The next morning—
Arsh called again.
Once.
Twice.
Five times.
Aakrati stared at her phone as it vibrated beside her.
His name flashing again and again.
Her fingers hovered over the screen.
For a second—
She almost picked up.
But then—
Sakshi's voice echoed in her mind:
"Because you found me in her."
Her hand slowly pulled back.
The phone kept ringing.
Until it stopped.
A message popped up seconds later—
"Are you okay?"
She read it.
Locked the screen.
And didn't reply.
Later that day—
Arsh showed up at her office.
Unannounced.
He stood near the reception, eyes scanning until he found her.
"Aakrati."
She froze for a split second.
Then turned.
Professional.
Calm.
Distant.
"You shouldn't be here," she said.
"I've been calling you," he replied, stepping closer. "Why are you avoiding me?"
"I'm not," she said quickly.
A lie.
Both of them knew it.
"I'm just busy."
Arsh frowned. "Since when do you not have 2 minutes for me?"
That hit.
But she didn't let it show.
"Since now," she said quietly.
A pause.
Something in her tone—
Was different.
Arsh noticed.
"Did I do something?" he asked, softer this time.
Aakrati held his gaze.
For a second—
It almost broke.
But she stepped back instead.
"I have work," she said. "Please don't come here like this."
And just like that—
She walked away.
Leaving him standing there—
With more questions than answers.
That evening—
Arsh texted her again.
Arsh: Meet me. Please.
No reply.
But he knew her routine.
So he went to her usual café.
Waited.
Ten minutes.
Twenty.
Thirty.
And then—
He saw her.
Outside.
She had reached.
She saw him too.
Their eyes met through the glass.
For a moment—
Time paused.
He stood up instantly.
But before he could step out—
She shook her head.
Just once.
A silent no.
Then turned—
And walked away.
This time—
Without hesitation.
Arsh stood there, still.
Watching the door.
But she didn't come back.
Now the distance wasn't accidental.
It was intentional.
And for the first time—
Arsh felt it.
Arsh wasn't patient.
He never had been.
So this time—
He didn't wait.
She had barely taken a few steps away from the café when he caught up to her.
"Aakrati."
She didn't stop.
His jaw tightened.
He stepped in front of her.
"For how long are you going to do this?" he asked, his voice controlled—but only just.
She looked at him.
Calm.
Too calm.
"I'm not doing anything."
"That's exactly what you're doing," he snapped. "Ignoring me. Avoiding me. Acting like—like I don't exist."
A pause.
People passed around them, but neither of them noticed.
"Why?" he asked, this time quieter. "What happened?"
Aakrati held his gaze.
There were a hundred answers sitting in her chest.
But none of them came out.
"I don't want this anymore."
Simple.
Flat.
Final.
Arsh blinked.
Like he hadn't heard that right.
"…What?"
"I don't want this," she repeated, her voice steady. "Us."
Silence.
Heavy.
Unreal.
"Why?" he asked.
This time—
There was no edge in his voice.
Just confusion.
A genuine one.
Aakrati looked away for a second.
Then back at him.
But she didn't answer.
That—
Frustrated him more than anything.
"You don't just walk away like this," he said. "At least give me a reason."
Another pause.
Still nothing.
Arsh exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair.
"You know I don't apologize if it's not my fault."
That came out instinctively.
Defensively.
Aakrati let out a small, humorless laugh.
"You never apologize anyway."
That—
Hit.
But she didn't stop.
"I just don't want this," she said again, softer this time—but firmer. "And you'll be fine."
His eyes searched her face.
Trying to find something.
Anything.
But she gave him nothing.
No anger.
No tears.
Just distance.
And that scared him more than anything else.
"You don't mean that," he said quietly.
"I do."
A pause.
Long.
Final.
"Okay," Arsh said at last.
Not loud.
Not dramatic.
Just… quiet.
If this was what she wanted—
He wasn't going to beg.
That wasn't who he was.
"Fine."
A single word.
But it carried everything.
He stepped back.
Creating the distance she had already built.
"Take care."
She didn't reply.
And just like that—
They walked away.
In opposite directions.
No looking back.
No stopping.
No fixing.
For the first time—
It didn't feel like a fight.
It felt like an ending.
Arsh didn't turn back.
He just walked.
Same steady pace. Same unreadable expression.
Like nothing had happened.
Like this wasn't new.
Because for him—
It wasn't.
Endings had come before.
People had left.
Or he had.
Either way—
He had learned not to react.
Not to show.
Not to stay.
So he left—
Without emotion.
Without hesitation.
Aakrati stood there for a moment after he was gone.
Her feet felt heavy.
Like they didn't belong to her anymore.
She could still see him walking away—
Even when he wasn't there anymore.
Her chest tightened.
Her throat burned.
But she didn't cry.
Not there.
Not in front of anyone.
She blinked rapidly, forcing everything back in.
Because admitting it—
Would make it real.
And she wasn't ready for that.
She started walking.
Slowly.
Aimlessly.
Every step felt wrong.
Every thought louder than the last.
"You'll be fine."
Her own words echoed back at her.
And for a second—
She almost laughed.
Because she knew—
She wasn't fine.
Not even close.
Her eyes stung again.
This time she didn't stop it.
Tears slipped down quietly.
No sound.
No drama.
Just silent.
Heavy.
Real.
She hated this.
Hated how much it hurt.
Hated how much he mattered.
Because she didn't want him to matter this much.
She didn't want to be—
that girl.
The one who breaks over someone.
The one who can't move on.
The one who feels too deeply.
So she wiped her tears quickly.
Straightened her posture.
Forced a breath in.
And kept walking.
But inside—
It was different.
Inside—
It felt like something had been pulled out of her.
Something she didn't even realize she had given him.
Piece by piece.
Moment by moment.
And the worst part?
She still wouldn't admit it.
Not to anyone.
Not even to herself—
That losing him
Had been this hard.