The fear of falling
Author's pov-
The kiss lingered in the air long after they pulled away.
Divya felt her heart pounding in her chest, her mind struggling to process what had just happened. Purv's fingers were still grazing her cheek, his touch feather-light, as if he wasn't sure whether to let go or hold on tighter.
She searched his eyes for something-anything-that would tell her what he was thinking.
But as always, purv was hard to read.
His gaze flickered, his jaw tightening as he slowly stepped back, breaking the moment.
"I shouldn't have done that," he muttered under his breath, looking away.
A sharp pang shot through Divya's chest. "Why?"
Purv exhaled, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Because this... whatever this is... It's dangerous."
Divya's brows furrowed. "Dangerous?"
He let out a humourless chuckle, shaking his head. "You don't get it, do you?" He turned to face her, his eyes burning with something intense. "I ruin things, Divya. I hurt people. I don't know how to be... good at this."
Divya felt her throat tighten. "Purv.."
He took another step back as if trying to create distance between them-not just physically but emotionally.
"I'm not what you think I'm," he said quietly.
Divya felt a mix of frustration and sadness rise in her chest. "You don't get to decide that for me."
Purv let out a shaky breath, his hands clenching at his sides. "I just-" he stopped himself, shaking his head again. "I need to go."
And just like that, he turned and walked back toward his car.
"Book a cab for going home," he said before sitting in car.
Divya felt the cold air bite her skin as she watched him leave, her heart aching in ways she didn't understand.
She wanted to call out to him, to tell him that she saw him-not the cold, distant version of himself that he tried to show the world, but the real purv. The one who cared more than he admitted.
But the words wouldn't come.
And so, she just stood there, watching as he drove away, leaving her alone under the fading evening sky.
---------------------------------------------------
The next day at college, Divya didn't know what to expect.
She hadn't texted purv after he left, and he hadn't reached out either.
Maybe she should've. Maybe she should've fought harder to make him stay.
But she also knew that purv was someone who needed space. Pushing him too hard would only make him retreat further.
As she walked towards her lecture hall, kaashi fell into step beside her, sipping on her iced coffee.
"You seem lost in thought," kaashi noted, eyeing her curiously.
Divya forced a small smile. "Just tired."
Kaashi didn't looked convinced. "Does 'tired' have anything to do with a certain brooding, insanely rich guy?"
Divya sighed. "It's complicated."
Kaashi took another sip of her coffee. "Yeah, well, so is calculus, but people still manage to figure it out."
Divya let out a small laugh, shaking her head. "It's not that simple."
Kaashi tilted her head. "Then make it simple."
Divya was about to respond when she noticed someone approaching from the corner of her eye.
Aditya.
She hadn't spoken to him much after they went together for a coffee, and for some reason, he seemed... different today.
"Hey," Aditya said, stopping infront of them.
"Hey," Divya replied, slightly surprised.
He hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Are you free after class?"
Divya blinked. "Uh.. yeah, why?"
Aditya rubbed the back of his neck, looking a bit unsure. "I was thinking... Maybe we could again grab a coffee? Just us."
Kaashi raised an eyebrow, her gaze flickering between them.
Divya hesitated. She wasn't sure why, but something about this felt... off.
Still, Aditya was her friend. There was no reason to say no.
"Yeah, sure," she finally said.
Aditya's lips curled into a small smile. "Great. See you later, then."
As he walked away, kaashi nudged Divya's shoulder. "That was unexpected."
Divya nodded slowly, her mind still caught up in the whirlwind that was purv.
But maybe... just for a little while, she needed the distraction.
Little did she know, someone else was watching.
And he wasn't happy.