The evening buzzed with laughter and clinking glasses as the guests celebrated the engagement, but for Priya, the world had shifted into a silent blur. The bright lights and cheerful conversations felt distant, as if they were happening in another lifetime. She found herself in the corner of the room, holding a glass of wine, staring into its depths. It was a fleeting moment of solace, the alcohol offering a temporary escape from the whirlwind of emotions crashing within her. She had made this choice, she told herself again. This was the path she had to walk now. But deep inside, she could still feel the weight of her unspoken feelings.

Her mind kept replaying fragments of her past, the touch of Ram's hands, his gaze that still haunted her thoughts, the way he'd held her, desperate to bridge the gap between them. But was it all too late? Was it just fleeting, a final moment of passion that could never be revived? She couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal that gnawed at her heart. She had agreed to this engagement, but the truth was, she wasn't sure if she could ever let go of the man she still loved.

Just then, Aryan's voice broke through her haze. "Priya, why are you standing here all alone?" He stepped closer, a genuine concern etched on his face. She turned to him, mustering the faintest smile, "The place is crowded," she said quietly. Aryan wasn't convinced.

"Are you exhausted?" he asked, his gaze soft but probing.

Priya shook her head, but before she could offer another excuse, Aryan caught her off guard with his next words. "Are you lying?"

Priya froze. Her heart skipped a beat as she locked eyes with him, startled by his insight. She had thought she had concealed her feelings well, but Aryan seemed to see right through her.

"I think you're lying," Aryan continued, his voice gentle but firm. "You don't want to do this, do you? But when are you going to admit it to yourself? Why are you holding on to something you don't truly want?"

Priya's throat tightened. How could he know? She hadn't even fully acknowledged it herself. She turned her head, unwilling to meet his gaze for fear her vulnerability would spill out. But Aryan's words struck too close to her heart.

She gave a faint shake of her head. "Aryan, it's not like that," she whispered, her voice cracking slightly.

"Agh, Priya, please," he interrupted gently. "I thought you would say something before the engagement, but you're still pulling yourself so hard. Why? I thought we were good friends... Why did you push me away? Why are you doing this to yourself?"

Her heart ached at the hurt in his words, the quiet sadness in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Aryan," Priya finally spoke, her voice heavy with regret. "I never meant to hurt you. I really didn't."

"But you're hurting yourself, Priya," Aryan replied, his tone soft but sincere. "You're putting everyone else's happiness before your own. You're suffocating, but you can still breathe if you let yourself."

Priya lowered her eyes, feeling the weight of his words pressing against her chest. The truth was, she hadn't been thinking about herself, not really. She had put everyone else first, thinking of her daughter, her family, her society's expectations. But what about her own heart? What did it truly want?

Aryan stepped closer to her, his voice a quiet plea. "Sometimes, you need to think about yourself too, Priya. If you're not into this engagement, if you're still holding on to something from the past, then you should go back to him. You don't have to keep pretending."

Priya's heart stopped. She looked up at Aryan, shock flooding her features. "How do you know?" she whispered, her voice trembling.

"I overheard you on Peehu's birthday," Aryan admitted quietly. "When Shipra aunty was asking about inviting Ram. I didn't want to pry, but I could tell something was wrong."

Priya's chest tightened. She had never intended for Aryan to know, but it was as if he had always understood her better than anyone else.

Tears welled in her eyes as she struggled to keep them from spilling. "I'm so sorry, Aryan," she choked out. "I never wanted to hurt you, but everything feels like a mess. I don't even know what I'm doing anymore."

Aryan reached for her, pulling her into a gentle embrace. "You didn't do anything wrong," he said softly, his hand rubbing her back in comforting circles. "But you can still do something now. You can choose what's right for you, Priya. If you truly love him, go back to him. Don't keep living a lie."

Priya stood still in his arms, her mind racing. He was right. Aryan was always the kind of friend who would stand by her, but he also saw through her facade. She felt herself breaking inside. Could she really go back to Ram after everything that had happened? Did she still love him?

When they pulled apart, Aryan looked at her with gentle eyes. "I want you to be happy, Priya. If you truly love him, don't let this engagement tie you down. Go and make things right."

Priya nodded slowly, her heart torn. She wasn't sure what the future held, but one thing was clear—she couldn't keep running from her heart.

As if sensing her turmoil, Aryan appeared by her side, his presence quiet but unwavering. He didn't need to ask what was wrong; he already knew. He could see it in the way her fingers instinctively clutched the ring, as if it were a lifeline she couldn't quite let go of, yet was suffocating her.

"Is that ring burdening you so much?" Aryan asked, his voice soft but steady. "Take it off, Priya. We can get back to its original place again."

Priya's eyes flickered to him, filled with confusion and fear. "What about everyone else? What will they think?" Her voice trembled as she spoke, unsure of the storm that would follow her decision.

Aryan's gaze softened, his eyes locking onto hers. "You love him, right?" he asked gently.

Priya swallowed hard. She wanted to deny it, to convince herself that she had moved on, but her heart betrayed her. "I don't know," she whispered, the words tasting bitter on her tongue.

"Of course you do," Aryan said with quiet certainty. "Your eyes say it all. Come on, Priya, do something for yourself. Because after this, I can't take you as my wife. I can only take you as my best friend. Please don't take that away from me."

