliberate avoidance. He knew why. She had every reason to hate him after what he had done, but something about seeing her ignore him twisted something inside him. He wasn't sure if he could ever fix things, but today he was determined to try. Maybe they couldn't go back to being what they once were, but he couldn't let her walk away completely. Not like this.

Swara stood at the entrance of her college, her thoughts in turmoil. The events of the previous day replayed in her mind, specifically her encounter with Sanskar. She wasn't sure how to face him now, after what had nearly happened. She couldn't help but wonder what he must be thinking of her—how she had let things go that far. Her steps faltered as she imagined the inevitable moment when she would see him again, and anxiety gnawed at her.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed her wrist, pulling her sharply out of her thoughts. She gasped as she was dragged into a dark storeroom. Her heart raced as she tried to see who it was. When she looked up, her breath caught in her throat.

"Laksh? What is this? Let me go," she said, her voice shaking, trying to pull her arm free. "What are you doing? I need to get to class."

He didn't let go. "I need to talk to you."

"I don't want to talk to you," she snapped, frustration building inside her. "You have no right—"

"I don't care what you want right now," Laksh cut her off, tightening his grip, his voice suddenly more forceful. "You need to hear me out."

Swara winced, pain shooting through her arm. "You're hurting me, Laksh. Let me go!"

But he didn't. "Not until you listen."

Swara, feeling trapped, relented. "Fine. You've got five minutes. Then I'm leaving."

Laksh took a deep breath, his tone softening. "I know I hurt you, and I know you hate me. But I can't stand it, Swara. Please don't hate me. I just want things to be right between us again."

Swara stared at him, her expression unreadable. "Are you done?" Her voice was cold, detached. "I need to leave."

She tried to pull away, but his grip tightened even more. She gasped again, feeling the sting of tears at the corners of her eyes. As she struggled, she heard a voice behind her.

Sanskar had been walking past the storeroom when he heard a muffled voice, followed by Swara's panicked tone. Without thinking, he pushed the door open, his eyes immediately locking on the scene in front of him—Laksh holding Swara against her will.

"Swara?" Sanskar's voice cut through the tension like a knife.

Laksh turned toward the door, his expression darkening. "Can you leave us alone? This has nothing to do with you."

Sanskar's eyes narrowed, ignoring Laksh entirely. "Let her go." His voice was low, but there was an unmistakable edge to it. "She doesn't want to talk to you. Why are you forcing her?"

Laksh glared at him. "This is between us. You have no idea what's going on, so stay out of it."

Sanskar stepped forward, his body language calm but threatening. Swara, still trembling, instinctively moved behind him, seeking safety.

"I don't need to know what's going on," Sanskar said, his voice firm. "When someone says no, it's over. Let. Her. Go."

Laksh faltered, unsure how to respond. He hadn't expected this level of resistance. But the anger and warning in Sanskar's eyes were enough to make him pause. Reluctantly, Laksh loosened his grip, watching as Sanskar took Swara's hand and led her out.

Outside, Sanskar handed Swara a bottle of water. Her hands were still shaking, and she drank in small, slow sips, trying to calm her racing heart.

"What was that all about?" Sanskar asked after a long moment of silence. His voice was calm, but there was an undercurrent of concern. "Who was he? Why was he holding you like that?"

Swara took a deep breath, her voice shaky but steady. "He was... a mistake. One that I've regretted for a long time."

Sanskar looked confused, waiting for her to elaborate. After a few moments, she sighed and continued, "He was my ex."

The revelation hung in the air between them. Sanskar didn't say anything at first, his expression unreadable. "I didn't know," he finally muttered.

"It's not something I talk about," she said quietly. She looked down at the ground, her thoughts drifting back to when it had all begun.

In 8th grade, they had been friends. Laksh was kind, always looking out for her, always there when she needed someone. She didn't realize when her feelings for him shifted, but by the time they were in 10th grade, she had fallen for him. When he proposed to her in front of the entire class, she thought it was the happiest moment of her life. They were together, and she was sure it was meant to be.

But everything fell apart during their final year. At the farewell party, out of nowhere, Laksh slapped her in front of everyone. She had stood there, stunned, unable to process what had just happened.

"What was that for?" she had demanded, tears in her eyes. "Why have you been avoiding me? What's going on, Laksh?"

He had looked at her, completely indifferent. "I'm bored of you, Swara," he had said coldly. "You're so clingy and annoying. I've had enough."

She had begged him, still unable to believe what she was hearing. "But... you love me, right?"

Laksh had laughed bitterly. "Love? That's just a word. I've been wasting my time with you for years. I was never interested in anything serious. I just wanted... well, you know what I wanted. But you never gave me that. So we're done."

Swara had run home that night, her heart shattered. The boy she thought she loved had turned into a stranger in the blink of an eye. She had promised herself that she would never let anyone have that kind of power over her again.

As Swara finished recounting her story, Sanskar remained silent, his eyes filled with a mix of empathy and something else—something protective.

"And now he's back," Swara said, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I'm stronger now. I won't let him hurt me again."

Sanskar nodded, understanding. He didn't need to say anything. In that moment, he knew one thing for certain—he would do whatever it took to keep her safe from now on.