𝐖𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐭 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧

One glance could destroy the walls they built or rebuild what they lost.

~~~~

Six years, and still... one thought of him is enough to make my heartbeat stumble

The soft morning light slipped through the half-open curtains, brushing against my face like a gentle nudge. I groaned, pulling the blanket over my head, and then it hit me.

The reunion.

I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes, staring at the faintly dusty calendar pinned above my desk. Big red circle around today's date, courtesy of Rhea, who had been hounding me about this for weeks.

Was I going?
Maybe.
Probably not.
No... maybe.

My phone buzzed on the nightstand like it had been waiting for my indecision. Rhea's name lit up the screen.

"Not answering will only make me call again," came her voice the second I picked up.

I sighed. "Good morning to you too."

"Morning. So, you're coming tonight, right?"

"I... haven't decided," I said, playing with a loose thread on my blanket.

She groaned dramatically. "Manvi. This is our school reunion. Everyone's coming. You can't be the mysterious no-show."

"Maybe I like being mysterious," I muttered, already picturing the awkward small talk, the fake smiles, the... memories.

Rhea didn't buy it for a second. "Nope. You're coming. You're going to wear something gorgeous, and you're going to thank me later. End of discussion."

I smiled despite myself. "You're bossy, you know that?"

"Someone has to be. Be ready. I'll text you the address again just in case you 'forget'." And just like that, she hung up.

I set the phone down, leaning back against the headboard. I wasn't getting ready for anyone, I told myself. Absolutely not. But a tiny, treacherous part of my heart whispered a different story.

Don't think about him.
Don't.

I swung my legs out of bed and padded to the bathroom. The hot shower was steam and comfort, water running over my skin in a way that made me feel new, clean... almost ready. I reached for my favorite lavender-scented body lotion, the one I saved for special days, and smoothed it over my arms and legs. The scent lingered in the air like a secret I wasn't ready to share.

By the time I finished, my hair was wrapped in a towel, my cheeks warm from the shower. I glanced at the clock, still hours before the reunion. Plenty of time.

Downstairs, the familiar clinking of cups and the faint aroma of cardamom tea greeted me.

"Morning, beta," Dad said from behind his newspaper.

"Morning," I smiled, sliding into my usual seat.

"She's glowing," Mom observed from the kitchen. "What's the occasion?"

Before I could answer, my younger sister, Anaya, slid into the chair beside me, grinning like she knew something I didn't want her to.

"Occasion? Oh, nothing... just her school reunion," she sang, drawing out the words.

I shot her a look. "You've been spying on my calls now?"

"Not spying," she said, buttering a paratha. "Just... overhearing. You're terrible at keeping your voice down when Rhea di calls."

Mom's eyebrows rose even higher. "Reunion, hmm? That explains the glowing."

"There is no glowing," I insisted, pouring myself some tea.

Anaya smirked. "Oh, there's glowing. I mean, you even used the lotion this morning. I can smell it from here."

I nearly choked on my tea. "You're impossible."

Mom chuckled but didn't push further, sliding a plate of fresh parathas in front of me. "Eat before it gets cold."

We talked about Dad's classes, Mom's mischievous students, and the neighborhood gossip, all while Anaya kept shooting me knowing looks between bites, like she was dying to say more but enjoying the suspense.

After dishes and a few chores, I slipped back upstairs. My room was quiet except for the soft hum of the ceiling fan. I curled up on my bed with the book I'd been halfway through, a beautiful, fictional romance where people always found their way back to each other.

But I wasn't reading.

My eyes moved over the words, but my mind was elsewhere. On the party. On the faces I'd see. On the one face I wasn't sure I was ready to see.

Still... a strange little hope curled in my chest.
Maybe tonight would be special.
Maybe.

~~~~

Six years, and still... one thought of her is enough to set my entire world on fire

My mornings were usually predictable, precisely the way I liked them.
Wake up at 5:30. Gym. Shower. Office by 8:30. No distractions, no deviations.

But today... was already off-script.

I woke to the buzzing of my phone, not the calm chime of my alarm. Groaning, I reached for it on the nightstand. The screen lit up with a name I could never ignore.

Di.

I swiped to answer. "It's six in the morning," I said, voice still rough.

"And good morning to you too, little brother," Di's voice was far too cheerful for this hour. "Guess what's tonight?"

I rubbed my eyes. "If this is about another charity gala-"

"It's your school reunion!" she cut in. "Don't tell me you forgot."

I sat up against the headboard, running a hand through my hair. "I didn't forget. I... just haven't decided if I'm going."

There was a pause, the kind of pause where I could feel her eyebrow arching through the phone. "Haven't decided, or you're overthinking it because of her?"

I didn't answer. Which, of course, was an answer.

Di sighed knowingly. "Veer, you're a billionaire CEO who handles boardrooms full of sharks, but the idea of seeing one woman turns you into this hesitant, avoidant mess."

"Not avoiding," I said, swinging my legs out of bed. "Just... wondering if it's worth the small talk, the meaningless nostalgia."

"Liar." Her voice softened, almost teasing. "You want to see her."

I didn't confirm, but I also didn't deny it. Because the truth was... the thought of Manvi's smile had been sitting somewhere in the back of my mind ever since that reunion invite popped up weeks ago.