His words struck deep, resonating with the sacrifice and sincerity in his voice. Priya stood frozen, the weight of the decision before her too overwhelming to ignore any longer. She had loved Aryan as a friend, as someone who had always been there for her, but this—this moment—was about something else. It was about her own heart, her own truth.

Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at him, gratitude and sorrow mixing together in a whirlwind. She felt overwhelmed by the kindness he had shown her, the understanding that he had never pushed her into anything. He had only wanted her happiness.

Finally, with a deep breath, Priya lifted her hand, trembling slightly, and slid the engagement ring off her finger. It was as though a weight had been lifted, but another burden replaced it—the uncertainty of what would come next. She held the ring in her palm for a moment, staring at it as though it were a symbol of everything she had tried to avoid.

Aryan looked at her, a relieved smile tugging at his lips. "Thank God they have a seven-day return policy," he joked, his lightheartedness breaking through the tension in the room. The brief chuckle between them seemed to fill the air with something light, something that Priya desperately needed.

She hugged him then, her arms wrapping around him in gratitude, in apology, in everything she couldn't say. "I'm sorry, Aryan," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

"Don't be," Aryan replied quietly, his arms enveloping her. "Just go and get him, Priya."

A wave of relief swept over her, mingling with the weight of the decision she was about to make. For the first time in what felt like forever, Priya felt like she was doing something for herself, something that mattered. She pulled away from the hug, looking up at him with a soft smile, her heart swelling with gratitude.

"Thank you, Aryan," she said sincerely.

Without another word, she turned and walked away, the path ahead uncertain but clear in her mind. Aryan watched her go, his heart heavy with a bittersweet understanding. He knew that some stories weren't meant to be complete, that some chapters ended without closure. And as he stood there, holding the engagement ring in his hand, he silently folded it into his palm. The ring was no longer a symbol of something that could have been, but rather a reminder of the love he had for her, and the friendship they would continue to share.

As Priya disappeared into the night, Aryan whispered to himself, "Go find your happiness, Priya." And though his heart ached, he knew it was the right thing to do.

The night air was cold against Priya's skin as she stepped out onto the deserted street, her heart pounding with urgency. She dialed his number over and over, but each time, it went straight to voicemail. He was out of reach, slipping further away with every passing second. After she reached to his apartment and got to know he already left for the airport he got really shocked.

Frantic, Priya rushed to the curb, desperate for a cab, but none stopped. Her anxiety tightened around her chest, but she refused to give in. Not this time. Not when she knew she had to make it right. She couldn't let him leave. Not without saying what was in her heart, not without him hearing her one last time.

Then, as if by fate, a bus pulled up. She didn't think twice. Priya hopped in, her mind barely processing the destination, but her heart clear on one thing—she had to get to the airport.

The bus ride felt like an eternity, each minute stretching longer than the last, but when it finally stopped at the airport, Priya wasted no time. She bolted out, her feet carrying her through the terminals, her eyes scanning the crowds desperately. She felt a knot in her throat, her breath coming in ragged gasps, but still she searched.

And then, as though time itself slowed, she saw him. Ram. Standing outside a coffee shop, his back turned toward her. He was almost out of reach again.

Priya's legs moved without her thinking, pushing her forward until she was standing in front of him. The moment he turned to see her, his face reflected shock and confusion. The man who had once been her world, the man who had broken her, was standing before her again. Only this time, neither of them could ignore what lingered between them.

The shock of seeing him left Priya breathless. Her body trembled, her emotions crashing over her in a wave she could no longer hold back. Without warning, she collapsed to her knees, tears spilling from her eyes, her sobs loud and raw in the stillness of the airport.

Ram froze for a moment, his heart breaking at the sight of her. His first instinct was to run to her, to make things right, but the weight of everything that had come before held him back. The hurt, the betrayal, the years of silence between them—all of it had built up until it felt too much to bear.

But seeing her there, broken before him, he knew he couldn't walk away. Not again.

Without a word, Ram reached down and gently took her hands, pulling her up from the cold floor, his touch tender yet filled with an unspoken desperation. "You came," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, the weight of it all in the simplicity of those two words.

Priya could barely look at him through her tear-streaked face. "Are you leaving me again?" she asked, her voice shaking, the words too heavy to get out. "Like you did before?"

Ram's eyes filled with pain as he gazed at her. He had wanted so badly to believe that this moment would never come, that things would stay the way they were, safe in the distance between them. But now, standing here, with her so close, he realized he couldn't keep running from what he had always known—he loved her. And he always had.

"I never wanted to," he murmured, his voice choked with emotion. "Trust me, I never wanted to."

Before she could say another word, Ram pulled her into his arms. The world around them faded as they stood there, entwined in each other's embrace. All the pain, the silence, the distance—they melted away in that instant. They cried together, each of them holding onto the other as if it were the only thing that could keep them from falling apart. In that moment, there was no past, no mistakes. Just the raw, aching truth that they still loved each other.

Priya's sobs echoed in his chest, and Ram's heart broke all over again, but this time, it was a feeling of release, of letting go. Letting go of the years spent apart, of the pain they had both carried. In each other's arms, they found something they thought had been lost forever.

The airport around them seemed to vanish as time stretched into an endless moment. In that moment, there were no more words. Just the steady rhythm of their hearts beating in sync, as if they had never been apart at all.