Mishti sat in her room, the sunlight streaming through the window, but her mind was in a haze. The encounter with Kavya and Aditya had left her feeling hollow, like an empty shell tossed around by waves she couldn't control. She stared at the reflection of herself in the mirror, barely recognizing the woman staring back. Where was the confident, self-assured Mishti that she once knew? Where was the woman who had stood tall despite the weight of her struggles?

It had all unraveled so quickly.

She picked up her phone, almost instinctively, but stopped herself before unlocking it. She had told herself she wouldn't reach out to Raghav anymore-not until he figured out where he stood with her, and even then, she wasn't sure if she would even have the strength to welcome him back. Raghav's indecision had worn her down, and the painful truth was that she couldn't keep waiting for him to pull himself together. It wasn't fair to either of them. But the thought of facing a future without him still felt foreign, and she was torn.

Mishti let out a deep breath and set the phone down. She didn't want to be dependent on anyone for her happiness. She needed to find herself again. She needed to rediscover her own strength.

---

Across town, Aryan was facing a battle of his own. Sitting at his desk, his fingers hovered above his keyboard, but he couldn't bring himself to type. His thoughts were a whirlwind of distractions, and no matter how hard he tried, his mind kept drifting back to Mishti. She had looked so fragile at the restaurant, so vulnerable, yet there was something about her-a quiet strength beneath the surface-that made him want to protect her.

But it wasn't his place. He knew that. He had only met her recently, and though they shared a few casual conversations, they weren't close enough for him to interfere with her life. He couldn't be the person she leaned on.

He shook his head, trying to refocus. He didn't have time to get emotionally entangled in someone else's mess. His job, his life, they required his attention. Relationships were complicated, messy, and he had enough on his plate. But even as he tried to dismiss the thoughts, he found himself thinking about Mishti more than he should.

As much as he told himself to step back, he couldn't ignore the nagging feeling that something wasn't right. She was too kind, too genuine to be treated like this. Mishti deserved someone who would be there for her, who wouldn't abandon her when things got tough. It was clear that Raghav wasn't that person.

But Aryan knew he couldn't fix things. He couldn't make her choose, couldn't try to be her savior. He had to let her make her own decisions. He wasn't part of that story.

Still, the pull was undeniable, and he found himself glancing at his phone again, wondering if she was okay. He clenched his jaw and looked away, annoyed at his own weakness. He couldn't allow himself to get involved.

---

The next day, Mishti decided she needed a change of scenery. She didn't want to stay holed up in her apartment, wrapped in the suffocating thoughts of her failed relationship with Aditya, the confusion with Raghav, and the disappointment in her cousin's actions. She needed to clear her mind, to breathe.

She grabbed her jacket and left the apartment, heading to the park near her building. The air was crisp, the kind of cool breeze that invigorated the senses and made everything feel possible again. As she walked through the park, the rustling of the leaves and the laughter of children playing around her were small but comforting sounds, anchoring her back to reality.

She paused at the edge of the pond, watching the sunlight reflect off the water. Her thoughts turned inward again. What was she really looking for? The easy answer would be love-someone to care for her, someone who wouldn't leave her feeling small and insignificant. She had been betrayed before, not just by Aditya, but by the people she had trusted most.

But Mishti knew that relying on someone else for her happiness was a dangerous road. She couldn't keep blaming others for her pain. It was time for her to take control of her own life, to stop waiting for someone to come and fix things for her. She had always been independent, always been the one to push forward, even when it felt impossible.

And that was what she needed to rediscover.

She took a deep breath, letting the cool air fill her lungs, and made a vow to herself: she would not allow the past to dictate her future. She didn't need Raghav to be whole, and she didn't need Aditya to prove anything to her. She needed to be enough for herself.

---

Back at work, Aryan found himself distracted again. His mind kept wandering, this time to the fact that Mishti hadn't reached out since yesterday. He told himself it was nothing, that it wasn't his business, but a part of him couldn't shake the concern he felt for her. He had seen the pain in her eyes the day before, and he didn't like how easily people seemed to brush her aside.

At lunch, his colleague, Sameer, noticed his distracted demeanor. "You've got that look on your face again," Sameer commented with a grin. "What's going on in that head of yours?"

Aryan looked at him, trying to shake off the tension. "Nothing. Just a lot of work piling up."

Sameer raised an eyebrow. "Sure. But I know you, man. You've got that 'someone's in trouble' look. Is it a girl?"

Aryan sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You do. You're thinking about Mishti, aren't you?" Sameer's voice was teasing but perceptive.

Aryan shot him a glare. "I'm not thinking about her. She's fine."

Sameer smirked. "You're not fooling anyone. You've been distracted ever since you met her again. If you like her, just go for it. It's not like you to hold back."

Aryan's mind raced. "I can't just go after her, Sameer. It's not my place and I just feel bad for her because of this idiot Raghav she is suffering."

Sameer shrugged. "It's your life. But don't sit around wondering what could have been. You deserve to go after what you want."

Aryan paused, absorbing his friend's words. The thought had crossed his mind-what if he did go after her? What if he took the chance? But there was something holding him back. Maybe it was the fact that he wasn't sure if she even saw him the way he saw her. Maybe it was the fact that she was still tied to Raghav.

Or maybe it was because he was afraid of messing things up.

But that fear gnawed at him. His desire to fix things, to make sure she wasn't left hurting, was stronger than his reluctance. And he couldn't shake the feeling that he needed to be the one to show her what it meant to be truly cared for-without conditions, without hesitation.

--

The following weekend, Mishti found herself back at the park, sitting on a bench under the shade of a large oak tree. She had spent the morning sorting through her thoughts, and she had come to a difficult but necessary conclusion. She needed to stop looking for validation from others.

Her mind wandered back to Raghav and their failed dinner date. She had been disappointed, yes. But more than that, she had been hurt by his inability to let go of his past. She had tried so hard to make it work, to be there for him, but his emotional baggage had prevented him from being present with her. She couldn't keep putting herself in a position where she was constantly waiting for someone else to come around.

The truth was, she had been afraid to let go. Afraid to close the door on Raghav because she wasn't ready to let go of the idea of what could have been. But she realized that holding on to him out of fear would only keep her from finding the happiness she truly deserved.

Mishti stood up, taking one last look at the peaceful park before walking away. She wasn't sure what the future held, but for the first time in a long while, she felt like she was ready to face it head-on. It was time for her to stop waiting, to stop depending on others for her sense of self-worth.

She had a long journey ahead of her, but Mishti knew now that she would take it on her own terms.