Part 6: Fighting Feelings
566 Words
Aarushi had never felt this vulnerable before. The way Vivaan looked at her, his eyes filled with an emotion she didn’t dare name, made it impossible to think straight. His words echoed in her mind—“What if all I care about… is you?”
She should have been happy. Instead, she was terrified.
Aarushi (pulling away): “Vivaan, this… this isn’t easy.”
Vivaan sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Why do you always make things complicated, Aarushi? I like you. I know you feel something too. So why are you fighting it?”
She looked down. “Because I know how this story ends. Rich guy falls for a middle-class girl, but when the real world gets involved—family, society, expectations—things change.”
Vivaan frowned. “You think I’ll change?”
Aarushi (softly): “I think life will change us.”
He exhaled sharply, frustration evident in his eyes. “So, you’d rather walk away before we even try?”
She hesitated. Every part of her wanted to say no, to let herself believe in him, in them. But fear was a powerful thing.
Aarushi: “I need time, Vivaan.”
His jaw tightened, but he nodded. “Fine. Take all the time you need. But just know… I’m not giving up on you.”
And with that, he walked away, leaving her with a storm of emotions she wasn’t ready to face.
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Aarushi’s Dilemma
Days turned into weeks, and Aarushi found herself thinking about Vivaan more than she wanted to admit.
Meera noticed, of course.
Meera (smirking): “So… how long are you going to pretend you don’t miss him?”
Aarushi groaned. “Meera, please.”
Meera: “No, seriously. You like him. He likes you. What exactly is stopping you?”
Aarushi sighed. “Reality.”
Meera rolled her eyes. “Reality is what you make it, Aarushi. And Vivaan… he’s different. Can’t you see that?”
Aarushi could see it. But believing in love was easy. Believing that love could survive the world? That was harder.
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The Grand Gesture
Aarushi thought Vivaan would eventually get tired of waiting. That he’d move on.
She was wrong.
One evening, as she was walking back from class, she heard music playing in the distance. Curious, she followed the sound and stopped in shock.
Right in the middle of the campus courtyard, Vivaan stood with a guitar in his hands, strumming a soft melody. A small crowd had gathered, whispering and watching.
Then, in front of everyone, he sang.
A song about a stubborn girl who refused to admit she was in love. A girl who was too scared to take a chance. A girl who had captured his heart anyway.
Aarushi stood frozen, her heart hammering in her chest.
As the song ended, Vivaan looked straight at her and said, “Aarushi Sharma, I love you.”
Gasps and cheers erupted from the crowd. Meera practically screamed in excitement.
Aarushi’s eyes welled with tears. He wasn’t just saying it. He meant it.
And suddenly, all her fears seemed small compared to the love shining in his eyes.
She took a deep breath, stepped forward, and whispered the words she had been too scared to say.
“I love you too, Vivaan.”
And just like that, her world changed forever.
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End of Part 6.
- Writer
