A gentle pursuit
Author's pov-
The café Purv chose wasn’t extravagant. It wasn’t one of those high-end places he usually frequented—it was simple, tucked away in a quieter part of the city.
Divya noticed immediately.
It wasn’t just a random choice.
He knew she liked places like this. Places where the world slowed down, where conversations weren’t drowned in noise.
But she wasn’t here to be impressed.
She spotted him sitting by the window, dressed in a crisp white shirt, sleeves rolled up. His eyes met hers the moment she walked in, as if he’d been waiting.
She took a deep breath and walked over.
“I’m here,” she said, standing by the table, arms crossed. “Now talk.”
Purv leaned back, looking up at her with an unreadable expression. “Sit first.”
“I don’t have much time.”
“I won’t take long.”
Divya hesitated before finally sitting across from him.
Silence stretched between them, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was heavy.
“I didn’t think you’d actually come,” he admitted.
“I almost didn’t.”
He smirked slightly. “But you did.”
She exhaled, leaning back. “What do you want, Purv?”
He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he pushed a cup of coffee toward her.
Her favorite.
She blinked at it, then at him.
“You remembered?” she asked, surprised.
Purv’s gaze softened. “I never forgot.”
Her fingers curled around the cup unconsciously, warmth seeping into her hands.
“What are you trying to do?” she whispered.
He looked at her for a long moment before speaking. “I don’t want to fight with you anymore.”
Divya scoffed. “We’re not fighting, Purv. We’re just… existing in the same space.”
“That’s the problem,” he murmured.
She swallowed, looking away. This was dangerous. This soft approach—this side of him that she wasn’t prepared for.
“I know I messed up,” he continued. “I know I lost the right to ask anything from you. But Divya…” He trailed off, as if searching for the right words. “I need you to know that the past five years weren’t easy for me either.”
She clenched her jaw, suddenly unable to look at him.
“I never tried to find you because I thought that’s what you wanted,” he admitted. “I thought… you moved on. And I told myself I should do the same.”
Her throat tightened.
“But I couldn’t.”
She inhaled sharply, gripping the cup. “Purv—”
“I’m not asking for anything right now,” he interrupted gently. “I just wanted you to hear me out. To know that if I could go back, I would have done things differently.”
Divya closed her eyes for a second. “It doesn’t change anything.”
“I know,” he murmured. “But it’s a start.”
She looked at him then, and for the first time, she saw something in his eyes that she hadn’t before—regret. Longing.
And worst of all… hope.
She stood up, her heart pounding. “I should go.”
Purv nodded, but there was no desperation in his expression. No anger.
Just quiet determination.
“Okay,” he said simply.
She hesitated, then turned and walked away.
But as she stepped out of the café, she realized something terrifying.
For the first time in five years… she wasn’t sure if she wanted him to stop chasing her.