Jhanvi's POV:

 My college years passed by in a blur—full of lessons, laughter, and dreams about the future. But through it all, one thing stayed the same: my feelings for Arjun. They grew stronger with every message we exchanged, with every memory I held close. He wasn’t just a part of my past—he was the centre of the future I imagined.

As graduation neared, I knew I had to tell him. I couldn’t keep it inside any longer. I wanted to take a chance on love, on us. So I planned everything carefully. I chose the garden—the place where we had laughed, talked, and grown together. I filled it with flowers, fairy lights, and all the warmth I could create. It was the most special place in my world, and I wanted it to be the place where our new chapter began.

 That evening, I stood there with my heart pounding, a small velvet box hidden in my hand. When Arjun walked into the garden, my breath caught. He looked just like he always did—calm, steady, and familiar. I poured my heart out to him, word by word, memory by memory. My voice trembled as I spoke, but I didn’t stop.

“I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember, Arjun,” I whispered, my eyes wet with tears. “You’ve always been my strength… my inspiration. I want to build a future with you.”

Then, silence.

Arjun didn’t say anything. He just stood there, looking at me. And in that silence, my heart began to sink. His eyes were kind, but not the kind I had dreamed of. I saw care, yes—but not the love I was hoping to find.

A cold wave of fear and sadness washed over me. My hands, still holding the box, began to shake. I had given him my heart, and now I wasn’t sure what would come back. Every second of silence felt like a lifetime.

I wanted him to say something—anything. But deep down, I already knew. He didn’t look away, but he didn’t move forward either. That space between us suddenly felt so wide. I felt small, exposed, and incredibly alone.

Still, I kept standing there—hoping, breaking, loving—all at once.

 Then Arjun finally spoke.

“Jhanvi…” he said softly, and just the way he said my name made my heart ache. There was a kind of sadness in his voice, like he didn’t want to hurt me—but I knew he was about to.

“You mean so much to me,” he began, taking a careful step forward. “You’ve always been this… bright, beautiful part of my life. I admire you more than I can say. You are kind, pure, and you’ve been there for me in ways no one else ever has.”

He paused, and I felt my breath catch.

“But I never saw you that way,” he said, gently, but the words struck harder than any storm. “Not because you’re not enough—you are. You always have been. But my heart… it’s with someone else.”

The world felt still. My ears were ringing, but I forced myself to listen.

When I think about my future, I envision a partner who shares my world—a partner who is bold, confident, and business-oriented. That’s the kind of person I need by my side, and I know that’s not you.”

 “I’m in love with Ayesha,” he said, and my chest tightened so much I thought I might not be able to breathe. “We’ve been together for a while now. It’s serious, Jhanvi. We’re getting engaged next month.”

For a moment, I couldn’t speak. My mind couldn’t make sense of the words. Ayesha? My sister. My best friend. The one person I shared everything with—except this.

 “She… she knows?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

He nodded. “Yes. Both our families do. They’ve been waiting for the right time to tell you.”

The garden suddenly felt unfamiliar. The flowers, the lights, the soft evening breeze—all of it faded under the weight of his words. The box in my hand slipped to my side, heavy and forgotten. I tried to smile, to be graceful, but my lips wouldn’t move.

I had built this moment in my head a thousand times—how he would smile, take my hand, and everything would fall into place. But the truth had shattered that dream in a single breath.

My eyes burned, but I held back the tears. I didn’t want to cry in front of him. I didn’t want to make this harder than it already was.

“I see,” I said, finally, the words tasting like ash. “I guess… I was too late. Congratulations, Arjun. I hope you’ll be happy together.”

 He looked pained, but I couldn’t bear to meet his eyes anymore. I turned away slightly, hugging my arms to my chest.

“You deserve all the happiness, Arjun,” I whispered. “And I hope she gives you everything you’ve ever wanted.”

He didn’t say anything after that. Maybe he knew words would only make it worse. Or maybe he didn’t know what else to say. He stood there for a moment longer before quietly walking away, leaving me alone in the garden we once made our own.

As his footsteps faded, I finally let the tears fall—silent and steady. That night, under the soft glow of the lights I had put up for love, I stood in the ruins of a dream that had never truly been mine.

And in that heartbreak, I realized something painful but true—sometimes, love isn’t enough. Sometimes, no matter how deeply you feel, the person you love is meant to belong to someone else.

Note to Readers

The story is a slow-paced, mysterious and emotional one. So, the initial chapters will be slow and as you read, it will start becoming interesting in further chapters.

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