The airport was louder than my thoughts, yet all I could hear was his silence.
Maya stood near the boarding gate, her suitcase at her side, eyes fixed on the endless crowd. People rushed past, dragging their bags, calling out goodbyes, unaware of the small but heavy drama unfolding near Gate 12. But for her, everything had slowed down. Every moment stretched, filled with unspoken words and memories she wasn't ready to leave behind.
"Are you sure about this?" Arjun's voice was soft, almost breaking, but steady enough to hide the tremor she knew existed beneath his calm. His hand held hers a little too tightly, fingers intertwined as if trying to physically stop her from walking away.
"I have to," Maya whispered, her voice trembling, betraying the strength she tried so hard to show. "I promised myself this is the only way I can build something better… for us, for me."
Arjun exhaled slowly, letting go of her hand in the smallest gesture of release, though the look in his eyes said everything words couldn't. He wanted to scream at her, beg her to stay, but he knew it wouldn't matter. Not anymore. Not if she had made up her mind.
They stood in silence for a moment, the kind of silence that weighs heavier than any conversation. The background noise of rolling suitcases, announcements, and hurried footsteps blurred into the distance. Only they existed here, two souls on the edge of separation.
Maya adjusted the strap of her bag and looked at him one last time. Memories flashed in her mind: the rainy nights they spent walking home, laughter echoing through empty streets, promises whispered under dim lights. And now, those memories felt like fragile glass—beautiful but easily shattered by distance.
"You'll come back, right?" Arjun finally asked, the question simple yet loaded with the weight of everything they hadn't said.
"I'll try," she said, forcing a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "But we both know… life doesn't always follow the plans we make."
He nodded slowly, swallowing the lump in his throat. "Then promise me one thing."
"What?"
"That no matter where life takes you, you won't forget us. Not the way we were, not the way we dreamed."
Maya's lips pressed together, fighting back tears. "I promise."
The boarding call echoed over the speaker: "Flight 374 to London, final boarding call."
It was time. Maya took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders, and turned toward the gate. Every step felt heavier than the last, like the weight of a thousand goodbyes dragging her forward. She glanced back once more, and their eyes met for a fraction of a second. In that moment, no words were needed—they both knew this was the beginning of a journey that would test everything they had ever known about love and distance.
As she walked through the gate, the world shifted around her. The roar of the engines, the bright fluorescent lights, the hurried passengers—it all faded into a blur. Only the echo of his voice lingered in her mind: "I'll wait."
And she wondered… would waiting be enough?
Maya found her seat by the window and stared outside, watching the city she had always called home shrink into the distance. Buildings, streets, familiar faces—all passing by, becoming memories she could no longer hold. Her heart ached, a quiet, persistent pain that grew with every passing mile.
She didn't notice the tears slipping down her cheeks until the flight attendant gently tapped her shoulder. "Sir, would you like a blanket?"
She shook her head, focusing on the horizon. London was a promise, a chance, a future. But her mind kept drifting back to Arjun, to the city, to the life she left behind. She pressed her hands together and whispered into the empty cabin, "I hope I'm doing the right thing. I hope this makes us stronger… not weaker."
Hours passed, and the world outside changed from city lights to the soft glow of the moon reflecting off clouds. Maya tried to sleep, tried to imagine the future she had envisioned for herself. But sleep evaded her, and all she could do was replay every conversation, every laugh, every tear with him.
When dawn broke, the plane descended toward London, its skyline unfamiliar yet promising. Maya gripped her bag tighter, steeling herself for the new life waiting on the other side. She had left behind a man she loved, a city she cherished, and memories that felt like they belonged to another lifetime.
And yet… somewhere deep inside, a small hope whispered that maybe, just maybe, love could survive the distance, survive the years, and survive everything life threw at them.
Because no matter how far she went, the echo of his words followed her: "I'll wait."