When Stars Align

distanced strings

The soft, morning light filtered through the windows, casting a gentle glow on the familiar space. Nandini stepped out of the guest room, her simple salwar suit a quiet contrast to the turmoil churning inside her. It was Sunday, a day that had once been a time for shared laughter and warmth in their home, but today, it felt more like a cold, uncertain pause. She moved silently, feeling the weight of her own thoughts pressing heavily on her chest. The silence between her and Manik hung thick in the air, a reminder of the conversation that had never truly happened-the one she hadn't been able to have the night before.

"Morning, Ma, Pa," she greeted, her voice soft, almost tentative. She smiled faintly at Nyeonka and Samar, but her gaze quickly shifted, landing on Manik, who sat at the breakfast table, eating his meal with quiet deliberation. His usual carefree demeanor, his tendency to be the one to crack a joke or start a conversation, was nowhere to be seen. It was as though the light that had always seemed to radiate from him had dimmed overnight.

Nandini's heart twisted at the sight. She could tell by the way he sat, with his shoulders slightly hunched and his eyes focused on his plate, that he wasn't simply lost in thought. He was withdrawn, as though retreating into himself, perhaps shielding a part of him that had been hurt by her actions. The pain of that realization settled heavily within her, gnawing at her insides.

The night before, her behavior had been a reaction-impulsive, messy, and far from what she wanted it to be. But in that moment, when the room had felt too suffocating, when the sight of the candles and flowers had triggered memories she wasn't ready to face, her words had slipped out in a way that felt cold and unyielding. She had lashed out at him, not because she didn't care, but because she couldn't understand how to handle the flood of emotions she was feeling. She had hurt him, and the weight of that regret was more unbearable than she had imagined.

She wanted to go to him, to apologize, to explain that it wasn't him-it was the remnants of her past that had suddenly, painfully resurfaced. But as she stood there, watching him eat in silence, the words felt like they would be swallowed by the same chasm that seemed to have opened up between them. He didn't even glance up at her, his silence more damning than any words he could have said. It was as if he had built an invisible wall around himself, and Nandini couldn't help but feel the stinging truth: she had been the one to create it.

Sitting down at the table, Nandini pushed her food around on the plate, her appetite slipping away, overshadowed by the ache in her chest. She had expected him to be angry, perhaps frustrated, but this silence-this quiet withdrawal-was something she hadn't anticipated. She had always known him as the sunshine in their home, the one who could lift the mood with a smile or a quick joke. But today, there was nothing. His usually vibrant energy was absent, leaving behind a hollow space that made her feel like a stranger in the very place that was supposed to be their home.

Every time she glanced at him, she saw the way his gaze remained fixed on his food, his jaw clenched ever so slightly, as though he was holding something back-something he didn't want to share, not yet. And with each passing second, her guilt grew heavier. She had been too quick to react, too unwilling to let herself be vulnerable, and now, she was paying the price for it.

Nandini shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her fingers nervously tracing the edge of her cup. She wanted to reach out, to tell him how sorry she was, to explain how much she cared, but the words felt caught in her throat. The distance between them felt like an insurmountable gulf, one that she didn't know how to cross. Her mind raced, replaying the events of the previous night over and over again, each scene a painful reminder of how she had let her fear and past insecurities dictate her actions.

She wanted to make it right, but she didn't know where to begin. How could she apologize when she couldn't even fully explain why she had reacted the way she did? The truth was, she wasn't sure herself. The trauma she had buried so deep inside her had erupted unexpectedly, and now, it felt like she was struggling to regain control of the pieces of herself that had shattered in the wake of her own emotions.