Unshaken trust
Author's pov-
The evening air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of wet earth from the afternoon rain. Divya sat on the college terrace, legs tucked beneath her as she gazed at the city lights in the distance. Her mind was unusually calm, despite the storm that Rehan had tried to stir earlier.
She wasn't blind to his intentions. The subtle remarks, the carefully placed words meant to plant doubt in her mind-it was all too calculated. But he had underestimated her.
A soft shuffle of footsteps broke her thoughts. She didn't turn around, she didn't have to.
"You're thinking too much again," purv's voice came, low and steady.
A small smile tugged at her lips. "You always say that."
"That's because you always do."
He sat beside her, his presence solid and grounding. He didn't ask if something was wrong, didn't pry like others mights have. He simply waited, knowing she would speak when she was ready.
She turned to look at him, the glow from the terrace lights casting soft shadows across his face. "Do you trust me?" She asked suddenly.
Purv frowned, caught off guard. "You even have to ask?"
Her fingers played with the hem of her sweater. "Someone tried to make me doubt you today."
His body tensed instantly. "Rehan." It wasn't a question.
She nodded. "He... he tried to make it seem like you don't care for me the way I do for you."
Silence stretched between them, heavy and unspoken. Purv's jaw clenched, his gaze darkening. "And did you believe him?"
Divya reached out, taking his hand in hers. "Not even for a second."
Something flickered in his eyes- relief, surprise, maybe even something deeper.
She squeezed his hand gently. "I know you, purv. You might not say things the way others do. You might not always show what you feel. But I see it. I feel it."
He exhaled slowly, as if her words had loosened something tight in his chest. "People like Rehan will always find ways to twist things, divya." His voice was quiet, almost bitter. "Because they think love is a game of manipulation."
She studied him, sensing there was more behind his words. "But you don't?"
Purv shook his head. "Love is... terrifying. It's surrender. And I'm not used to surrendering." He looked at her then, truly looked her. "But with you, I want to."
Her breath caught.
He lifted their join hands, brushing his lips against her knuckles-a gesture so gentle, so uncharacteristically soft, it made her heart ache.
"No matter what anyone says," he murmured, "never doubt what you mean to me."
She leaned closer, resting her forehead against his. "I won't. Not ever."
And in that moment, nothing else mattered. Not Rehan, not the past, not the fears lurking in the shadows.
Because trust like theirs couldn't be broken.