The silence on the call stretched longer than it should have.
It wasn't comfortable.
It wasn't calming.
It was the kind of silence that screamed louder than any words could.
And then, just when I thought he might hang up—
Vishal: "I want to patch up with you."
My breath caught in my throat.
Vishal: "I like you, Riya. I… I love you. I never stopped. Please. Can we be in a relationship one more time? Just give me a chance. One last chance."
My heart dropped. Just like that.
Like it was falling all over again. Like it didn't learn the first time.
My fingers tightened around the phone. Every part of me wanted to scream no—to remind myself of the sleepless nights, the unanswered messages, the way he made me feel invisible when all I wanted was to be seen.
But then there was the part of me that remembered how it felt when he held my hand like I was the only girl in the world.
The part of me that missed him even when I hated him.
Riya: "You think a few words are enough to fix everything?"
Vishal: "No. I know they're not. But I'm willing to prove it to you—every single day. Just… let me try."
I stared at the ceiling, lips pressed together, fighting with my own heart.
Riya: "This isn't a movie, Vishal. This isn't about saying the right things. It's about meaning them. Every. Single. Time."
Vishal: "I know. And I mean it. I want to love you right this time."
I closed my eyes.
Why did it still hurt when I wanted to believe him so badly?
Riya: "No, Vishal. If you really want to be in my life… we can be friends. But not like before. Not as girlfriend and boyfriend."
There was silence again. I could almost hear his heart shattering through the line.
Vishal: "No, Riya. If I wanted to be your friend, I would've just liked your post or replied to a story. I wouldn't have messaged you like this. I'm not here to be your friend—I'm here because I still love you. So please, accept my proposal."
I stood still. My breath shaky. My throat felt tight.
Riya: "Please, Vishal. Don't put me in this situation. I really… don't want to. After everything, we broke up for a reason."
Vishal: "Yeah, we did. But that was because of your so-called friend who made you doubt me, who manipulated everything. Riya, please. Just listen to me once. Give me another chance. Let me prove I'm not that person."
I closed my eyes tightly.
Riya: "No, Vishal. It cannot happen. Please, try to understand. Don't make this harder for me than it already is."
He didn't respond right away.
But then, in the softest, most broken voice I'd ever heard him use, he said:
Vishal: "Please, Riya. Think as much as you want. Take your time. But for once… think for me too. Just for a moment, think about what I'm feeling. Please."
The line went quiet again.
Only my heartbeat filled the room.
And for the first time in a long while…
I didn't know what to feel.
Riya: "Okay then… I'll tell you in a week."
Vishal: "A week?! Riya… that's too much time."
I looked at my phone screen. Monday.
Riya: "Fine. Then… I'll tell you on Wednesday."
Vishal: "Why Wednesday? Can't you tell me tomorrow? Or even today?"
Riya: "No, Vishal. Let me think. For once, let me breathe before deciding something that could change everything again."
There was a pause. I could feel him wanting to push more… but then he sighed.
Vishal: "Okay, Riya. As you wish. But… please. Please accept me."
Silence.
Not cold. Not angry.
Just… heavy.
Like both of us were holding things we didn't know how to say.
Then he broke it.
Vishal: "Riya… until you give me your answer… can we still talk? Like we are now? Just talk… nothing else."
I didn't answer immediately.
But somehow, deep down, I knew I wanted to.
Riya: "Sure."
A faint smile crept onto my face.
It wasn't love.
Not yet.
But it was something.
And maybe… that was a beginning.
Vishal: "So… what are you doing right now?"
Riya: "Sitting in front of the TV. Half-eaten chips, an untouched chocolate, and a soda I forgot to open."
Vishal: "Wow. That's a whole dinner right there."
Riya: "Don't judge my sad snack life."
Vishal: "I'm not judging, I'm jealous. I'm literally eating cold roti with ketchup because mom made lauki again."
I laughed. It was soft, unexpected… and annoyingly warm.
Riya: "Still hate lauki, huh?"
Vishal: "With my entire soul."
There was silence again, but this time it wasn't heavy. It was… calm.
Vishal: "Riya, do you remember that time in 8th class when we got caught passing notes and I blamed you?"
Riya: "You mean the time I almost got suspended and you acted like you didn't even know me? Yeah. I do."
Vishal: "I still feel bad about that."
Riya: "You should."
I smiled as I said it.
Vishal: "If I told you I still have that note…"
Riya: "You don't."
Vishal: "I do."
Riya: "Liar."
Vishal: "Want proof?"
Before I could answer, a photo appeared on my phone.
A crumpled piece of paper with messy handwriting: "Maths sucks. You suck more. – Riya"
I gasped.
Riya: "YOU KEPT THAT?!"
Vishal: "Evidence. Of how brutally honest you've always been."
I shook my head, smiling.
Maybe… just maybe… talking like this wasn't so hard.
Riya: "I can't believe you actually kept that stupid note."
Vishal: "Hey, it was legendary. How could I throw away a piece of history?"
Riya: "You're ridiculous."
Vishal: "You used to like that about me."
I paused. That line—it hit a little deeper than the rest.
I didn't know how to respond, so I just sent a "hmm."
Vishal: "Sorry… I didn't mean to ruin the moment."
Riya: "You didn't."
Another silence. This one felt… reflective.
Vishal: "Do you miss it? Us, I mean?"
I bit my lip. My fingers hovered over the keyboard. I could say no. I could lie. But something inside me whispered the truth louder.
Riya: "Sometimes."
His reply didn't come instantly this time.
Vishal: "Same. Every day feels like that 'sometimes'."
I didn't want to go there. Not yet. So I tried to shift the mood again.
Riya: "So… still afraid of dogs?"
