Love Beyond Time

A Love Confessed

Aarav had never been afraid of words before. He was always the one with a quick reply, a witty comeback, or a well-timed joke. But when it came to Maya, words failed him.

For weeks, the feeling had been growing, stretching inside him like an unfinished melody. Every time he saw her, it was there—the unspoken truth between them. The way his heart quickened when she laughed, how his eyes found her first in a crowded room, how just her presence made his chaotic world feel right.

And yet, he hadn’t told her.

Tonight had to be different.

They were walking along the quiet streets of Bandra, the cool December air wrapping around them. Fairy lights hung from trees, tiny golden stars flickering in the darkness. The city was alive with the hum of people, the distant sound of music from a nearby café, the scent of coffee and something sweet lingering in the air.

Maya was rambling about something—a book she had just finished, something about fate and second chances—but Aarav could barely focus. His heart was beating too fast, his hands curling into fists inside his jacket pockets.

“Aarav?” Her voice pulled him back. She had stopped walking, tilting her head at him. “You okay? You’ve been quiet.”

He exhaled sharply, realizing this was it. There would never be a perfect moment, no dramatic buildup. Just now.

“Maya,” he started, his voice steadier than he felt. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

She studied him, her eyes softening. “Okay.”

He hesitated for half a second, then—no more waiting.

“I love you.”

The words hung in the air, fragile and real. He saw the way her breath caught, her fingers twitching at her sides. His chest tightened—had he just ruined everything?

Maya blinked, her lips parting slightly as if searching for the right response. The silence stretched between them, thick with everything unsaid.

And then she smiled.

Not a teasing smirk or a polite grin, but something deeper, something that reached her eyes and made them shine.

“I’ve been waiting for you to say that,” she whispered.

Aarav’s breath left him in a rush. “You have?”

She stepped closer, close enough that he could see the tiny specks of gold in her brown eyes, the way her breath fogged in the cold air. “Of course, I have.”

Relief and joy crashed into him all at once. He let out a shaky laugh, running a hand through his hair. “God, I thought I was making a complete fool of myself.”

Maya chuckled, reaching up to touch his cheek. “You are. But you’re my fool now.”

He laughed, then, unable to stop himself, pulled her into his arms. She melted against him, and for the first time in weeks, the unspoken words between them weren’t hanging in the air anymore.

They were right where they belonged.