Next Morning 8:47 AM Ranjit receives a whatsapp
"Good morning, Ranjit..."
"I've been sitting here for the past half hour, wondering what to say--how to even begin. Last night was unexpected, overwhelming... and somehow deeply clarifying."
"I know you messaged Rohan out of care. Maybe you knew I was feeling distant. Maybe you thought I needed someone to talk to. But what happened between us--between me and him--it brought back a version of me I hadn't felt in a long time."
"It was strange being in his arms again... not because it was wrong, but because it felt familiar. I didn't plan any of it, but in that moment, I didn't stop it either."
"Rohan reminded me of who I was once... before life got quiet, before I felt like I had to shrink myself to keep peace."
"I'm not writing this to hurt you, Ranjit. I just want to be honest. You always said honesty matters more than anything."
"Thank you for caring enough to send someone when I needed comfort. I hope someday we can talk--really talk--about all of this."
"Anu"
Ranjit sat on the edge of the bed, phone trembling slightly in his hand. The message from Anu stared back at him--each word sinking in deeper than the last. His chest tightened, his breath shallow. He read it again. And again.
His face was pale, eyes wide and glassy. A nervous sheen covered his forehead, and his lips parted slightly as if caught mid-breath. There was a haunted stillness in him--as though someone had pulled the ground from under his feet. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, frozen.
He tried typing: "I'm sorry for disappointing you..."
Deleted it.
Tried again: "I didn't mean for this to happen."
Deleted.
His reflection in the screen looked small, worn. His shaved frame, once a symbol of discipline and order, now felt exposed. His shoulders hunched. He looked like a man unraveling--not with anger, but with helplessness.
A soft, broken whisper escaped him. "I just wanted her to feel loved."
His fingers shook as he typed again:
"I'm sorry for disappointing you, Anu. I never wanted to let you down. I only wanted you to be happy... even if that meant not with me. I miss who we were. I still love you. Always."
He hit send. Then sat in silence, staring at the message. Waiting. Hoping. Scared.
9:58 AM
"Ranjit... I don't know exactly how to put this into words, but I'm going to try."
"This morning feels different. Lighter. Not because I've made any big decisions yet, but because I feel something I haven't felt in a very long time--clarity."
Anu stood by the kitchen window, the mug warm between her hands. Sunlight filtered through the curtains, kissing her bare shoulders with gold. There was a quiet stillness in the room, but inside her, a storm of thoughts gently calmed.
"Last night stirred something in me. It wasn't just about the past or the feelings that Rohan awakened--it was about remembering who I used to be before I started dimming myself to keep peace."
"You've always been kind, Ranjit. Gentle. Thoughtful. And yet, somewhere along the way, I began to feel invisible in the space we shared."
She looked at her reflection in the glass--no makeup, hair tousled, still radiant. Not because of how she looked, but because of how she felt. Free.
"There's no guilt in what I feel now. Just honesty. Maybe that's something we both need. I'm not blaming you, but I can't pretend I'm the same woman anymore."
"You deserve someone who loves you fully. I need to be someone who feels fully alive. We should talk soon. Not as a fight. Just... as two people figuring out what love really means."
"Take care of yourself, Ranjit. Let's be honest from here on."
Ranjit sat motionless, the morning light casting long shadows across his room. Her message had landed like a soft blow to the chest -- not angry, not cruel, just... final in its honesty. He stared at the screen, his heart pounding louder than the silence around him.