ᴘʀᴏʟᴏᴜɢᴇ

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"In a world full of temporary things, you are my forever."

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"Miss Rajvardhan, do you take Mr. Morreti as your lawful husband?"

The priest's words echoed in my ears, each syllable striking against my chest like a silent drum. My palms, slick with nervous sweat, clenched tightly into trembling fists at my sides. I swallowed hard, a lump forming in my throat that refused to go away.

I was nervous - more than that, I was terrified. And yet, amidst the chaos of my racing heart and restless thoughts, there was something else stirring deep within me. A quiet voice, faint but persistent, asking isn't this what you always wanted?

After all, marrying my first love had once been a dream so vivid it painted my entire world in his colors. He was everything I had ever longed for; the boy I had promised my heart to in the reckless innocence of youth. But now, standing here before him, with his gaze fixed on me so softly, his eyes shining with emotion, I found myself questioning everything.

His eyes held a warmth I knew too well, and yet today there was something else behind them - something deeper, gentler, a vulnerability he rarely showed. And it made me weak. It made my resolve tremble.

He smiled then, and it was a smile so sincere, so heartbreakingly tender, it almost made me forget the turmoil within me. He had smiled more today than I had seen in months - maybe years. His words followed, sweet and full of hope, "From today, I'll have someone who is just mine."

But am I really his?

There was a time when those words would've set my heart ablaze, when I would've whispered yes without hesitation. But somewhere along the way, everything changed. I changed.

Because then, something happened.

And now, standing at this altar, faced with a promise I no longer had the heart to make, I realized something undeniable - I couldn't go through with this. Not like this. Not with a heart divided and a soul aching for something it couldn't name.

I took a deep, shaky breath. The weight of a hundred unspoken truths pressed down on my chest. "I can't do this," I whispered, the words barely audible, but they felt deafening in the silence that followed. That was all I could manage before turning away, my steps hurried as I left the church behind.

I didn't stop to see his face, to witness the heartbreak I knew would be etched in his expression. I just needed to get away.

I could hear him calling after me, his footsteps quickening, his voice desperate. "What's wrong? Why are you running away?"

And then he was in front of me, blocking my path, his face a mix of confusion and hurt. I couldn't meet his gaze. My eyes dropped to the floor, the world around us blurring.

"Everything is wrong," I murmured, my voice breaking.

The answer should have been simple. It should have been a yes or a no, clean and easy. But it wasn't. But my heart - my heart still hesitated, unwilling to say it aloud, even when the answer was there, quietly waiting.

I clenched my fists tighter, willing the words to come, but they didn't. And maybe that, in itself, was its own kind of answer.

Before he could ask anything else, I ran - I had no idea where to, I just needed to get away. My feet moved faster than my thoughts, and within minutes, I found myself at my university hostel. I took the stairs two at a time, desperate to reach the comfort of my room. My gown tangled around my legs, making it harder to move, but I didn't stop. I just needed to disappear into a corner of silence.

I finally spotted my room door at the far end of the corridor. I darted forward, clutching at my gown as I ran, barely keeping my balance. I reached the door and flung it open with such force that it slammed against the wall. Jahanvi flinched at the sudden sound.

"What is wrong with you?" she shouted, startled.

But I didn't answer. I ran straight to her and wrapped my arms around her tightly.

"What did you do now?" she asked, confused and concerned.

I didn't say a word. I just held on to her, needing someone - anyone - to make me feel safe, even if only for a little while. She didn't ask again. She just understood. We stayed like that for a long time, until the storm inside me finally began to settle.

"What happened to you?" she asked softly, once more.

This time, I answered. "I was about to do something terrible... but at the last moment, I came to my senses and ran."

Before she could respond, I cut her off with a forced smile. "Let's pick out your dress for tomorrow... for the last time. Who knows when we'll see each other again?"

Tomorrow is our graduation. A new beginning. And also an ending. We'll be parting ways - she and I, and also me and someone else... someone with whom I still don't know what we really are.

I picked up my phone and sent him a message:

"I'll be leaving tomorrow. Hope my work is done."

He saw it within seconds. No reply.

Somewhere deep down, I hoped he'd stop me.

But he didn't.

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"I don't even know why I'm at this party with you two," I muttered to my brother, who had dragged me along with him and Jahnavi.

"You're part of our architecture firm, remember? You should meet our new client," he replied, scanning the crowd for someone.

"I don't want to meet any client, Bhai. I'm leaving. Screw him," I snapped, turning to walk away-only to crash into a firm, manly chest.

Something about him felt oddly familiar. His cologne, his presence... and then I looked up.

"I'm sorry, I just-" The words died in my throat.

Those same hazel-brown eyes. The same sparkle in them.

Maybe I was imagining things. What would he even be doing here?

"Mr. Moretti, I'm really sorry. My sister's just a bit clumsy," Ruhaan Bhai said politely, then turned to me and mumbled, "Say sorry, Ruhaani."

But I couldn't move. I couldn't look away from him-and he wasn't looking away either.

I was stunned to see him here, but he wasn't. That smirk on his face-his signature smirk-was still there. His eyes said a thousand things I didn't want to believe.

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"Do you know what the best ride for kids is?" he asked, locking his gaze with mine. I felt naked under his stare - well, I am already half-naked, huh.

I shook my head innocently, clueless as hell. How the fuck did a kid's ride suddenly pop up in the middle of our love session? But his next words made me wetter than before.

"Your throat."

I gulped, hard. He said it so casually, while I sat there, blushing like a shy, dirty-minded mess.

How can this man talk so filthy to me... and how slutty am I to love it? I questioned myself. But then his mouth was on me again, making me lose all sense - lost in his wicked, sucking game.

Is this what people call heaven? If it is, then he's mine. All mine. Just like I am his.

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"You played with me," I whispered, my voice breaking. He shook his head, trying to explain - but my senses were already shattered. My heart... it was the one hurting the most. Why?

"Ruhaani," he said my name with that Italian lilt I once adored - but now, I hate it. I hate him. All men are the same in the end.

I'm not capable of love anymore. Not him, not anyone's. Once, I believed in him. Fought for him. And in the end, he turned me into a clown in front of everyone.

Love really makes you blind!!!

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"I don't know what's worse - losing you, or realizing you were never really mine."

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