The room felt different now.
Not cold.
Not distant.
Just… raw.
Honest.
"I should've fought for you," Aarav said.
Ananya looked at him.
"You did."
"No," he shook his head.
"Not enough."
Silence.
"I let you walk away," he continued.
"Because I thought you didn't want me."
Her tears fell again.
"I did… I just didn't know how to stay."
Their eyes met.
Years of pain.
Misunderstanding.
Love.
All of it—
Finally laid bare.
"I was scared," she whispered.
"So was I."
A small, broken laugh escaped her.
"Look at us…"
Aarav smiled faintly.
"Still here."
A pause.
Then—
"Together," he added.
Her heart skipped.
Because for the first time—
That word didn't feel impossible.