SHANAYA'S POV :

The sun peeked through my curtains, gentle and golden, like it knew not to disturb the stillness inside.

I blinked slowly, adjusting to the soft light, my body sore from the night before—but not the painful kind. The kind that follows emotional exhaustion. The kind that reminds you that you're still here. Still breathing.

My head rested on something firm and warm. I tilted it slightly and found Kabir's arm curled under me, his hand resting protectively on my waist.

He had stayed.

Through the sobbing.

Through the silence.

Through the worst of it.

A lump formed in my throat all over again, but this time, it wasn't grief. It was gratitude.

He stirred beside me, blinking away sleep. His face softened when he saw me watching him.

"Hey," he said, voice gravelly with sleep. "You okay?"

I gave him a nod, resting my hand lightly on his chest. "Better than I've been in a long time."

He smiled, brushing a thumb across my cheek. "Good. I wasn't sure if you'd kick me out this morning."

I laughed quietly, the sound foreign but welcome. "I thought about it. But you looked too peaceful to ruin it."

He grinned. "I do sleep like a prince, don't I?"

I rolled my eyes and pulled away slightly. "More like a wounded warrior."

He caught my hand before I could get too far. "But still your warrior, right?"

I looked into his eyes—those steady, stormy eyes—and nodded.

"Still mine," I whispered.

---

KABIR'S POV :

There was something sacred about waking up next to her. Something real. No makeup, no defenses, just her—soft, vulnerable, raw.

I watched her pad barefoot into the kitchen, still wearing my sweatshirt from last night. It hung off her frame, and I swear my heart did something stupid in my chest.

"Don't look at me like that," she said, glancing back with a teasing glare.

"Like what?"

"Like you're in love with me."

I got up, walked to her, and wrapped my arms around her waist from behind. I placed a kiss on the side of her neck and whispered, "That's because I am."

She froze for a second.

Then melted into me.

"You're going to make this harder than it already is," she murmured.

"Or maybe," I said, tightening my hold, "I'll make it easier."

---

They made breakfast together—burnt toast, eggs that were slightly too runny, and coffee that could wake the dead. But it was perfect. Because it was quiet. It was ordinary.

And after everything, ordinary felt like heaven.

---

(Shanaya's POV)

We sat on the balcony, coffee mugs in hand, legs tangled under a fuzzy blanket, watching the city slowly wake up. The roads were still damp from last night's rain, little puddles glistening in the sunlight.

"I forgot how good mornings can feel," I said quietly, staring out at the sky. "For the last two years, they've always been the hardest."

Kabir didn't say anything. He just reached out and took my hand in his, lacing our fingers together like it was second nature.

Maybe it was, now.

We sat there in silence for a while. No rush. No noise. Just the wind brushing against our cheeks and the quiet hum of life outside our little world.

Then my phone rang.

I flinched.

Reality had a way of creeping in like that—uninvited and too loud.

Kabir looked at me. "You okay?"

I nodded, checking the screen. It was Isha.

"I should take this."

He nodded, releasing my hand.

"Hello?"

"Babe!" Isha's voice was loud, chipper, and completely unbothered by the emotional trainwreck I'd just crawled out of. "Where the hell are you? We're all at the cafe! Yash, Veer, Varun, Ranveer—everyone. And guess what? Kartik's here too. We're having a random mental breakdown brunch. Come!"

I sighed. "Isha..."

"Don't 'Isha' me. You've disappeared for days. I'm sending you the address. You and loverboy are coming. End of discussion."

The line went dead.

I looked over at Kabir, who was now trying (and failing) to hide a smile.

"What?"

"Loverboy?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I groaned. "My friends are idiots."

"But they're your idiots," he said, standing up and offering me his hand. "And they're worried about you. Let's go."

---

(Kabir's POV)

The cafe wasn't far. Cozy little corner spot. The kind with handwritten menus and chipped mugs that felt like they carried secrets.

As soon as we stepped in, I spotted the gang. They were all squished around a table by the window, mid-argument over something on someone's phone.

Then Shanaya stepped inside.

And the room went still.

Every one of them looked up—Yash, Varun, Ranveer, Veer, Isha... and Kartik.

Their eyes landed on her. And for a moment, I saw it—the silent exchange. The is she okay? question passed through glances. The way their bodies slightly shifted toward her. Ready to catch her if she stumbled.

But Shanaya?

She smiled.

A real, tiny, hesitant smile.

And I swear I saw half the tension in the room melt.

"I'm okay," she said softly.

That was all it took.

Isha jumped up and hugged her first, tight. Then Varun. Then the others took turns. Kartik didn't move. He just looked at her with something like... quiet relief.

"Glad you're back," he said, finally.

She nodded. "I'm glad too."

---

The cafe felt warm. Loud laughter, clinking mugs, stupid jokes.

But for me, the moment that stayed?

Was when Shanaya walked back from the bathroom, her eyes scanning the group... and landing on me.

And she smiled again.

Like I was home.

And suddenly, I knew.

She was trying. Really trying.

To live again.

For herself.

For Rohan.

For us.

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END OF THE CHAPTER.

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