The Story of Us
The friends were insistent, circling Aryan's bedside like reporters.
"Enough of the ambiguous love," Jay demanded. "You two finally owe us the real story. How exactly did the proposal happen?"
Ayra nestled her head onto Aryan's shoulder, a gesture that spoke volumes. "You tell them, Aryan. It's a better story coming from the king."
Aryan took a moment, a wave of nostalgia washing over him. "You all know I used to dabble in writing stories. A few years back, on May 18th, I asked Ayra to narrate a story for me. She refused at first, but I was relentless."
He smiled at the memory. "She finally relented. Her story was about a boy and a girl. She cleverly wove in several incidents only we knew about. Finally, she arrived at the crux: the girl loves the boy, but fear keeps her from expressing it. Whenever the boy proposes, she rejects him while secretly storing his words of love in her heart. She wants him to guide her life, to be her king, but she fears her family might not accept. She just doesn't want to lose him."
He stopped, emotion welling up. "When Ayra reached that point, I stopped her. I told her, 'The boy might have failed before, but he understands perfectly now.' That was it. The moment I had waited for. It came true in that story."
His voice grew softer, reminiscent of the day itself. "I couldn't resist. I pulled Ayra into my arms, telling her I loved her more than ever. My eyes were wet with happy tears; my heartbeat was a drum solo. I felt like I was flying through pleasant sunlight, rolling on powdered snow in summer. I just held her."
Ayra gently pulled away, her cheeks flushed. The friends were on the edge of their seats. "You two hugged?" Jay asked, astonished.
Ayra looked at them with a mock-childish tone. "He hugged me. I didn't hug him. My mind froze completely. But I felt it all. I felt our souls combine, our heartbeats become simultaneous—like having two hearts beating in unison."
She closed her eyes briefly. "Aryan slowly lifted my head with his cool palms and kissed my forehead. My heart rate suddenly increased. I wished I could shout to express everything, but I restricted myself. My eyes welled up with tears because I had restricted all this love for too many years. Then, finally, I came out of the trance, hugged him in return, and told him that I loved him more and more."
The Shadow of the Past
Ayra's expression turned slightly subdued. "Things were wonderful after that. Only a few people knew we were seeing each other. But then, one moment changed everything. We distanced ourselves for a few days. I don't even fully understand why he did what he did."
She continued quietly. "After we reconciled, I told him we should go back to being 'best friends,' not 'lovers,' to protect ourselves. But he proved that statement false. And now we are here."
Aryan's mother, deeply invested, asked, "Aryan never mentioned this incident. What happened?"
Aryan quickly intervened, a protective seriousness in his voice. "Memories weigh the heart when they are bitter, and they lighten the heart when they are sweet. Let's leave that bitter incident buried. We don't need to recall it now."
Understanding the signal, the friends and family left to let him rest.
The Mystery of Anya and Riha
Dr. Runa lingered, her expression serious. "I'm genuinely happy for you, Aryan. But I have to ask one thing. The 'Riha' issue—what was the story behind her? You loved Ayra so much. Why did the necessity for Riha come into your life?"
Aryan sighed, looking away. "That entire tragedy, Runa, was for my sister, Anya. The whole track—it started for her, and it ended when the objective was complete. That is enough to tell you. I won't share this with anyone, not even Ayra. Let this be my secret."
"For your sister?" Runa exclaimed, confused.
"Yes. She is the only accepted sister in my life, and I love her deeply. When everyone else abandoned me after my initial fall, Anya, though she initially misunderstood me, eventually came back and gave me hope. I never felt true pain when the fair-weather friends left, Runa, but it tore me apart when she misunderstood me."
"Does Ayra know any of this?" Runa asked.
Aryan gave a short, closed smile. "No. She never asked, and I never told her. Anya is a unique, singular relation to me. That's why I only ever accept her as 'Sister.'"
"That's beautiful," Runa said. "Then what about Ayra?"
Aryan reached out, touching the place over his heart. "Ayra is the queen of my heart, my everything. My blood carries my love for her. For her, I started my journey, and for her, I will end. Aryan without Ayra is a body without the soul. The soul may exist without the body, but the body cannot survive without the soul."
He called out to Ayra, who was standing just outside the door. "Ayra! Many people walked through my heart, but no one left footprints like you."
The truth of his love, now fully defined and confessed, was enough for Ayra. The queen had taken her throne.