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.
Sagar, still rubbing his jaw, looked up at Vikram in confusion. "Your wife?" he repeated, his voice laced with uncertainty.Vikram's eyes blazed with possessiveness, his face twisted in anger. "Yes, my wife," he growled, his words dripping with intensity. "Kanak is my wife, and you'll never have her."
Kanak stood frozen, her eyes darting between Vikram and Sagar, her mind reeling with the sudden turn of events.
Sagar's question hung in the air, his eyes narrowing as he gazed at Vikram. "Do you really know she's your wife?" he asked, his voice laced with skepticism.
Vikram's expression faltered for a moment, his confidence wavering. He looked at Kanak, and for a brief instant, uncertainty flickered in his eyes.
The question seemed to strike a chord, and Vikram's anger gave way to a mix of emotions. He took a step back, his eyes locked on Kanak's, as if searching for answers.
Kanak's voice trembled with emotion as she confronted Vikram. "Why did you pretend you didn't remember me till now?" she demanded, her eyes blazing with hurt and anger. "Why the hell did you do this? And now, suddenly, you realize I'm your wife?"
Vikram's eyes dropped, his gaze faltering under Kanak's intense scrutiny. He seemed to struggle for words, his silence speaking volumes.
The air was thick with tension as Kanak waited for an explanation, her heart pounding with anticipation. Vikram's sudden claim of remembering her seemed suspicious, and Kanak wanted to know the truth behind his actions.
Kanak's words cut deep, her voice rising in anger and hurt. "I've already signed the papers, and you've signed them too," she reminded Vikram, her eyes flashing with defiance. "I'm leaving you," she declared, her voice firm and resolute.
Vikram's face contorted in anguish, his eyes wide with desperation. He took a step forward, his hands reaching out to her, but Kanak backed away, her arms crossed over her chest.
The finality of her words hung in the air, leaving Vikram with a sense of despair and loss. He realized too late that his actions had pushed her away, and now she was determined to leave him behind.
Vikram's eyes pleaded with Kanak's as he grasped her hand, his voice cracking with emotion. "On the truck accident day, I got my memory back," he confessed, his words spilling out in a rush. "And I remembered everything about us, about our life together."
He took a deep breath, his eyes filled with self-doubt. "But I felt like I wasn't meant for you," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "Because of who I am - a local goon. Am I able to give you the happiness you deserve? I feel like I'm not worthy of your love."
Vikram's gaze fell, his voice heavy with resignation. "I was taking a step back, for your sake. I didn't want to hold you back. But seeing you with him," he nodded towards Sagar, his eyes flashing with anger, "I couldn't help but feel jealous. I was going to leave the house after your birthday, but now...I'm not leaving."
His grip on her hand tightened, his eyes burning with intensity. "I won't let you go, Kanak. I won't let you go to him."
Kanak's breath hitched, and before she could stop herself, tears streamed down her cheeks. Her hands trembled as she clutched the edge of her saree, her heart breaking all over again.
"What if you leave again, Vikram?" she cried, her voice shaking.
"What if one day you wake up and decide I'm better off without you—again?"
Vikram opened his mouth to speak, but she held up her hand, stopping him.
"No. Don't make promises you can't keep. Not this time."
The garden was quiet, save for the rustle of leaves and the thump of Sagar's heartbeat echoing in the background. Kanak's voice dropped to a whisper—aching, but strong.
"How am I supposed to trust you, Vikram? You left me drowning in questions, in silence, in pain. You watched me live like I didn't exist to you. And now... now you're asking me to believe this is real?"
Her eyes searched his face, desperate and defiant all at once.
"Are you promising me that you will never think of leaving me again? That you'll walk away from all that violence, that goon life—the darkness you used to call home? Because I can't build a life with you on fear. I won't."
She took a shaky breath, her eyes glistening.
"Think before you promise me something, Vikram. Because this time... if you break me, I won't be able to put the pieces back together."
Vikram's face was carved in guilt, pain, and something deeper—resolve. He stepped forward slowly, gently reaching for her hand.
"Kanak... I'm not asking for your forgiveness tonight. I'm asking for a chance to earn it. I swear to you, if you let me, I'll leave everything behind. For good. No more lies. No more blood. Just... us."
He dropped to his knees—not in proposal, but in surrender.
"This isn't a promise I'm making with words. It's one I'll prove every single day... if you'll let me."
Vikram rose slowly from the ground, stepping closer to Kanak, his hands trembling slightly. He reached up with aching gentleness and wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumb, his touch barely a whisper.
His voice cracked as he spoke, his eyes locked on hers, glistening with unshed tears.
"I promise on my life," he said, barely above a whisper, "and that life... it belongs to you."
He cupped her face, his thumb brushing away another tear, and for a moment, time stood still—just them, under the soft glow of the garden lights, surrounded by memories and a future hanging in the balance.
"Your words are my command, Kanak," he said, voice trembling. "I'll never leave you again—not in silence, not in pain. My life is yours. My path is yours. And if I ever do anything to hurt you again... you have every right to take it from me."
His own tears fell then, silently, as he leaned his forehead against hers, broken and bare.
"You were always my peace in the middle of the chaos I chose. But not anymore. I'm done with that life. I'm done running. I'm done pretending."
Kanak's breath caught in her throat. Her hands moved on their own, gripping the fabric of his shirt, grounding herself in him, in the moment, in the truth that had waited too long to be spoken.
They stood there in the stillness, the echoes of pain slowly fading into something softer—hope, maybe. Or the beginning of healing.
Kanak looked into Vikram's eyes, and for the first time in what felt like forever, she didn't see the mask he always wore. She saw him—the man who had broken her heart, yes... but also the man who had just offered it back, piece by piece, with trembling hands.
A tear slid down her cheek, but this time, it wasn't just pain. It was release.
Without a word, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight, like she was afraid he might disappear again. Vikram didn't hesitate—his arms came around her instantly, pulling her into the kind of embrace that says, you're safe now.
They held each other like the world around them didn't matter. Not Sagar, not the guests, not the storm of the past—just them, in that moment, where everything finally made sense again.
Vikram pressed his lips gently to her forehead, closing his eyes as he did, like he was sealing a vow into her skin.
"I'm home," he whispered against her, "right here, with you."
Kanak clutched him tighter, her heart thudding against his chest, their broken pieces slowly fitting back together.
And in the quiet of the garden, under the stars, with the sound of nothing but their breathing and the soft rustle of leaves around them...
They found each other again.
The End..........