That evening, the house was glowing with celebration.
Colorful lights shimmered across the courtyard. Flower garlands framed the doorway. The rich aroma of spices drifted from the kitchen. Laughter and loud conversations of relatives filled every corner.
But Jesmine's room was strangely quiet.
She sat before the mirror, draped in a red saree, a small bindi resting on her forehead, bangles circling her wrists. Outside, the soft cry of the shehnai floated through the air—yet it felt distant, as if the sound could not quite reach her.
Looking into her own reflection, she whispered,
"Are you really going to belong to someone else tonight?"
Her heart pounded hard against her chest, but her eyes remained dry.
There were no tears—only a strange, unshakable stillness.
Inside the drawer of her dressing table lay a small folded piece of paper.
Yash's old handwriting, slightly faded:
"As long as I breathe, I am yours."
A knock echoed at the door.
"Jesmine, are you ready?"
She took a deep breath.
And then—
Later that night, when the noise grew louder and attention shifted elsewhere, Jesmine slowly opened her door and stepped out.
No one noticed.
—
Meanwhile—
Since hearing the news, Yash had been racing like a man possessed. He knew one thing: if he didn't reach her tonight, everything would end.
His bike tore through the nearly empty city roads. The wind struck his face, blurring his vision. His eyes filled with water—whether from the rushing air or from fear, he couldn't tell.
On his phone screen, her final message glowed:
"I'll wait. At the riverside."
Suddenly—
A strange, blinding light appeared ahead.
The sharp screech of brakes.
The violent scrape of rubber against asphalt.
Then—a deafening crash.
Everything went dark.
But a few moments later…
He found himself standing.
There was a crowd gathered at the side of the road.
Someone lay motionless on the ground.
People were shouting, panicking.
Yash stepped closer.
But strangely—no one looked at him.
No one reacted to his presence.
A cold realization crept into his chest.
Without thinking further, he turned and ran toward the river.