(Aradhya's heart skipped.)
The night air felt heavier than usual.
Aradhya stood on the terrace, waiting. The moon hung quietly above, watching everything, just like it always did.
Footsteps broke the silence.
Pranav appeared, standing a few steps away from her. For a moment, neither of them spoke.
"Thank you for coming," he said softly.
She nodded."You said it was important."
He took a deep breath."I got selected."
Her heart tightened, even though she had already prepared herself for those words.
"When do you leave?" she asked.
"In two months."
Two months.
Enough time to get closer...
Enough time to get hurt.
"That’s why you were hiding things," she said quietly."The lab, Glory, the secrecy."
"Yes," he admitted."I was scared. I didn’t want you to see me as someone who would leave."
She looked at him, pain and understanding mixed in her eyes."You should have trusted me with the truth."
"I know," he said."And I’m sorry."
"Are you going with Glory?"Aradhya asked.
"Yes. She’s part of the same project."
That answer hurt more than she expected.
"So what happens to us?" she asked, finally saying what had been hurting her all along.
Pranav stepped closer."I don’t want to lose you."
"But distance changes people," she replied."Promises don’t always survive time."
He looked at her helplessly."What do you want me to do?"
She stayed silent for a long moment.
Then softly said,"Go."
He looked shocked."What?"
"Go chase your dream,"she said."I don’t want to be the reason you give it up."
"And what about us?"
She smiled sadly."If we’re meant to stay...
we will."
Pranav held her hands gently."I’ll call you every day."
"And I’ll listen," she replied.
He smiled."Still admiring the moon?"
"Yes,"she said softly."Because it reminds me that even when people are far apart...they look at the same sky."
He pulled her into a quiet hug—not tight, not desperate, just honest.
"Shall we go downstairs? The wind is too fast,"Pranav said.
"Yeah, Pranav," Aradhya replied.
They went to Aradhya’s room and sat quietly for some time. The moonlight entered through the window. The room felt calm and safe.
Suddenly, her phone buzzed.
Unknown Number:
You did the right thing.
Her breath caught.
She typed back.
Aradhya: Who are you?
No reply.
Only silence.
They started talking more.
About small things.
About fears they never shared with anyone.
But Aradhya didn't tell him about the unknown number.
Time passed slowly.
Pranav sat beside her, listening carefully. Aradhya spoke softly, sometimes smiling, sometimes pausing in between.
After a long time, her voice slowly faded.
Her head leaned on his shoulder.
She fell asleep.
Pranav looked down at her. He didn’t move. He didn’t even adjust himself. He stayed still, afraid that even a small movement might wake her up.
Half the night passed like that.
His shoulder began to ache, but he didn’t care.
Later, when she moved slightly, he gently helped her lie down. Then he quietly went downstairs to the secret room.
He sat there for some time, thinking.
About her.
About the night.
About how close they had become.
After some time, he came back upstairs.
Aradhya was still asleep.
He sat beside her again. Slowly, without waking up, she leaned back onto his shoulder.
He smiled softly.
He stayed there the whole night.
He didn’t move aside until morning.
When the morning light entered the room, Aradhya slowly opened her eyes.
She realized her head was on his shoulder.
"You didn’t sleep?"she asked softly.
He shook his head."I didn’t want to move."
She smiled.
That smile made the whole night worth it.
Under the same sky,
with a new morning beginning, their story
moved forward slowly, honestly.
To be continued...
