25-07-2025, 02:24 AM
Tuesday Afternoon – Borrowed Time
The café was quiet in that way small weekday cafés often are
A low hum of distant conversation and the hiss of the coffee machine blending with the muted sounds of the street outside.
Varnika hadn’t touched her coffee in the last few minutes.
Her spoon moved lazily through the foam, circles over circles, but her thoughts were clearly elsewhere.
Abhi noticed, he always did.
“You’re quiet,” he said gently.
She blinked, as if pulled back from far away, and gave him a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Yeah… I was just thinking.”
“About what?”
Her gaze lingered on him for a moment, as though debating whether to speak, then drifted back to the table.
“I found out something yesterday. Big news.”
Abhi leaned forward slightly. “What happened?”
She drew a slow breath, the spoon stilling in her cup.
“My papers for the UK got approved.”
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The words hung between them, heavier than they should have been.
“Already?” Abhi asked, his tone steady, but inside something tugged at him.
Varnika nodded slowly.
“Yeah. It’s the kind of news I should be thrilled about. And I was… for like ten minutes yesterday.”
She gave a quiet, self-conscious laugh. “But then… I don’t know. I don’t feel happy. Not the way I thought I would.”
Abhi’s brows knit together. “Why?”
She froze for a moment, her gaze snapping to him.
Her eyes, steady, unblinking, carried a weight that made him feel like the air between them had thickened.
“Why?” she repeated softly, tilting her head,
A faint mix of disbelief and tenderness in her voice. “Abhi… do you really not know that?”
He swallowed, unsure how to respond.
She leaned forward slightly, her voice dropping to a near-whisper.
“Or do you want me to say it out loud? Do you want me to tell you that leaving feels wrong… because I just found something I don’t want to leave behind?”
“Because all I can think about is how fast everything is changing. A few more weeks, maybe less, and I’ll be gone. Away from this city. Away from the people who… who feel like home.”
Her voice dropped. “Away from you.”
Her words landed heavy.
Not rushed.
Not dramatic.
Just true.
The café was quiet in that way small weekday cafés often are
A low hum of distant conversation and the hiss of the coffee machine blending with the muted sounds of the street outside.
Varnika hadn’t touched her coffee in the last few minutes.
Her spoon moved lazily through the foam, circles over circles, but her thoughts were clearly elsewhere.
Abhi noticed, he always did.
“You’re quiet,” he said gently.
She blinked, as if pulled back from far away, and gave him a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Yeah… I was just thinking.”
“About what?”
Her gaze lingered on him for a moment, as though debating whether to speak, then drifted back to the table.
“I found out something yesterday. Big news.”
Abhi leaned forward slightly. “What happened?”
She drew a slow breath, the spoon stilling in her cup.
“My papers for the UK got approved.”
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The words hung between them, heavier than they should have been.
“Already?” Abhi asked, his tone steady, but inside something tugged at him.
Varnika nodded slowly.
“Yeah. It’s the kind of news I should be thrilled about. And I was… for like ten minutes yesterday.”
She gave a quiet, self-conscious laugh. “But then… I don’t know. I don’t feel happy. Not the way I thought I would.”
Abhi’s brows knit together. “Why?”
She froze for a moment, her gaze snapping to him.
Her eyes, steady, unblinking, carried a weight that made him feel like the air between them had thickened.
“Why?” she repeated softly, tilting her head,
A faint mix of disbelief and tenderness in her voice. “Abhi… do you really not know that?”
He swallowed, unsure how to respond.
She leaned forward slightly, her voice dropping to a near-whisper.
“Or do you want me to say it out loud? Do you want me to tell you that leaving feels wrong… because I just found something I don’t want to leave behind?”
“Because all I can think about is how fast everything is changing. A few more weeks, maybe less, and I’ll be gone. Away from this city. Away from the people who… who feel like home.”
Her voice dropped. “Away from you.”
Her words landed heavy.
Not rushed.
Not dramatic.
Just true.
-- oOo --
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