"Grief buries the body.
But love… it stays breathing, even in silence."
---
The next 24 hours passed like a dream she never wanted to remember.
The hotel.
The sirens.
The fire.
And the sound of Rohit's last breath in her arms.
Avni had seen pain before, but this?
This was something she couldn't name.
It wasn't heartbreak.
It was soul-shatter.
---
⚰️ The Funeral
The day of the cremation, Avni wore a white saree.
But inside, she was already ashes.
She sat still — like a statue beside the fire that would take her husband away.
And in the distance, stood Mohsin.
Not as a lover.
Not as the past.
But as the only man who still knew what was behind her silence.
---
He didn't approach.
He didn't force words.
He just stood…
Watching the girl he once loved
grieve the man who loved her now.
And when the fire lit the sky,
Avni looked up — only once.
Right at him.
Eyes met.
He saw guilt.
She saw regret.
But neither said a word.
---
🌧️ The Aftermath
That evening, after the rituals, she sat on the empty terrace of her home — alone.
Mohsin found the courage to come closer.
> "Main chala jaaun?"
"Ya ruk jaaun…?"
She didn't look at him.
Didn't cry either.
Her voice was cracked, low… almost not there.
> "Tumhe lagta hai main tumse pyaar karti hoon?"
"Tumhe lagta hai tum waapas aake sab theek kar sakte ho?"
"Mohsin… main toot gayi hoon."
"Mujhe thoda waqt chahiye… bina tumhare. Bina kisi ke."
"Let me grieve in peace."
He nodded softly.
And left.
Not in anger.
Not in pain.
But in quiet respect for her storm.
---
✍️ The Letters He Never Sent
For the next two months, Mohsin stayed away.
He didn't call.
He didn't text.
But every night…
He wrote.
One letter. Every day.
Letters never meant for postage — only for healing.
---
🖋️ Letter 1
> Avni,
I hope you're eating.
I hope your plants still bloom.
I hope the sky hasn't turned grey in your heart.
You once said I bring storms.
I never wanted to be thunder.
Just your rain.
---
🖋️ Letter 3
> Avni,
Today I saw a girl with your eyes.
She laughed. And I realized how long it's been since you did.
I'm not writing to come back.
I'm just writing so you don't forget —
Someone still waits… without asking anything back.
---
🖋️ Letter 6 (Final One)
> Avni,
Rohit was right.
No one can love you more than I do and still walk away.
I will never forgive myself for being the lie that broke your truth.
But if you ever want to find me —
I'll still be where you left me.
Loving you…
Silently.
– Forever, Mohsin
---
He folded the letters, placed them in a wooden box — and kept them near his heart.
He never posted them.
But something inside him whispered…
> "One day… she'll come back.
And she'll want to know if I ever stopped loving her."
And that day…
He would hand her every word.
---