Familiar strangers, again
Author's pov-
The morning sun filtered softly through Divya’s windows. She hadn’t slept much. Her mind kept replaying him—his words, the look in his eyes.
She glanced at her phone.
Her lips tugged into the smallest smile. It felt strange—like her heart had remembered an old rhythm it had forgotten over the years.
---
At the café
They sat across from each other, not like strangers, not like lovers—but something tender in between.
Purv didn’t rush. He didn’t demand answers or apologies. He just looked at her, listened when she spoke, and smiled at the way she stirred her coffee absentmindedly.
“Still doing that thing where you don’t realize how fast you’re stirring?” he teased lightly.
Divya chuckled. “Old habits.”
He leaned forward. “Some old habits are worth keeping.”
A warmth spread across her cheeks.
She looked away. “You’ve changed.”
“You haven’t.” He paused. “But I’m trying to catch up.”
---
Later, walking outside
Their conversation had turned casual—books, college memories, music. Laughter came easier than she thought it would. And when she looked at him now, he didn’t seem like the boy who shattered her—he seemed like the man who regretted it every single day since.
As they walked by a flower stall, he stopped suddenly.
He picked out a single marigold and offered it to her.
Her eyes widened. “Seriously? A marigold?”
“It’s the first flower I ever saw you wear in your hair,” he said softly. “You were wearing white, and you were smiling at nothing.”
She blinked, the memory washing over her like sunlight.
“You remember that?”
“I remember everything.”
---
At her doorstep
Divya held the flower in her hands, unsure what to say.
Purv stepped back, giving her space. “I meant it when I said no pressure. Let me be here for you this time. One day at a time, Divya.”
She nodded slowly, voice almost a whisper. “Okay.”
Not a promise.
Not a commitment.
But hope.
And it was enough—for now.