A love written in silence

“Some people confess with words. Others confess with years of silent devotion.”

⸻

Three years passed in the blink of an eye.

College was over.

Life had become busier.

Advik had joined his father’s company as a project manager, while Aarohi had started working as an interior designer in one of the city’s leading firms.

Although their careers had begun, one thing remained exactly the same.

Every Sunday.

Every festival.

Every family dinner.

Every birthday.

The Sharma and Malhotra families still celebrated together.

It had become a tradition no one wanted to break.

And Aarohi…

She never missed a single gathering.

Not because she loved family dinners.

Because they meant seeing him.

⸻

Sunday evening.

The Malhotra house was glowing with fairy lights.

Mrs. Malhotra had insisted on hosting dinner after Advik successfully completed his first major project.

Everyone was proud of him.

“You’ve grown into your father,” Mr. Sharma said proudly.

Mr. Malhotra laughed.

“I hope he’s smarter than I was.”

“He definitely isn’t,” Aarohi teased while taking a sip of juice.

Advik looked at her.

“Oh?”

“You forgot your laptop in the office yesterday.”

Everyone laughed.

Mrs. Malhotra shook her head.

“She always remembers everything about you.”

Aarohi smiled awkwardly.

“If I don’t, who will?”

She hadn’t meant anything by it.

To everyone else…

It sounded sweet.

To her…

It was the truth.

She remembered everything.

His coffee without sugar.

His favorite blue shirt.

The perfume he wore.

The way he hated coriander.

The songs he listened to while driving.

The date of every important meeting.

The first time he learned to ride a bicycle.

The scar near his left eyebrow.

Every tiny detail.

Because loving someone for years teaches you things they don’t even know about themselves.

⸻

After dinner, everyone moved into the garden.

The adults chatted over tea.

Children from neighboring houses played cricket.

Soft music drifted through the cool evening air.

Aarohi sat on the swing she had loved since childhood.

She gently pushed herself back and forth.

Memories flooded her mind.

Six-year-old Advik stealing her ice cream.

Ten-year-old Advik teaching her how to ride a bicycle.

Fifteen-year-old Advik sharing his umbrella.

Nineteen-year-old Advik waiting outside her exam hall because she hated walking home alone.

He had always been there.

Maybe…

That was why letting go felt impossible.

“You’ll fall if you swing that high.”

She looked up.

Advik stood beside her with two cups of coffee.

He handed one to her.

“I didn’t ask for coffee.”

“I know.”

“It’s hot chocolate.”

She blinked.

“You remembered?”

He shrugged casually.

“You hate coffee.”

She smiled.

“And you pretend you don’t notice things.”

“I don’t.”

“You do.”

“I don’t.”

She laughed softly.

“You’ve never changed.”

“I could say the same about you.”

For a moment…

Everything felt exactly like old times.

Comfortable.

Easy.

Home.

⸻

The next few weeks passed peacefully.

Until one afternoon.

Aarohi was organizing old books in her room when something fell from the top shelf.

A blue diary.

She stared at it for several seconds.

It had been months since she’d opened it.

She slowly turned the pages.

Every year of her life.

Every memory.

Every unsent confession.

Every birthday wish.

Every heartbreak.

Every moment somehow ended with his name.

She reached the last blank page.

For the first time in years…

She didn’t know what to write.

Instead…

She whispered the question she’d avoided for nearly a decade.

“How long am I going to keep hiding?”

⸻

The answer came unexpectedly.

The following Sunday.

Both families had gone to a relative’s engagement ceremony.

The hall sparkled with lights.

Music echoed everywhere.

Guests danced joyfully.

Mrs. Sharma smiled as she watched a young couple exchange rings.

“They’re beautiful together.”

Mrs. Malhotra nodded.

“It reminds me of someone.”

She looked toward Aarohi and Advik.

The two were arguing near the dessert table.

“He stole my gulab jamun!” Aarohi complained.

“You were taking too long.”

“I had just picked it!”

“You hesitated.”

“I was choosing!”

“I chose faster.”

The adults laughed.

Mr. Sharma shook his head.

“They’ve been like this forever.”

One elderly aunt smiled warmly.

“When are these two getting married?”

Silence.

Aarohi lowered her eyes.

Advik laughed awkwardly.

“Please don’t start again.”

Mrs. Malhotra smiled.

“We’d certainly have no objections.”

Aarohi’s heart skipped.

For just one second…

Hope bloomed.

Tiny.

Fragile.

Dangerous.

⸻

That night, Aarohi couldn’t sleep.

She replayed the conversation over and over.

“When are these two getting married?”

She walked onto her balcony.

Across the street, the lights in Advik’s room were still on.

She watched him through the window.

He was working.

Focused.

Calm.

Completely unaware that someone across the road had loved him for nearly ten years.

Naina’s words from years ago echoed in her mind.

“You’ll regret staying silent more than getting rejected.”

Rejected.

The word frightened her.

But another thought frightened her even more.

What if someone else confessed to him first?

What if he fell in love with someone else?

What if she spent her whole life wondering… what if?

Tears filled her eyes.

“No…”

She whispered.

“I can’t live with that.”

For the first time…

She decided.

She would tell him.

Not tomorrow.

Not next year.

Soon.

No matter what happened afterward.

⸻

The next morning, Naina nearly screamed over the phone.

“YOU’RE FINALLY GOING TO CONFESS?”

“I think so.”

“You THINK?”

“I’m scared.”

“You’ve loved him for almost ten years!”

“I know.”

“What if he says no?”

Aarohi fell silent.

After a long pause, she smiled sadly.

“Then…”

“I’ll finally know.”

⸻

That evening…

She stood in front of her wardrobe for nearly an hour.

Blue dress?

Too formal.

White?

Too simple.

Pink?

Too obvious.

She laughed at herself.

“I’m confessing…”

“Not attending a fashion show.”

Still…

She chose the pale blue dress.

His favorite color.

Or at least…

The color he wore most often.

⸻

Meanwhile…

Advik sat in his office with Kabir.

Kabir suddenly asked,

“So…”

“When are you getting married?”

Advik nearly choked on his coffee.

“What?”

“Our parents keep asking.”

“I’m twenty-four.”

“So?”

“I’m not interested.”

“You’ve never liked anyone?”

“No.”

“Not even a little crush?”

Advik shook his head.

“I’ve been too busy.”

Kabir laughed.

“One day some girl is going to walk into your life and completely ruin your peace.”

Advik smirked.

“I doubt it.”

Fate…

Had already decided otherwise.

⸻

That night…

Aarohi opened her diary one last time.

She wrote carefully.

Dear Advik,

Tomorrow…

Or maybe the day after…

I’ll finally tell you the truth.

Maybe you’ll smile.

Maybe you’ll reject me.

Maybe our friendship will end.

But if I stay silent forever…

I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.

No matter what happens…

Thank you.

Thank you for being the first person I ever loved.

She closed the diary and held it close to her heart.

Outside…

The moon shone brightly over the two neighboring houses.

Neither of them knew…

That within a few days…

One confession…

One answer…

And one broken heart…

Would change their lives forever.

End of Chapter 4

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