Authors pov:

Finally, the day had come. It was the day Abhimanyu had been eagerly anticipating, the day that would shape his future.

He was seated in their favorite café, a little spot in the corner with warm lighting and the comforting aroma of freshly brewed coffee, waiting for Shivani. His heart raced with a mixture of excitement and nervousness.

Abhimanyu and Shivani had known each other for what felt like a lifetime. Abhimanyu, being her senior, had first met her in college. Their connection had been instant and undeniable, blossoming into a deep and passionate love.

Their bond went beyond the halls of academia; their families were close, their fathers sharing a friendship that had stood the test of time. This foundation had only strengthened their relationship.

Anyone who saw them together could easily tell that they were madly in love. Their eyes always searched for each other in a crowded room, and their smiles were brightest when they were together.

Today, Abhimanyu's smile held a secret, a promise he was ready to make. He was finally going to propose to Shivani, to ask her to share her life with him forever.

As he sat there, The ring in his pocket seemed to burn with the intensity of his emotions. He took a deep breath, glancing at the door every few seconds, waiting for the love of his life to walk in and change their lives forever.

Abhimanyu's pov:

I am currently sitting at our favorite table, waiting for Shivani. The anticipation is killing me. My mind is racing with every possibility, including the fear of rejection.

I love her so much. She's sweet, thoughtful, and her simplicity and innocence captivate me. "ABHI, YOU CAN DO THIS," I encouraged myself, trying to steady my nerves.

But where is she? Why is it taking so long? Shivani is never late. Just yesterday, she promised to meet me here at noon.

I've been here for two hours now, and there's still no sign of her. Impatiently, I called her, but she didn't answer. A bad feeling began to creep into my mind and heart. "No, Abhi, it's nothing. Don't think negatively," I scolded myself.

The minutes turned into hours, and still, there was no sign of her. Each unanswered call made my worry grow, a heavy feeling settling in my chest.

Suddenly, my phone rang. It was an unknown number. I hesitated for a moment before answering.

"Hello, who is this?"

"Are you still waiting for Shivani?" came the mocking voice on the other end. "Tsk-tsk-tsk. Poor Abhimanyu Dikshit, don't wait for her. She'll never come!"

The voice was of a female. How did she know my name and about Shivani?

"What do you mean? And who are you?"

"If you can sit down, then please sit down because after hearing what I have to say, tumhare pairo tale zameen khisak jayegi," ( the land will slip off your feet.) she said in a taunting tone.

"What the hell? What rubbish are you talking about?" I shouted.

"Do you really think she loves you? Think carefully. Does she like you or your money? Is she really as innocent as she seems, or is she hiding behind a mask?"

Her words made my blood boil. "Who are you to say these things? I know-"

She cut me off. "Don't shout at me. I know you won't believe me, but look at the pictures I sent you. She's a gold digger and will do anything for money. She already left the city, probably searching for someone richer than you." With a cruel laugh, she hung up.

My heart pounded as I opened the message. The images that stared back at me made my stomach drop. There was Shivani, arm in arm with another man, smiling in ways I thought she only smiled with me. The world seemed to spin, and for a moment, I couldn't breathe.

"No, this can't be true," I whispered to myself, but the evidence was right there in front of me.

My Shivi is with someone else. There's no way this is true. I called that number back, but it was now unreachable. "No, she is lying. My Shivani would never do that," I said, staring at the pictures of her with a guy-no, not just any guy, but the one I can't stand.

No, I believe in my love. My love is true, and so is hers. There's no way she could leave me for someone else. She will come. I will wait for her.

I paced back and forth as minutes turned into hours, waiting for Shivani, but she never came. With each passing moment, something inside me shattered. I'm not ready to accept that she will leave me.

I tried her number again, but it was now turned off. "Sir, it's time to close the shop," said the café employee. I nodded and stood up to leave.

Clinging to a sliver of hope, I went straight to Shivani's house. It was already 10 PM. "Please, Shivani, don't let this be true. I will die," I repeated to myself on the way there.

Taking a deep breath, I rang the bell, and Ritika opened the door. Ritika is Shivani's sister and the only one who knows about us.

"Ritu, where is Shivani?" I asked, but she didn't answer. My heart began to pound in my chest. Her silence created a storm in my mind. I felt like I couldn't breathe.

Deep down, I sensed the truth, but I still wanted her to answer my question. All emotion vanished from my face, and my voice turned cold and dangerous. "Where is she?" I demanded, raising my voice slightly.

"Di isn't here. She... she's gone and won't be coming back anytime soon. Di doesn't want you to know where she is, and she doesn't want you to find her," Ritika said, her voice hesitant and avoiding my eyes.

I felt numb and breathless as the cruel truth sank in. I fell to my knees as my world turned upside down. "You're lying," I shouted, still unwilling to accept the harsh reality.

Ritika's eyes filled with tears. She knew how much I loved her sister. Many questions swirled in my mind, but I knew Ritika wasn't the right person to ask. She herself looked devastated.

Taking a deep breath, I calmed down and, without asking any more questions, left the from there.

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Authors' Pov:

In Abhi's room, everything was broken and shattered. Even the big mirror lay in pieces, maybe symbolizing his broken soul. The room was a complete mess, reflecting the chaos within him.

Abhi lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, replaying the message he had received from Shivani earlier in his mind.

《 Flashback》

While returning home, his phone buzzed with a text message from Shivani. With trembling hands, he hurriedly opened it.

Abhimanyu, by the time you read this, I will be gone. I never loved you; it was all a lie. I know you love me, but love means nothing to me. It's not that hard to deceive you. True love can be blind-I had heard that, but you proved it by trusting me blindly. I have nothing to do with you. Don't try to find me. Goodbye!

He rechecked the number, praying that it wasn't really Shivani. But no matter how many times he checked, it was undeniably her.

The last glimmer of hope and trust he had for Shivani was destroyed by this message.

Can a heart still break when it stops beating? His heart had stopped when he learned Shivani had left, and now, after this message, it shattered into a thousand pieces. Tears streamed continuously from the corners of his eyes.

《 End of flashback》

"Everything was a lie. Your love, your care, your innocence-everything. Why, Shivani? Why did you do this to me? Was I not enough?" he murmured in a broken voice.

"Was money all that mattered to you? What about all the promises you made to me? Da...rd ho raha ha...hai bahut jyada dard. Pah...pahle tum mujhe dard hone per bh...bhag kar aati thi mujhe sambhalane. Kya ab na...nahin aaogi?" he cried bitterly.

(It's hurting, it's hurting a lot. Won't you come like before? Before, whenever I was in pain, you used to come running to console me. Won't you come this time?)

He grabbed his phone, staring at Shivani's photo, before throwing it against the wall. The phone shattered into pieces, just like his heart.

"Of course tum nahi aaogi, kyun aaogi tum? Sab kuchh dikhava aur natak tha!" he shouted, anger burning in his voice.

(Of course, you won't come. Why would you? Everything was a lie and an act for you!)

That night, he cried like a child. What he said was true: he would die without Shivani. That night, the Abhi who loved Shivani died. The loving and carefree Abhi was gone.

He curled up into a ball and wept throughout the night. The pain was too much to bear. He had loved her immensely while she had played with his heart, leaving him alone and broken.

The next day, without thinking much, he booked a flight to France, hoping to complete his studies and escape the haunting memories of Shivani.

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