A few days passed quietly, nothing significant shifting—just life moving forward, like pages turning on their own.
Tara thought things between her and Vedh would stay the same. But she was wrong. Somewhere between quiet conversations and stolen glances— Vedh had confessed to her. And somehow, Tara found herself saying yes. Somewhere along the way, her feelings for him had slowly grown. It wasn't sudden, but it was real. Whenever Vedh was around, the chaos in her mind seemed quieter.
Lav, on the other hand, chose to give Maya some space. He didn't rush anything, even though his feelings were slowly becoming harder to ignore. And Maya… Maya had started thinking about something she never thought she would. Proposing. She didn't know when it happened or how—but somewhere between everything, her feelings had grown too.
But soon enough, reality caught up again. Practicals were starting, submissions were lined up, and internal exams were right around the corner. The short break they had felt like it disappeared in seconds. Books were back on the table, alarms were set again, and the stress returned just as quickly. All four of them were drained.
Maya tried to stay on track, organizing everything like always, but even she couldn't hide the exhaustion. Tara kept staring at her notes, reading the same line again and again without understanding anything. Lav and Vedh joked around as usual, but it was obvious—they were tired too.
All four of them had gathered together to finish their assignments. Books, notes, and half-open laptops were scattered across the table while unfinished records and pens lay everywhere. The room was filled with tired sighs, random complaints, and occasional laughter as they struggled to stay focused. Even though the workload was exhausting, somehow, doing it together made it feel a little less unbearable. Soon, the room fell quiet again as everyone focused on their work.
The silence didn't last long.
"Arghhh! It feels like we just got a break… and it's already over," Tara groaned, dropping her pen.
"Welcome back to reality," Vedh muttered.
There was a brief silence.
Then Lav leaned back and said, "Okay, this is getting too much. We need a break."
No one disagreed this time. And that's how the plan for a night out at the exhibition came up—not as a random outing, but as a small escape from everything that had been suffocating them. By evening, all four of them reached the exhibition, ready to forget about college… at least for a few hours. They started with a few rides, teasing and laughing like they hadn't in a while. Slowly, the stress melted away. After some time, the two pairs naturally split up.
Lav and Maya walked toward the food aisle, surrounded by stalls selling everything from cotton candy to roasted corn. The colorful lights reflected in Maya's eyes as she looked around. Her stomach growled. "Wait… I'm hungry," she muttered. "I want sweet corn… but there's cotton candy too… no, wait—I want something sweet… but also salty…" she kept mumbling to herself, completely lost in her own dilemma.
Lav just watched her for a second, amused. Before she could decide, he quietly walked away. A moment later, he returned—holding both. "Here we go," he said, handing them to her. Maya blinked at the snacks in surprise before taking them.
"I'm telling you, you'll make me fat."
Lav smirked. "Good. Then you'll stop running away so fast all the time."
Maya stared at him for a second before narrowing her eyes. "Excuse me?"
He only laughed and took a bite of her cotton candy before she could react.
"Lav!" she gasped in disbelief.
"You were taking too long," he said innocently.
Maya scoffed and immediately held the sweet corn away from him protectively. "Touch this and we're fighting."
"Oh? So the corn is more important than me now?"
"Obviously." Lav placed a hand over his chest dramatically. "That hurts."
Maya let out a soft laugh, even though she tried not to. For a moment, everything felt light again. The noise of the exhibition faded into the background as they kept walking beside each other, teasing and stealing bites from each other's food like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Then Lav suddenly stopped.
Maya, too busy eating, didn't notice and walked straight into his back. "Ow—what happened? Why did you stop out of nowhere?" she complained, rubbing her forehead.
But Lav didn't respond.
Confused, Maya followed his gaze. At first, all she could see was a huge crowd moving around under the bright exhibition lights. But slowly, as people shifted aside, the scene became clearer.
A little boy, probably five or six years old, stood near a toy stall, excitedly pointing at colorful windmills spinning in the air. His father laughed softly before lifting him onto his shoulders. "Papa! That one! That one!" the boy shouted happily. A moment later, his mother walked over with a bright smile. "Look what I won for you!" she said, holding out a small prize. The little boy's eyes lit up in excitement. He quickly slid down from his father's shoulders and ran straight into his mother's arms.
It was such a small, simple moment. But Lav had gone completely still. Maya noticed the way his eyes had turned slightly watery under the lights. He quickly rubbed them, pretending nothing had happened. His jaw tightened slightly as if he was forcing himself not to break down right there.
Maya's expression softened instantly. She stepped closer beside him. "Are you okay?" she asked quietly, gently holding his hand.
Lav blinked, snapping himself out of his thoughts. He looked away for a second before nodding a little too quickly. "Yeah," he murmured. "I'm fine." But his voice cracked at the end. Lav sniffed quietly and wiped his eyes again before forcing a small smile toward Maya. His fingers gently caressed her hand.
