The Untold Chapters of Us

Cover, banners, and character aesthetic boards by @balladofawordsmith

I stood in my school's ground.
Everyone was cheering, clapping, appreciating me for scoring 98% in 10th grade.

But did I care? No.

Because my eyes caught him.
Walking towards me.
After four years.

Zaid Malik.

He stopped right in front of me and whispered my name - "Mahi..."
From his lips, it sounded like a melody I had waited years to hear.

He said, "I'm sorry."

Sorry?
Did he really think a single sorry could fix the endless wait, the sleepless nights, the tears I had hidden behind my smile?

He called my love a "crazy crush."
Was it?
Or was I never enough for him?

People say love has no age.
Then why did he choose someone else?

I looked into his stormy eyes, filled with regret, guilt, longing.
But did I care? No.
Because self-respect mattered more than a broken promise.

Still, my foolish heart... it loved him.

He said he was leaving, but he would come back.
I asked if it was a statement or a promise.
He said, "A promise."

And I reminded him - "But promises are meant to be broken."

He turned to walk away.
And when he was just a step away, I whispered words only I could hear -
"Don't go."

But it was too late.

This is the story of a sunshine girl who loved too much... and the boy who came back too late.