Roohi’s pov:

The night was calm, the kind that whispered secrets between the stars and the earth. The dim glow of the bedside lamp cast soft shadows across the room as I leaned against the headboard, watching Vivaan in silence.

He sat by the window, his silhouette framed against the moonlight, deep in thought. His fingers absentmindedly traced patterns on his sketchbook, though he wasn’t drawing. There was something in the way he sat tonight - quieter than usual, as if words pressed against his lips but never found a way out.

"Vivaan," I called softly.

He turned slightly, his gaze meeting mine. His eyes, those soulful brown depths, held an emotion I couldn't quite name.

"Hmm?"

I hesitated for a moment before patting the space beside me. "Come here."

He didn't move instantly. Instead, he studied me, as if trying to read my mind. Then, with a small sigh, he closed his sketchbook and walked over. He settled next to me, his posture still reserved, yet his presence so familiar, so comforting.

For a while, we just sat there, the quiet stretching between us, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It never was with him.

"You seem lost in thought," I said, tilting my head. "Something on your mind?"

Vivaan let out a soft chuckle, though there was no humor in it. "I guess... I’m just thinking about how much things have changed in such a short time."

I smiled, nudging his shoulder playfully. "Changed in a good way or a bad way?"

His lips curved into the faintest smile. "Good," he admitted. "Very good."

A warmth spread through me.

"I never thought I’d feel this... at home with someone again," he murmured, his voice almost hesitant, as if confessing something vulnerable. "You know me, Roohi. I’ve always been—"

"An introvert?" I finished for him with a teasing grin.

He huffed a small laugh. "Yes, that. But more than that, I’ve always kept my distance. It was easier that way."

I reached for his hand, intertwining my fingers with his. "And now?"

He exhaled slowly, his thumb brushing against my knuckles. "Now, you’ve made me realize that maybe I don’t want to keep my distance anymore."

My heart skipped a beat. I had never been someone who second-guessed my emotions. I knew what I felt for Vivaan. I knew it from the moment his presence had become a necessity, from the way my world brightened when he was near, from how his smallest gestures touched my heart in ways words never could.

So, I took a deep breath and said it.

"I love you, Vivaan."

The words hung in the air, soft but steady.

Vivaan stiffened slightly. His fingers tightened around mine for just a second before loosening. His gaze dropped to our joined hands, and I could feel the way his heart raced beneath his calm exterior.

Silence stretched between us, and for the first time, it felt uncertain. I swallowed hard. Maybe I had rushed it. Maybe he wasn’t ready.

Just as I was about to pull away, he finally spoke.

"You do?" His voice was quiet, almost disbelieving.

I smiled, my fingers brushing against his. "Of course, I do. Did you really not know?"

He let out a shaky breath, as if processing my words, as if they were something too fragile to believe. And then, slowly, he lifted his gaze to meet mine.

"You scare me, Roohi," he confessed.

My brows knitted together. "What? Why?"

"Because you make me feel things I thought I had buried long ago." His voice was raw, unfiltered. "Because with you, I can’t hide behind my art, my solitude. You see through me in ways no one else ever has."

I felt my throat tighten. "Vivaan..."

His fingers curled around mine, firmer this time. "I never thought I’d be capable of loving someone. But you..." He exhaled, shaking his head as if words weren’t enough. "You changed everything."

I bit my lip, my heart pounding. "Then say it."

He gave me a long, searching look, as if memorizing my face, my every breath, my every heartbeat. And then, in the softest whisper, he finally said it.

"I love you , Roohi."

A breath I didn’t realize I had been holding escaped me. And then, before I could stop myself, I threw my arms around him, burying my face into his chest. His arms wrapped around me just as tightly, his warmth enveloping me in a way that felt like home.

Neither of us spoke for a while. We didn’t need to. The quiet, the embrace, the way our hearts beat in sync - it said everything.

After a long moment, I pulled back just enough to look at him. "So, what now?" I whispered.

Vivaan’s lips quirked into a rare, genuine smile. "Now, we make this forever."

And as he leaned in, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to my forehead, I knew without a doubt that he meant it.

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