The weight of what's lost
Author's pov-
Purv stood there long after Divya's car had disappeared into the night.
The distant hum of the engine had faded, yet the silence felt deafening.
His fingers twitched at his sides, still remembering the way her skin had felt beneath them. Warm. Familiar. Distant.
She was gone. Again.
But this time, she hadn't left because life has forced her to. She had chosen to.
That realisation settled in his chest like a weight, pressing down, making it hard to breath.
He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply.
What the hell just happened?
For years, purv had convinced himself that he had moved on. That whatever they had shared in college had been insignificant. Fleeting.
But standing there in that cold basement, watching her walk away without a second glance, he felt something shatter inside him.
He had spent years burying whatever emotions he had left for her.
But tonight?
Tonight, she had ripped those emotions out of him and tossed them aside like they meant nothing.
He scoffed, shaking his head. This was ridiculous.
He had no reason to feel this way.
Divya had kissed rehan back then, hadn't she? She had been the one who blurred the lines first. He had only done what was necessary.
So why the hell did her words sting so much?
"We were never in a relationship, were we?"
Purv shut his eyes for a moment, her voice echoing in his mind.
She was right.
They had never put a name to whatever it was they had. He had never let them.
And yet, hearing her say it so easily, as if those years had meant nothing, made something inside him ache.
Had he really thought she would always be there? That no matter how many times he pushed her away, she would still look at him the way she used to?
He clenched his jaw. Maybe he had.
And maybe that was his biggest mistake.
He turned, his footsteps heavy as he made his way to his own car. The driver opened the door for him, but he didn't get in immediately.
Instead, he leaned against the cool metal, his head dropping forward as he tried to shake off the uneasy feeling crawling up his spine.
His fingers instinctively reached for his cigarette case, but before he could light one, Rudra's words from earlier echoed in his head.
"You still love her. You just don't want to admit it."
Purv let out a bitter chuckle, shaking his head.
Love?
Love was messy. Unpredictable. And dangerous.
He had convinced himself that whatever he had felt for Divya had died years ago. That what they had shared had been nothing more than a fleeting phase.
But standing here now, watching the empty road where her car has just disappeared, he wasn't so sure anymore.
Because if it had truly been nothing-if she had meant nothing-then why did it feel like he had just lost her all over again?