Memories

27

Karthik

The wedding was only two weeks away, and yet my heart felt heavier with every passing day. Everyone assumed I was excited, but inside, I was drowning in confusion. Shivani and I hadn't spoken properly in days. She avoided me, and I—coward that I was—let her. Maybe because I was terrified of what I'd see in her eyes: disappointment.

I hated myself for the distance I was keeping. I wanted to tell her everything, wanted to sit beside her like before, wanted to erase this invisible wall between us. But Sonu... she was everywhere. Every time I tried to go near Shivani, Sonu found a way to interfere—fake smiles, dramatic concern, constantly hovering like a shadow. She knew exactly when to step in and steal a moment that wasn't hers.

And I let her.

That guilt gnawed at me every single night. Shivani deserved my attention, my words, my time. But I had chosen silence. Maybe it was my fear. Maybe it was my cowardice.

But I wanted to make it right. I needed a way to remind her that even if my words failed, my heart still beat for her. That was when I went to Manoj uncle.

I knew how close Shivani had grown to him during these days. She trusted him, and I trusted him too. Late one evening, I sat with him in the study, pouring out my restlessness.

"Uncle, I don't know how to bridge this gap with Shivani," I admitted, my voice breaking more than I intended. "She's slipping away from me, and I don't even know how to hold her back."

Manoj uncle placed a hand on my shoulder. "Beta, she's not slipping away. She's just waiting for you to reach out. Shivani is strong, but even strong hearts need reassurance."

That night, we devised a plan. A simple pendant. Nothing extravagant, nothing flashy. Just something that spoke silently on my behalf: I still choose you, even when I'm silent.

Uncle was the one who insisted he'd be the one to give it to her. "If it comes from me, she'll accept it easily. If it comes from you right now, her pride might get in the way. Let me do this for you."

So, I agreed, though it pained me.

And today... I saw her wearing it.

She had no idea it was from me. She smiled as she touched the pendant lightly while talking to uncle, her eyes soft with gratitude. And for the first time in weeks, I felt alive again. That pendant rested against her heart, but it was mine she carried. My message, my promise, even if she didn't know it yet.

My chest tightened, watching her from across the courtyard. I wanted to run to her, tell her the truth, cup her face in my hands and whisper, That's from me, Shivani. It's always been me.

But before I could move, Sonu slipped her arm through mine, leaning in far too close, pretending to whisper something about the wedding preparations. My body stiffened. My eyes were still on Shivani.

She noticed us. For a split second, her smile faltered. She turned away, hiding it so well no one else would notice—but I did. Because I knew her. Because I still carried every fragment of her expressions in my soul.

And it broke me.

Sonu's voice was a blur in my ears. I only saw Shivani walking away, her fingers absently touching the pendant again. She didn't know it was from me, yet she held it like it meant something.

And maybe, just maybe, it would be enough... until I found the courage to cross the distance Sonu had forced between us. Until I could fight for Shivani openly.

But for now, I just stood there. Silent. Burning inside.

Because sometimes love wasn't about grand gestures. Sometimes, it was about a small pendant resting against the person you couldn't stop loving, even when the world tried to keep you apart.