"I know you're probably thinking… why is this idiot crying over nothing."Maya stayed silent, confused and worried, but she didn't interrupt him. She simply let him speak.
Lav hesitated, then looked at Maya. "I have to tell you something…" he cleared his dry throat and said softly, "I hate this… and it still hurts," his voice raw and uneven. "My parents fell out of love. They failed as husband and wife… and honestly, as parents too." He looked down for a second. "They both cheated on each other. But that wasn't even the worst part."
He let out a dry, humorless laugh. "They kept gaslighting each other… dragging me into every fight like I was some piece of furniture stuck in the middle."
Maya's grip around his hand tightened slightly. "They cared more about winning arguments than being decent human beings," he continued quietly. "And eventually… they both went their separate ways." His lips trembled. "Neither of them wanted me."
The moment the words left his mouth, he broke down completely. Maya immediately pulled him into a hug, gently patting his back while listening silently. Lav buried his face near her shoulder, his voice muffled as he continued. "I still remember all those horrible fights… the screaming…" he whispered shakily. "I couldn't even sleep peacefully. Not even for a single night."
He paused for a moment before speaking again, softer this time. "You know what's weird?" he murmured, unconsciously leaning closer to her warmth and comfort. "I'm not even mad at them anymore." His grip on her waist tightened slightly. "I'm just… tired." Maya closed her eyes for a second, still gently patting his back as she listened carefully. Then he suddenly stopped speaking and swallowed hard.
"Can I get some water?" he asked quietly. "My throat feels like there's a knife stuck in it." Maya quickly handed him a water bottle. Lav took a few gulps, trying to force down the lump in his throat.
Maya was struggling to hold back her own tears now. "You went through a lot…" she whispered softly, gently holding his chin to make him look at her. "But trust me—you're one of the nicest, purest, most caring people I've ever met." Lav looked at her quietly. "And I really lo—" She stopped herself instantly. Maya panicked slightly and looked away. "I mean… like you. As a friend."
Lav slowly raised an eyebrow, clearly suspicious. Before he could say anything, Maya quickly continued speaking. "Anyways—you were telling something," Maya said quickly, avoiding his eyes as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
Lav kept staring at her for a moment, clearly unconvinced. A tiny smirk almost appeared on his face despite everything. But he let it go. "Yeah…" he muttered softly, leaning back slightly. "So… as I was saying…" He looked down at the half-empty water bottle in his hands, twisting the cap. "My dad used to tell me I had a step-sister." His jaw tightened slightly. "But my mom always said he was lying." A bitter smile appeared on his face. "I was stuck in the middle… not knowing who to trust." He went quiet again. "Then after they separated…" his voice lowered, "a random group of people killed my dad." Maya froze. "And my mom…" he whispered, looking away. "I don't even know where she is anymore… I don't even think I matter to her."
Maya held onto Lav's arm, her eyes filled with tears. Lav looked at her quietly for a moment. He gently pulled her into a hug, his hand slowly moving over her back, almost like he was trying to comfort her more than himself. "Ohh… sorry, did I make you cry?" he said softly, a small helpless smile forming. "My poor little thing… come here."
She clung to him tightly. Before she could respond, "It's okay," he whispered softly, stepping closer. "Maybe love just isn't written for me… maybe I'm not capable of love." "Sometimes… I wonder if I'm just meant to lose people." Maya's grip tightened. Lav's eyes looked far away as he continued. "What if everyone I care about… just leaves?"
Maya immediately pulled back slightly, holding his face firmly so he would look at her. "Hey—no," she said, voice sharper now. "Don't say that." But Lav gave a small, tired smile, like he didn't fully believe her. Maya shook her head quickly. "No. Not at all. I won't let that happen," she said, trying to sound confident. Then, in a rush, she added, "I mean—I'll find someone for you. Someone who won't leave."
Lav let out a soft, broken chuckle, tears still in his eyes. "Are you okay, madam ji? What is happening to you?"
"Yeah… yeah, I'm fine," she replied quickly, still holding onto him like she was afraid he'd disappear.
Then suddenly, her expression shifted—more determined now. "You're such a damn warrior, Lav. Whatever happens from now on… I'll take care of it. I'll protect you." She even flexed her arms slightly, trying to lighten the heaviness. Lav facepalmed, letting out a real laugh this time—small, but genuine. Maya gently held his jaw, making him look at her again. "You look so precious when you smile," she said softly. "So you have to keep smiling… it suits you." And slowly, she loosened her hold… breaking the hug gently.
Lav smiled faintly. And for once, neither of them said anything—they just walked side by side, letting the noise of the exhibition fade behind them.