Vishal: "Terrified. I crossed the street today because a puppy barked at me."
Riya: "Puppy, Vishal. Puppy."
Vishal: "You didn't see his eyes, Riya. Pure evil."
I laughed—loudly this time.
Riya: "You're such a mess."
Vishal: "Your mess, hopefully."
I stopped.
My heart skipped a beat, then rushed to catch up. But I didn't reply.
Not yet.
Riya: "That whole year… when you left after we broke up. Where were you living? And were you in a relationship?"
Seen.
Typing...
The dots blinked for a while, and Riya could feel the weight of his silence on the other side of the screen.
Vishal: "No. I didn't come into any relationship."
Riya: "Why not?"
There was no hesitation this time. Vishal's reply came quickly, almost like he'd been waiting for her to ask.
Vishal: "Because I couldn't move on. No matter how far I went, or how many distractions I tried, I couldn't stop thinking about you."
Riya felt a sudden lump in her throat. She didn't know how to respond. She couldn't tell if she was angry or relieved. A mix of both, maybe.
Riya: "So you just… stayed stuck?"
Vishal: "Yes. I was stuck in the past. In what we had. And I couldn't let it go. It wasn't fair to anyone else."
The words stung, but not in the way she expected. They hurt because they reminded her of how much she'd been through too.
Riya: "Why are you telling me this now?"
Vishal: "Because I don't want to be stuck anymore. I want to know if there's even a chance for us. If I could fix things… if you'd let me."
Riya stared at the screen, heart racing, thoughts racing. She wasn't sure what to say next, and the silence between them grew louder.
Riya: "Vishal, how can I trust you?"
Her fingers hovered above the screen, as if the words she typed would make the decision for her. Could she trust him? After everything? How could she even consider it?
There was a pause, an agonizing one. The dots on the screen blinked as if Vishal was carefully thinking of the right words. But when he finally responded, it felt like he was baring a piece of his soul, one vulnerable sentence at a time.
Vishal: "I know it's hard. I know I don't deserve it. But I believe you can build trust again. Just try, Riya. Please. Just one more time."
Riya's chest tightened as she read his message. She wanted to shout at him, to say how impossible it all seemed, how stupid it felt to even consider trusting him again after everything that had happened. But something inside her softened. She didn't know if it was pity, longing, or a desperate part of her that still wanted the old Vishal back.
Her mind spun. How could she trust him? How could she go back to something that had once broken her?
Riya: "But Vishal, I don't have any feelings for you anymore."
She stared at the screen, willing him to understand, willing him to just stop. The words were out, and now they hung in the air between them like an invisible barrier. She didn't want to hurt him, but the truth was that the love she once had for him was gone. It was replaced by a cold, distant ache that she didn't know how to shake off.
The screen went quiet for a moment, too long. Riya felt her heart race as she waited for his response. What would he say now?
When his reply finally came, it was different from the others—calm, resolute, and almost too understanding. But still, there was a fire in his words, a desperation that she couldn't ignore.
Vishal: "It's okay. I get it. I understand. But just say yes, and I'll prove it to you. I'll make you fall in love with me again."
Riya's breath caught in her throat. The words hit her harder than she expected. "I'll make you fall in love with me again." That sentence echoed in her head like a plea, like an irresistible challenge. She didn't know what to feel. Anger? Confusion? Maybe even a flicker of the feelings she used to have for him. It felt like she was standing at the edge of a cliff, the wind howling in her ears, the pull of gravity strong.
But she couldn't fall for it. Not again. Not after everything they'd been through.
She leaned back in her chair, staring at the message as if it would somehow make more sense if she looked at it long enough. "I'll make you fall in love with me again." Could he? Was it possible?
Her mind raced through the past—the good moments, the laughter, the dreams they once shared. But then the hurt came rushing back, the lies, the broken promises, the reasons they ended. She could still feel the sting of his betrayal. No amount of sweet words could erase that.
Riya: "You don't get it, Vishal. It's not that simple. You can't just say those things and expect me to fall back into it. Things are different now. I'm different now."
She thought she was being strong, but even as the words left her, a knot formed in her stomach. The memories of their love—of the way he once held her, of their late-night talks, of the promises he made—came flooding back. She hated how much she missed it. She hated that she could still remember the warmth of his touch.
But this wasn't the same anymore. It couldn't be.
Riya: "How can you say that after everything? How can you just expect me to fall in love with you again like nothing happened? It's not that simple. It never was."
Vishal's next message was slow in coming, but when it did, it felt like he was trying to reach her through the screen.
Vishal: "I know. I know it's not simple. I know I don't deserve another chance. But if you just let me try... I'll show you that I've changed. I'll make up for everything I've done. I'll prove to you that I'm worth trusting again."
Riya shook her head, a tear slipping down her cheek before she could stop it. She quickly wiped it away, not wanting him to know that he still had this effect on her, that after all this time, he could still make her feel something—anything.
She typed, more carefully this time, trying to hold onto her resolve.
Riya: "I don't know, Vishal. I'm not the same girl I was back then. I've moved on. I've learned to be okay without you."
A long silence followed. She wasn't sure what she was expecting. Maybe for him to beg. Maybe for him to give up. But instead, his reply came soft, almost like a whisper.
Vishal: "I don't want you to just be okay without me. I want you to be happy. And if that means I have to wait, then I'll wait. But I'm asking you for one more chance. Please, Riya. Just one more."
Riya stared at the message, her fingers hovering over the screen. What was she supposed to say to that? How could she just give him one more chance when everything inside her screamed not to?
But part of her—the old part of her—still wanted to believe. Still wanted to hope that they could fix it, that they could make things right.
But no. She couldn't let herself fall for it again.