Time has a strange way of moving—it can feel like forever in pain, but like seconds in happiness.
For Sanya and Akhil, the next few years were filled with joy. They laughed at small things, celebrated each other's achievements, and painted memories across every corner of their youth. They went to concerts, movies, temples, and late-night walks where dreams felt real.
To anyone watching, theirs was a perfect love story.
But in the background, a shadow slowly faded away.
Ram had stopped visiting Sanya's home as often. His cheerful greetings turned into distant nods. His long conversations became short, polite replies. He was slipping further into the silence of his own world, but no one seemed to notice.
At first, Sanya thought he was just busy.
At first, Akhil thought Ram just needed space.
But as weeks turned into months, and months into years, Ram was no longer just missing from their days—he was missing from their lives.
One afternoon, nearly six years later, fate decided to intervene.
Akhil was walking through the crowded marketplace when he spotted a familiar figure by a small shop. His heart skipped a beat.
"Ram?"
The man turned. He was older now, thinner, with weariness in his eyes. But that smile—the same gentle smile from childhood—still lingered.
"Akhil…" Ram said softly, almost surprised.
Akhil rushed over, gripping his shoulders. "Where have you been all these years? We thought you disappeared!"
Ram chuckled faintly. "I'm around. Just… keeping to myself."
Akhil frowned. "You could've at least told us. Sanya—she worries, you know."
Ram's expression flickered for a moment, but he quickly masked it. "She's happy, right? That's all I wanted."
There was a silence. Then Akhil's voice dropped.
"You loved her, didn't you?"
Ram froze. His lips parted, but no words came. For years, he had buried those feelings, convincing himself they didn't matter anymore. But standing before his old friend, the truth cracked through.
His eyes glistened, and his voice trembled. "Yes… I did. I still do. But now what? She belongs to you. And I'm still happy—happy that she found someone who gives her the world."
Akhil's chest tightened at the honesty in Ram's voice. It was a strange mix of admiration and guilt. How could someone love so deeply, yet ask for nothing in return?
Before Akhil could say anything more, Ram smiled faintly and added, "Don't tell her. Let her keep smiling. That's enough for me."
And just like that, Ram walked away, leaving Akhil standing in the marketplace, heart heavy with the weight of a secret he never asked to carry.
That night, Akhil looked at Sanya differently. She was laughing at something silly on her phone, her face glowing in the soft lamplight. And all he could think was—if only she knew how much Ram had loved her in silence.