Elina's thoughts were still spinning after the library.
Bhagyavir's words—
"I don't like unfinished things."
"You."
They wouldn't leave her alone.
She turned into the empty corridor, hoping for a moment to breathe.
"Running away?"
His voice.
Bhagyavir.
Right behind her.
Elina stopped. Slowly turned. "I'm not running."
He stepped closer—not touching her, but close enough that she could feel the tension in the air.
"Then why do you look like you are?" he asked calmly.
Her heart raced. "Because you're making everything complicated."
"I'm making it clear," he replied.
Elina shook her head. "No. You're controlling everything—what people say, what happens—like it's all some plan."
Bhagyavir didn't deny it.
Instead, he stepped slightly closer, his gaze steady, intense.
"And yet," he said quietly,
"you're still here."
Her breath caught.
She didn't move.
Didn't step away.
And that scared her more than anything.
"Why me?" she asked, her voice barely steady.
"Because you're the only one who doesn't pretend," he answered instantly.
The air between them felt heavy now—charged, unspoken things filling the silence.
"Bhagyavir… this isn't right," she whispered.
For the first time—his calm cracked, just slightly.
"What isn't?"
"The way you're doing this. The way you make everything feel like there's no other option."
He held her gaze.
"There isn't," he said softly.
"Stop," she said, firmer now. "You don't get to decide that for me."
A pause.
A long one.
Then he stepped back.
Just enough.
Enough to give her space.
And that's when—
Someone saw them.
Abhinav.
Standing at the end of the corridor.
Frozen.
His eyes moved between them—
Elina, shaken but standing
Bhagyavir, calm but intense
And something inside him snapped.
"So this is what's going on?" Abhinav's voice was sharp, hurt cutting through every word.
Elina turned quickly. "Abhinav, it's not—"
"Not what?" he interrupted. "Not exactly what it looks like?"
Bhagyavir didn't say a word.
Didn't defend.
Didn't explain.
He just watched.
Abhinav laughed bitterly. "Wow. I thought I was overthinking… but I wasn't, was I?"
"Elina, tell him," she said, stepping forward. "It's not like that."
But Abhinav shook his head. "No. Don't."
His voice dropped.
"I don't want to hear something you're not sure about."
Silence.
Heavy. Painful.
Abhinav looked at Bhagyavir.
"You planned all this, didn't you?"
Bhagyavir's expression didn't change.
"I didn't force anything," he said calmly.
"That's worse," Abhinav snapped. "You didn't have to."
Elina felt like everything was falling apart.
"I didn't choose anything yet!" she said, her voice breaking.
Both of them went silent.
Because that was the truth.
Abhinav looked at her one last time.
And this time…
There was no anger.
Just hurt.
"Then figure it out," he said quietly.
And he walked away.
Elina stood there, frozen.
Caught between two worlds—
One that felt safe but was slipping away.
And one that felt intense… but overwhelming.
Bhagyavir's voice came again, softer now.
"He'll come back."
Elina didn't look at him.
"And if he doesn't?" she asked.
A pause.
Then—
"Then you'll know who stayed."
But for the first time—
Elina wasn't sure if staying was enough anymore.