01-07-2025, 12:37 PM
Abhi stared down into his cup. “It’s been a few days?”
“Since last Thursday.” she said.
He looked up, surprised at her precision.
“She said she needed space. I thought she’d call after a couple of days, but…” Meghana’s voice trailed off.
“She was strong when she left,” Abhi murmured. “She didn’t flinch.”
“She was pretending not to flinch,” Meghana corrected gently.
Another pause.
“I keep wondering if we broke something,” he admitted,
The weight in his voice thicker than usual.
“We didn’t break her,” Meghana said firmly. “She just… stepped into something bigger than she thought she could handle.”
He nodded slowly. “She lit the fire. But maybe she didn’t think it would warm all of us this much.”
Meghana gave a wry smile. “You’re getting poetic again.”
He smiled faintly. Then the smile faded.
“Do you miss her?”
Meghana didn’t answer immediately.
She looked up at the ceiling, eyes tracing the pattern of shadows.
Then finally:
“I miss the way she filled the room. Her loud music. Her messy towel on the chair. Her pointless questions at midnight.”
Abhi looked at her. “I miss the way she made things lighter.”
Meghana smiled at that. “She did, didn’t she?”
“Since last Thursday.” she said.
He looked up, surprised at her precision.
“She said she needed space. I thought she’d call after a couple of days, but…” Meghana’s voice trailed off.
“She was strong when she left,” Abhi murmured. “She didn’t flinch.”
“She was pretending not to flinch,” Meghana corrected gently.
Another pause.
“I keep wondering if we broke something,” he admitted,
The weight in his voice thicker than usual.
“We didn’t break her,” Meghana said firmly. “She just… stepped into something bigger than she thought she could handle.”
He nodded slowly. “She lit the fire. But maybe she didn’t think it would warm all of us this much.”
Meghana gave a wry smile. “You’re getting poetic again.”
He smiled faintly. Then the smile faded.
“Do you miss her?”
Meghana didn’t answer immediately.
She looked up at the ceiling, eyes tracing the pattern of shadows.
Then finally:
“I miss the way she filled the room. Her loud music. Her messy towel on the chair. Her pointless questions at midnight.”
Abhi looked at her. “I miss the way she made things lighter.”
Meghana smiled at that. “She did, didn’t she?”