The cool night breeze swept through the open balcony, carrying with it the soft hum of distant traffic and the faint rustling of trees. Yuvika sat on the cozy swing, her favorite kulfi in hand, relishing every bite of the cool, creamy treat as the warmth of Neil’s presence next to her made the moment even more perfect. The sky above was dotted with stars, but to her, the most serene sight was the calm, thoughtful look on Neil’s face as he wrote in his journal.
“You know,” she said, breaking the peaceful silence, “I love nights like these. The days are so hectic, but moments like this… with you, it makes everything better.”
Neil glanced up from his journal and smiled, the kind of smile that reached his eyes. “Yeah. It does make it all worth it, doesn’t it?”
They shared a comfortable silence before Neil’s tone grew more serious. He closed his journal, turning his gaze fully on her, his expression suddenly thoughtful, almost vulnerable. “Yuvika…” he hesitated, looking down at his hands. “If… if I ever left you alone, would you remember me? The way I did for you, when you pretended to be dead for a whole year?”
Yuvika’s breath caught, the question tugging at the delicate threads of her heart. She shifted uncomfortably, not expecting the conversation to take such a morbid turn. Death was a subject she usually avoided, especially with Neil. But the vulnerability in his voice, the way his eyes searched hers for reassurance, made her pause.
She hesitated for a moment, her voice softening as she placed her hand on his. “Neil… I don’t like talking about death, especially yours. But if you ever left… of course, I’d remember you. How could I not?”
Without a word, Neil pulled her into a tight embrace, wrapping his arms around her as if to shield her from the very idea of them ever being apart. Yuvika melted into his embrace, her head resting against his chest as she listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. It was grounding, comforting — the one constant in a world that sometimes felt chaotic.
After a long moment, Neil pulled back slightly and looked into her eyes, his face softened by the glow of the night. “Thank you,” he whispered.
He gently pulled away and opened his journal again, the pen moving across the page with a new sense of purpose. Yuvika watched as he scribbled something down, curiosity piqued.
“What are you writing?” she asked, smiling at the concentration on his face.
Neil glanced up, a small, almost shy smile tugging at his lips. “Just a little something inspired by what you said.”
He turned the journal toward her, and she read the short poem he’d just penned:
"If one day I must walk alone,
Would your heart remember the tone
Of quiet nights and whispered fears,
Of stolen moments and wiped tears?
If I should fade, would you still see
The love we shared, the quiet 'we'?"
Yuvika’s heart swelled as she read the words, each line a reflection of their connection. She reached out and brushed a stray lock of hair from Neil’s forehead, her touch tender.
“It’s beautiful, Neil,” she whispered. “Just like you.”
Neil grinned softly, closing the journal and placing it beside him. He pulled her close once more, their hearts aligned as the night breeze carried away the unspoken promises of a love that would endure, no matter what.
The wedding bells echoed in the grand hall as the soft chanting of the priest filled the air. Yuvika and Yash, dressed in elaborate wedding attire, were circled by the warmth of the sacred fire, taking their holy pheras — the promises binding them for life. The atmosphere was festive, with smiles lighting up every face, but not all were pleased.
In the back, Gargi Mahajan and DJ stood, their expressions tight as they watched the Nagars exchange happy glances. It was an unspoken tension between the families, but it was palpable in the way Gargi’s lips thinned every time she glanced at the bride and groom.
"I can't believe DB asked us to fetch the shagun," Gargi muttered under her breath, the annoyance evident in her tone. DJ nodded, his eyes dark with irritation, but neither of them dared defy DB’s request.
Reluctantly, they made their way to Yuvika's room, the laughter and joy of the wedding fading as they entered the quieter, more personal space. Yuvika's belongings were neatly arranged, untouched by the chaos of the celebration downstairs.
Gargi’s eyes fell on a family heirloom — a *khandani* brooch — a piece that had been passed down through generations, its intricate design gleaming in the light. She picked it up, turning it over in her hand, her expression softening for a moment.
“Perfect for the shagun,” she said, tucking it carefully into a box. But while Gargi focused on the heirloom, DJ's gaze wandered, eventually landing on a small, well-worn diary tucked inside Yuvika’s wardrobe. He frowned, curiosity getting the better of him as he picked it up.
His eyes skimmed over the first few pages before stopping at a familiar passage. It was written in Neil’s handwriting, the short poem.
DJ felt a pang in his heart as he read the words. Neil had been gone from their lives for a while, and yet, here he was — lingering in the quiet corners of Yuvika’s life. Memories of Neil stirred in his chest, the forgotten presence of someone who had meant so much, now reduced to faded words in an old diary. The pain of it hit him harder than he expected, like a dull ache that wouldn’t quite leave.
Closing the diary, DJ’s eyes darkened with an unsettling realization. Yuvika, now standing beside Yash, was seeking blessings from the elders. The image of her, a radiant bride in Yash’s arms, contrasted sharply with the delicate, intimate words Neil had once written for her.
DJ walked downstairs, the diary clutched tightly in his hand, each step heavier than the last. He watched as Yuvika and Yash knelt, touching the feet of their elders, their smiles bright and unburdened by the weight of the past. The ceremony was almost complete, the pheras taken, the rituals performed.
But something churned within him — a bitter cocktail of regret, anger, and grief. How had Neil’s memories faded so easily? How had Yuvika moved on, leaving behind everything that once mattered? The diary in his hand suddenly felt like a relic of a life that had no place in the world anymore.
Sneaking past the guests, DJ made his way toward the sacred fire around which Yuvika and Yash had just completed their pheras. With a swift, almost practiced motion, he tossed the diary into the flames, watching as the pages curled and blackened in the heat. The words, once etched with so much meaning, disintegrated into ash, lost forever in the sacred fire.
As the flames consumed Neil’s memories, DJ’s face remained impassive, but deep within him, the hollow ache of what had been lost — and the choice to let it burn — lingered.
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And with this I sign off from the forum and as a writer for this ship.
NeiVika are always going to remind me not to attach myself with any show or a couple. They're my red signal for expecting anything positive from ITV. I had plans to write an OS on their shaadi, suhagrat, post marriage life and what not but....chodho!
I don't expect AnHit to work with e/o again but I hope they do, someday
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