"I'll think about it," I muttered.

"You'll be there," she declared, victorious, and hung up before I could argue.

I stared at the black screen for a long moment, then dropped the phone onto the bed. The gym was waiting, but my head wasn't where it should be. Normally, my workouts were a laser-focused escape, reps, sets, the rhythm of effort and control. Today, my mind kept wandering... to her.

The image of her from last night standing under that tin shed, laughing like the last six years had never happened.

The way her hair clung to her cheek. The sound of her voice even though I couldn't hear what she was saying, I remembered it so clearly it was maddening.

I pushed harder, lifting heavier, as if I could sweat her out of my thoughts. But the more I tried to force my focus elsewhere, the more I pictured the moment our eyes might meet again.

Would she smile?
Would she look away?
Would she still... hate me?

By the time I hit the shower, the steam was thick enough to blur the bathroom mirror, which was good, because I didn't really want to look at myself just yet. I threw on my usual sharp, dark suit for the office, but the routine didn't feel like armor today.

Because tonight wasn't about business.
Tonight, there was no boardroom strategy that could prepare me.

And for the first time in a long time, I felt the edge of uncertainty, and something that might have been... hope.

~~~~

I stared at my reflection in the mirror, brushing a strand of hair away from my face. My heart was racing faster than it should for just a school reunion. I had chosen a soft pastel dress simple, elegant nothing too loud, but still enough to make me feel like I belonged tonight. Maybe a little part of me wanted to look nice... just in case.

Just in case he came.

The thought burned.

I shook my head and forced a smile at my own reflection. No, Manvi, don't start again. He won't come. He never does.

Six years. Six years since the last time Veer and I had spoken. Six years since he had disappeared from my life without a word, leaving behind nothing but unanswered texts and sleepless nights. And yet, my foolish heart still hoped. Still believed that tonight, in that hall filled with old classmates and nostalgia, I might see him again.

Rhea's voice jolted me back.
"Manvi! We're getting late, come on!" she called from the living room.

"Coming!" I grabbed my clutch, gave myself one last look in the mirror, and whispered under my breath, you're going there to have fun with your friends. Not to break your heart again.

---

The reunion hall was glowing with fairy lights and laughter. Music floated in the air, the kind that pulled you back into memories you didn't know you still carried. I walked in with Rhea and Avani, instantly met with hugs, squeals, and warm smiles.

"Manvi Kapoor! Look at you, you haven't changed a bit!" someone exclaimed, pulling me into a quick hug.

I laughed politely, answering questions, catching up with familiar faces. My friends and I found a corner table, settling in with drinks and snacks.

But no matter how hard I tried to keep up with conversations, my eyes kept drifting toward the door. Every time it opened, a flicker of hope lit up inside me, only to extinguish seconds later when it wasn't him.

Why do I do this to myself?

Avani leaned closer, raising her brows at me. "Still thinking about him?"

I tried to laugh it off. "No. I mean... he's not coming. If he wanted to, he would've been here already."

But my voice cracked on the last word, betraying me.

Rhea touched my hand gently. "Then forget him for tonight. We're all here. This is our night. Don't let a ghost ruin it."

I nodded, forcing a smile. "You're right."

So I laughed louder, danced when they pulled me to the floor, let the music blur out the ache in my chest. On the surface, I was happy, chatting, smiling, clinking glasses with my friends. But deep inside, every smile felt like glass cutting through me.

Because no matter how much I tried to lie to myself, the truth was simple.

I had hoped.

And he hadn't co...

Before I could realize, the door opened again...

And Veer Malhotra walked in.

~~~~

The door swung shut behind me, but the sudden silence in the hall made it feel like I had just walked into another world. Conversations dimmed, laughter faltered, music kept playing in the background, but none of it mattered.

Because there she was.

Manvi Kapoor.

Six years. Six harsh years of silence of pushing her ghost out of my head, of trying to live with the gaping wound I left in her life and mine. And yet... one glance was enough to unravel every carefully built wall inside me.

She stood with her friends, smiling in that effortless way I remembered too well. That same smile I had seen last night, framed by raindrops under the flickering bookstore lights. I'd thought I'd imagined it then, a cruel trick of my restless mind. But no, she was real, standing here, glowing in a way that made my chest ache.

My steps froze, though my mind didn't. It was chaos.
What the hell do I say? How do I look at her without falling apart? Does she still hate me? Or worse... does she feel nothing anymore?

Her eyes found me then.

God. That look.
It was like being struck by lightning and set on fire all at once. The same warmth, the same softness I'd once been addicted to, was there, but layered now with something else. Distance. Hurt. A wall that I had put there with my own damn hands.

And yet I couldn't look away.

My fingers curled into fists at my side, grounding me, because every instinct screamed to go to her, to close the space, to say something, anything. But all I did was stand there, swallowing the thousand words that crowded my throat, staring at the girl I'd left behind... and realizing she still had the power to ruin me with a single glance.

~~~~

And that's a wrap for Chapter 2!

So... was it really just a school reunion, or the beginning of something they can no longer run from?

Don't forget to vote ⭐ if you felt the ache with them, and comment your thoughts below, because your words matter as much as theirs.