When Stars Align

distanced strings

And then, there was Manik-the quiet, distant version of him she couldn't reach. She had never seen him like this before. He was always the one who spoke first, who initiated the lighthearted moments that made their home feel alive. Today, his silence seemed like a reflection of all the things he hadn't said, all the feelings he had yet to express. She couldn't help but wonder if she had broken him, if her words and her actions had pushed him so far away that he couldn't find his way back.

As she sat there, lost in her thoughts, she finally mustered the courage to speak, her voice barely above a whisper. "Manik..." His name hung in the air between them, fragile and uncertain, like a prayer. But he didn't respond. He didn't even lift his gaze. The weight of that silence felt like a physical blow to her chest.

For a moment, Nandini sat there, her breath caught in her throat. The emptiness around her seemed to grow, filling the space between them with an unbearable tension. She wanted to reach out, to close the gap, but she wasn't sure if she could. She had hurt him in ways she didn't even fully understand, and now, it felt like all the hope she had held onto-hope for them, for their relationship-was slipping through her fingers, vanishing into the quiet of the room.

Her eyes stung with unshed tears, but she forced herself to look away, not wanting him to see her weakness. She needed to be strong, to be the one who made things right. But in that moment, she realized how much she still had to learn-not just about him, but about herself.

The minutes dragged on, each one heavier than the last, until Nandini couldn't bear it any longer. She pushed herself away from the table and stood up abruptly. She needed space, needed time to think, to figure out how to fix what she had broken. But as she turned to leave, she saw Manik's shoulders tense slightly, as though he were about to say something. She froze, hope sparking for just a moment, but then he simply took a breath and continued eating, his movements slow and measured. It was as if he had already made his decision: silence would be his response. And in that silence, Nandini felt the magnitude of the distance that had grown between them.

She walked away, her heart heavy with the realization that things wouldn't be easily fixed. Not today, not tomorrow. It was going to take more than just words to heal the rift she had created. And with every step she took away from him, she couldn't help but wonder if there was even a way back.

As Nandini walked out of the room, the weight of the silence hung heavily in the air, suffocating her with every step. She could still feel the lingering tension between them, as though the atmosphere had become thick with unspoken words, with unacknowledged hurt. The quiet seemed to follow her, a shadow that wouldn't let go. She wasn't sure where she was heading, but she knew she needed to get away, to give herself some space to think, to process.

Her mind raced with thoughts of what she had said, of how she had reacted the night before. The hurt in Manik's eyes, the way he had withdrawn into himself-it all seemed so much clearer now. She had always prided herself on being a logical person, someone who could handle situations with calm, calculated decisions. But last night, her emotions had completely taken control, and now, the aftermath was unraveling in ways she didn't know how to repair.

Nandini found herself in the living room, her eyes wandering over the familiar space that had once been filled with so much laughter and joy. She sank down onto the couch, her hands trembling slightly as she clasped them together. She knew she needed to reach out to him, but how? How could she undo the damage? Her thoughts turned to the past, to the memories that had started to resurface the night before. The way she had felt trapped in her own skin, the rawness of the emotions that had surged to the surface. Her past had a way of haunting her when she least expected it, pulling her into its grip with no warning.