Ranjish

Her heart is more beautiful than a sunrise kissed by morning dew—quiet, radiant, and full of promise.

""I lost her without meeting her—like a dream I woke from too soon, never knowing if it was real or just my soul remembering."

🌜

On Kanak's birthday, everything unfolded just as planned. The lights were soft, the music gentle, and the guests filled the room with cheerful chatter. The party was perfect—at least on the surface.

Kanak looked radiant in her pretty pink saree, glowing under the fairy lights. One by one, everyone came up to congratulate her, each word met with her warm smile. But her eyes kept searching—for him. The one person she hoped would say something, anything.

Vikram.

He stood in the corner, silent, watching. His silence was louder than the music. And Kanak felt every second of it.

After the cake was cut and laughter echoed through the room, Sagar stepped forward and asked Kanak for a dance. She hesitated, just for a breath, then nodded. Their steps fell into rhythm, graceful and effortless. They moved as if the song belonged to them.

But in the shadows, Vikram watched with eyes full of fire. Jealousy wrapped around him like smoke—bitter and choking.

As the party swayed and the lights dimmed, Sagar took Kanak's hand and led her quietly into the back garden, under the stars. Something in Vikram snapped. Without a thought, he followed.

There, beneath the soft glow of the garden lights, Vikram saw it—Sagar on one knee, holding a small velvet box.

And Kanak... frozen in surprise.

The music faded into a blur behind me, drowned out by the pounding in my chest.

I had told myself I didn't care. Lied to my own reflection more times than I could count. But the moment I saw Kanak in that pink saree—smiling, glowing, laughing with him—something inside me cracked.

She looked like the beginning of every love story I never had the courage to write.

I stood in the corner, pretending to sip my drink, pretending to be okay. But when Sagar asked her to dance, and she said yes... I knew I had waited too long. Their steps matched too easily, their laughter came too naturally. It was like watching someone steal the moment I never claimed.

Jealousy isn't loud. It doesn't scream. It simmers. And that night, it boiled inside me.

When they slipped into the garden, my feet moved before my pride could stop them. My heart thundered with a silent desperation, each step fueled by what-ifs and could-have-beens.

Then I saw it—
Sagar. On one knee.
The ring.
Kanak's stunned face.

And in that instant, the world stood still.

I had lost her...
Without even having her.

And it hurt in a way I didn't know I could feel.

Vikram's anger boiled over, and he strode towards Sagar and Kanak, his fists clenched. With a swift and powerful motion, he delivered a hard punch to Sagar's jaw, sending him crashing to the ground.

The scene unfolded in stunned silence, Kanak's eyes wide with shock and surprise. Sagar struggled to get back to his feet, his face twisted in pain and anger. Vikram stood tall, his chest heaving with emotion, his eyes blazing with intensity.

Vikram's yell echoed through the garden, his voice raw with emotion. "How could you propose to my wife?" he thundered, his words hanging in the air like a challenge.