A step closer
Author's pov-
Divya wasn’t sure when her heart had started betraying her again.
Maybe it was the way Purv looked at her like she was the only thing he had ever truly lost. Maybe it was how he didn’t push, didn’t demand—just stayed, letting her see the sincerity in his actions.
Or maybe, just maybe, she had never truly stopped feeling the way she did five years ago.
She wasn’t ready to admit it. Not yet. But something inside her was shifting, breaking away from the walls she had built.
The next morning, as she stepped out of her apartment, she wasn’t surprised to find Purv waiting by his car, leaning against it with that same unreadable expression.
This had become a pattern over the past few days—he would be there, not forcing anything, not demanding answers, just offering his presence.
And against all logic, she found herself growing used to it.
“Morning,” he said, his voice lower than usual.
She hesitated before responding, “Morning.”
A small victory.
“Coffee?” he asked, holding up two cups.
Divya stared at him for a moment before sighing and stepping closer, taking the one he extended toward her. Their fingers brushed, a fleeting touch, but enough to make her breath hitch. She pulled away quickly, pretending it hadn’t affected her.
They stood there in silence, sipping their coffee, the air thick with unspoken words. Finally, Purv exhaled and said, “I know you don’t trust me yet. And that’s okay. But I meant what I said, Divya. I’m not walking away this time.”
She swallowed, her fingers tightening around the cup. “And what if I never let you in again?”
His lips curved into a sad smile. “Then I’ll keep standing here, every morning, until you believe that I mean it.”
Something deep inside her cracked a little more. She looked at him, searching for any hint of deception, any trace of the boy who had once pushed her away. But all she saw was a man who had spent five years lost, now desperately trying to find his way back.
The door she had so stubbornly kept shut was creaking open, just a little.
She looked away, taking a deep breath. “I have to go.”
Purv nodded, stepping back, giving her space. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
As she walked away, she realized something strange—her heart wasn’t fighting to push him away anymore. It was terrified, yes, but maybe… just maybe, it was also hoping.