Chapter twelve:Distance
220 Words
After that, Arjun pulled away.
Late nights. Fewer conversations.
Mira told herself it was for the best.
But the apartment felt emptier than before.
She threw herself into work, into routine, into anything that kept her from thinking too much.
And then she found the papers.
The dissolution documents, half-prepared, tucked into a drawer.
The date was circled.
Three months away.
Mira confronted Arjun that night.
“You’re planning to end this early,” she said, holding up the papers.
He looked tired. “I thought it would be easier.”
“For whom?” she asked.
“For you.”
Mira laughed, sharp and humorless. “You don’t get to decide that.”
He met her gaze. “Then tell me what you want.”
The room was silent.
“I don’t know,” Mira admitted. “And that’s the problem.”
They talked until dawn.
About fear. About expectations. About the line between obligation and choice.
“I never meant to trap you,” Arjun said quietly.
“I know,” Mira replied. “But somewhere along the way, it stopped feeling like a trap.”
The admission sat between them, fragile and honest.
Arjun reached out, then stopped himself.
“Think about it,” he said. “There’s no rush.”
Mira nodded, grateful for the space.
- Writer
