Chapter: "Where the Night Breathes"
Scene: 11:03 PM - Quiet Goan Lane, Near the Beach
The hotel was finally quiet.
Aashna had fallen asleep curled up against Rihi after crying herself dry, clutching her hand like a kid afraid of monsters under the bed.
Rihi had gently slipped away.
When she opened the door to the hallway, Shubman was already waiting there.
Leaning against the wall, hoodie half-zipped, hair ruffled like he hadn't even tried to fix it. He looked at her, and his expression softened like melting wax.
"Walk with me?" he asked.
She nodded without a word.
---
Scene: 11:17 PM - Empty Lane with Trees on One Side, Beach on the Other
Their steps were slow. No rush. Just the sound of slippers brushing gravel and the occasional whisper of waves nearby.
Neither said anything for a while.
Then-
"You scared the hell out of me," he said quietly.
Rihi looked down. "I didn't mean to. I just... needed air. Space."
"I get that. I really do. But Rihi..." He paused, stopping mid-step. "Don't ever do that again. Not without telling someone. Not me."
His voice cracked at the end.
She looked up at him.
And for the first time all day, the ache in her chest lifted-just a little. Because he looked like he meant it. Like he hadn't been okay either.
"I thought I was being strong," she whispered. "But the truth is, I was scared too."
He stepped closer.
"I saw Aashna sobbing. I saw your cousin broken. And all I could think was-'If something happens to her, I'll never forgive myself.'"
She blinked fast, tears threatening again.
Shubman reached out slowly-gave her the space to move away.
She didn't.
His hand touched her cheek, thumb brushing just under her eye.
"You don't have to be the strong one with me, Rihi," he said softly. "You can just... be."
She didn't respond.
Instead, she leaned in, just slightly, forehead resting against his chest.
And he wrapped his arms around her.
Not tightly. Not possessively.
Just enough.
Enough to say, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere.
They stood like that for a long time. Under the quiet sky. No phone calls. No family. No expectations.
Just a boy and a girl who'd almost lost each other today.
---
Scene: Later, Sitting on the Beach Wall
Rihi finally broke the silence. "Do you ever feel like... you're holding your breath all the time? Like the second you relax, everything will fall apart?"
Shubman looked out at the ocean.
"I used to feel that way when cricket became everything. When I thought one bad match would ruin everything I'd worked for."
He turned to her.
"But then I met this girl. Overthinker. Dusky. Kinda okayish."
Rihi snorted. "Wow. Such praise."
He smiled. "And she taught me that it's okay to let go. That even the anxious ones deserve to breathe."
A pause.
And then-she reached for his hand.
He didn't flinch.
She laced their fingers together.
And just like that, the world got a little quieter.
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