TWO YEARS AGO

SHANAYA'S POV :

Two years ago , my world was perfect - or at least i thought it was . rohan was my safe place . my comfort , my everything. but love isn't always enough is it ? Insecurity , fear and doubt have a way of creeping in , no matter how strong the foundation is. And for us , it all came crashing down on one night - one fight that shattered everything.

The night was colder than usual, or maybe it was just the storm brewing between us. Rohan and I had been fighting for hours, voices raised, words sharper than knives. Our insecurities had surfaced again, this time worse than before.

It started with whispers , rumors that clung to me like shadows . Someone - someone i once trusted - fed me lies , told me things that my heart ache. Rohan had been distant for a while , always busy , always preoccupied. And then i saw a text on his phone from another girl. It wasn't proof , not really , but it was enough to feul my insecurities , my fears.

" Are you cheating on me ?? " I had demanded , my voice sharp and unforgiving.

Rohan had looked at me , shock flashing all over his face before anger took its place. " How could you even ask me that ? Shanaya, you know me."

"Do I , because lately , i feel like i don't! You've been distant , Rohan! You don't talk to me , you cancel all of our plans and now this? " I pointed at his phone , my vision blurred with tears. " Am I just being stupid for thinking you actually loved me ? "

"Shanaya, you don't get it! It's not what you think , my love. I could never in my million dreams could think about cheating on you . It's not just always about me too. You're always surrounded by people too—guys who want to be more than just your friend!" he accused, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

I clenched my fists, my own temper rising. "And you don't get that you're the only one I see, Rohan! The only one I care about! But no, you'd rather believe this bullshit rather than coming to me and talking. Because as always Rohan Malhotra can't communicate!"

"Maybe that's because I know one day you'll leave!" he shouted, eyes blazing. "You'll realize you deserve better and walk away. So maybe it's better if—if we end this before—"

My breath hitched. He stopped mid sentence , but I heard it. I felt it. Maybe we should end this. The words dug into my chest like daggers , and i did what i always do when I'm hurt - I lashed out. "You're saying we should end this? Just like that? After everything?"

He turned away, gripping the back of a chair as if he needed to hold onto something, anything. "I don't know, Shanaya. Maybe we should. Maybe it'll be better for both of us."

His words shattered something inside me again. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. "If that's what you want, then fine."

And with that, I turned and left, my heart pounding in my chest. The cold night air hit me as I walked out, but I didn't care. My mind was racing, my emotions a tangled mess.

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AFTER TWO HOURS :

Kartik's name flashed on the screen.

"Kartik, I—"

"Shanaya! Rohan's been in an accident!"

My world tilted. "What? What do you mean? Where is he?!"

"He was driving too fast, Shanaya. A truck—just get to the hospital. Now."

My phone nearly slipped from my fingers as I ran back, grabbing the first taxi I could find. My breath came in short, panicked gasps. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening.

The hospital was a blur of white walls and harsh fluorescent lights. The moment I arrived, I saw Rohan's parents, their faces etched with worry. Kartik was pacing, his hands clenched into fists.

"Where is he?" I choked out.

"In surgery. He—he lost a lot of blood, Shanaya." Kartik's voice broke. "They don't know if he's going to make it."

I couldn't breathe. My knees gave out, and I collapsed onto the chair. My mind replayed our fight, every harsh word, every accusation. Guilt clawed at my throat.

This was my fault. ALL OF IT.

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ROHAN'S POV

The last thing i remember was gripping the steering wheel  , my knuckles turning white as i replayed our fight in my mind. The words we had thrown at each other were still echoing in my ears , suffocating me. I was driving too fast , lost in my own thoughts , drowning in regret.

Then out of nowhere , blinding headlights. A TRUCK. A loud crash.

Pain

Darkness.

That's all I knew.

When I woke up , everything hurt. I was in a hospital bed, machines beeping around me, my body feeling like it had been run over by a train. The voices were distant—my parents, the doctors, someone crying.

Shanaya.

She was there. I could feel her presence even before I opened my eyes completely. And when I finally did, my heart clenched at the sight of her—her face pale, her eyes swollen from crying. She looked so broken.

As soon as she saw me wake up , she ran to call for the doctors. After a while , as the doctors checked me , my family came to meet me , kartik came , but the one face i wanted to see was nowhere to find.

i told kartik to get her. Because there was nothing more important than seeing her right now. After a few minutes , she came in , all drenched in tears , fear and the most heart breaking emotion , guilt. The one thing i didn't wanted to see.

"Rohan..." her voice trembled, thick with guilt.

I wanted to reach for her, to tell her it wasn't her fault. But she beat me to it.

"I did this," she whispered, tears falling freely. "I said things I didn't mean. I left. And now you—you almost—" She couldn't even finish the sentence.

"Shanaya, stop." My voice was weak, but I meant every word. "This wasn't your fault. And I'm still here, aren't I?"

Her lips quivered. "But what if you weren't? I can't—I can't lose you, Rohan."

I exhaled, forcing my weak limbs to move as I reached for her hand. "You won't lose me. Not now, not ever. I love you, Shanaya. Always."

More tears. More guilt. But this time, she let me pull her close. This time, she didn't run.

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SHANAYA'S POV :

For a week, I barely left the hospital. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him in that wreckage, blood staining his shirt, his body lifeless. The image haunted me, crushed me, made me feel like I was drowning in an ocean of regret.

Radhika, his mother, never left my side. She held me when I broke down, whispered reassurances I didn't believe. "This is not your fault, beta. Accidents happen. And Rohan loves you. That's what matters."

But I couldn't believe that. Because deep down, I knew something was wrong. Something no one was telling me.

And then, after a week, he woke up.

The moment I saw his eyes open, I felt a rush of relief so intense that I nearly collapsed. He was alive. He was breathing.

After his family saw him, I finally gathered the courage to walk into his room. My hands shook as I sat beside him, my heart hammering in my chest.

"Rohan, I—I need to say this. I was wrong. I let my fears control me, and I hurt you. I almost lost you. And I don't know how to live with that." My voice broke. "I love you. I always have. And if you give me another chance—"

His fingers brushed against my cheek, wiping away my tears. "Shanaya, there was never a moment I didn't love you. You were always the one for me."

I exhaled shakily. "Then don't leave me."

"Never," he promised.

And then, he kissed me—soft, slow, filled with emotions that words couldn't express. I melted into him, letting the pain, the fear, the guilt dissolve into that moment. We whispered "I love you" between kisses, the weight of the past momentarily lifting.

And when he asked me to be his, to officially be his girlfriend, I said yes.

"BE MINE , BABY" He said.

"ALWAYS."

But as I held his hand, pressing my forehead against his, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was still wrong. That there was something everyone was hiding from me.

And I had no idea that my life was about to change forever.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE :

This chapter was one of the most emotionally intense ones yet. It explored how misunderstandings and insecurities can create irreversible damage, but also how love and forgiveness can mend even the deepest wounds. Shanaya and Rohan's story was filled with heartbreak, but also with deep love and connection.

I hope you felt every ounce of pain, fear, and longing in this chapter. What are your thoughts? Let me know! ❤️

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