JAAN ( Darr 2 )

The Flight

"I'm here," she continued, her grip on his hand tightening slightly. "Not because I owe you anything, and not because I don't know what you've done. I'm here because..." She hesitated, searching for the right words. 

"Because despite everything, I want to be."

The silence that followed was heavy with unspoken emotions. Slowly, Rahul nodded, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. And in that moment, Kiran felt a strange sense of clarity, a fragile but undeniable connection between them that neither of them could deny.

"You deserve better," he said, the quiet intensity of his voice revealing a depth of emotion he wasn't allowing himself to fully express. 

His jaw clenched, the words seeming to burn as they left his lips. 

"Better than... him." 

His next words were almost reluctant, as if admitting them would break something inside him.

 "Better than me too."

Kiran could feel the tension radiating off him, the way he was holding back, as if afraid to let himself feel too much. His sincerity, the raw truth in his words, made her chest tighten, her breath hitching in response.

She stepped closer, her fingers brushing against his in the smallest, most tentative of touches. "But I'm here," she said softly, her voice trembling slightly. 

"With you."

His eyes finally met hers, and for a moment, the world seemed to still. He looked at her as if she was something he couldn't quite believe was real, something fragile and precious that he didn't dare touch. He closed his eyes briefly, exhaling slowly, his shoulders rising and falling with the effort of keeping himself steady.

"You deserve to be with someone who can give you the life you want," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "Not someone who's caused you pain." His words were laced with regret, as if each one was pulling him deeper into the shadows of his past.

Kiran's gaze softened as she looked at him, seeing not just the guilt and remorse he carried, but the heart behind it, the man who had once loved her so completely, and who still did, despite everything. 

She wanted to reach out, to ease the burden he was placing on himself, but she knew this wasn't something she could fix with just words. He had to let go of it on his own.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. 

The silence between them was heavy, yet not uncomfortable, just full. Full of things they weren't quite ready to say. Full of memories, of unspoken apologies, of emotions too complex to name.

Finally, Kiran broke the quiet, her voice gentle but firm, a quiet strength beneath the softness. "Let's just have breakfast," she said,

 offering him a small smile, her tone steady despite the whirlwind of emotions inside her. "Together. Can we do that?"

Rahul stared at her for a moment longer, something unspoken passing between them, before he nodded slowly, a quiet agreement in his eyes.

 Without another word, he turned back to the stove, finishing the simple breakfast he had started.

They ate quietly, the clink of their forks the only sound in the room.

As the time to leave approached, Rahul quietly gathered his things. Kiran was surprised to see how little he had, just one trunk, worn from years of use, and a guitar. A guitar. She hadn't seen it at first, but now, as it caught her eye, a flood of memories rushed back to her.

How could she forget that Rahul used to play the guitar? And not just play, he was good at it. She remembered the first time she heard him, hidden behind the trees of the college gardens, singing just for her.