Dean still had no clue where Sejal was.
Her family refused to even hear his name anymore.
There was no way he could go to her house and ask.
His hands were tied, his heart restlessly searching.
From evening till night, Dean stood outside Sejal's hostel, unmoving.
The cold breeze brushed past him.
The area had slowly emptied out.
But Dean didn't take even one step away.
His silent wait for a single word from Sejal felt like the ultimate test of his love.
Meanwhile, Sejal was at Ken's private apartment.
She hadn't gone to college that day.
In fact, Ken had also skipped his classes, just to stay by her side.
But Sejal's behavior that day… was completely out of character.
That morning, she walked into the kitchen and, with an oddly wifelike tenderness, made tea and breakfast herself—for Ken.
As they sat at the table eating together, Sejal suddenly looked up and said with a soft smile,
> "Jaan, how's breakfast? I stepped into the kitchen for the first time today… just for you."
Ken couldn't believe what he was seeing or hearing.
Was this really the same Sejal who had always pushed him away, treating him like just a friend?
After breakfast, Sejal quietly cleared the table and started doing the dishes herself.
Ken immediately got up and said,
> "Sejal, you don't need to do this. There's a maid for all of it…"
But Sejal didn't say a word. She calmly finished everything, returned from the kitchen, and suddenly wrapped her arms around Ken from behind.
Ken froze.
And before he could react, Sejal gently pressed a kiss to his lips—soft, unexpected, and full of silent contradiction.
Ken stared at her wide-eyed, unable to believe that a moment he'd dreamed of for years was actually happening now.
He held her hand, looked into her eyes, and whispered,
> "Priyo, you don't have to do anything to prove yourself to me. I love you. That's enough. All I want… is for you to stay."
Sejal, with a strangely calm voice, replied,
> "That's exactly what I'm doing. I'm trying to keep everyone happy—my parents, my brother… and you."
Ken's voice dropped into something more intimate,
> "If you give love just once, Sejal, I'll give you the world. I swear."
But Sejal didn't say a word.
She just remained… quiet.
That night, they stayed in the same apartment.
Suddenly, Sejal turned to Ken and said something that sent another shock down his spine:
> "Tonight, I want to sleep with you."
Ken stepped back a little, visibly startled.
He immediately replied,
> "There's another room. Please, rest there comfortably. You don't have to stay with me in the same room. It wouldn't feel right…"
Ken knew that no matter how badly his heart craved to be near her, Sejal's current emotional state was tangled and fragile.
And he didn't want to make even a single decision… that could turn into a lifetime of regret.
---
To be continued…