The evening breeze carried the scent of fresh rain, cool against Tanya Kapoor’s skin as she stood on the rooftop of the café, her arms resting on the railing. The city lights twinkled below, their glow reflecting in her bright eyes. Tonight felt special—filled with possibility, excitement, and a heartbeat that wasn’t hers.

“Tanya,” Aarav Mehta’s voice was steady, but there was a slight tremor in it. He stood beside her, hands tucked into the pockets of his hoodie, as if hiding his nervousness.

She turned to him, her smile effortless. “Hmm?”

Aarav took a deep breath, the weight of years pressing on his chest. “I like you.” His voice was softer than usual, but every word was deliberate.

Tanya blinked, taken aback. “What?”

“I like you,” he repeated, holding her gaze. “I have for a long time.”

Silence. A strange one, thick with meaning. Tanya stared at him, her brain trying to process his words. And then—she laughed. Not a cruel laugh, not one of mockery, but a lighthearted, amused chuckle.

“Aarav, stop joking,” she said, shaking her head. “You almost had me there.”

Aarav didn’t laugh. His expression remained unchanged, his dark eyes fixed on her with a quiet kind of certainty. “I’m not joking, Tanya.”

The laughter in her throat faded. “You… like me?”

Aarav nodded once. “Yes.”

Tanya exhaled, glancing away. The confession was unexpected—too unexpected. She liked Aarav, of course she did. He was one of her closest friends, the person who understood her better than most. But like him? Like that?

Her mind immediately drifted to someone else—to Jay Shah. The boy she had been drawn to for months. The one who made her heart race, who filled her thoughts with possibilities.

Aarav wasn’t Jay.

Tanya turned back to him, her expression soft but unwavering. “Aarav… I don’t see you that way.”

His heart clenched, but he smiled—because that’s what Aarav always did. “I figured.” His voice was light, as if it didn’t matter. As if he hadn’t just given a piece of himself away, only to watch it be set aside.

Tanya felt a flicker of guilt, but it was fleeting. “I just—there’s someone else,” she admitted hesitantly.

Aarav already knew. Of course, he knew. He had seen the way her eyes followed Jay, the way her smile brightened at the mention of his name. He had always known.

Still, he nodded. “I understand.”

And just like that, the conversation ended. Tanya moved on—laughing, talking, chasing after the love she thought she wanted.

And Aarav? He stayed. He always stayed.

Even when it hurt.