Parallel Lines: a story of memory, silence, and first love

Some Goodbyes Don't Sound Like Goodbyes

In the pitch black, his breath hitched.
His eyes welled up.

But he didn't make a sound.
He couldn't.

Tiara Reaches Out

Then—softly, gently—Tiara reached for his hand.

As if she could feel the weight of it.

No words.
Just fingers threading into his, grounding him.

He flinched at first.
But then... melted.

She stepped closer.
And without asking—hugged him.

Tightly. Warmly.
Not as a lover.

But as someone who had once known the boy inside the man.

And for the first time in what felt like years—
the voices in his head went still.

Lights Return

A low buzz.
The electricity flickered back.

The elevator jolted.
Resumed its climb.

By the time the doors opened on the 5th floor—
something had shifted.

Not said aloud.
But real.

Kabir's Living Room – Later That Night

Everyone had settled in.
Lights low. A movie playing. Pillows everywhere.

Arvind lay on one couch, Kiara curled against him, her head on his chest.

Sahil and Ankita were tangled beneath a shared blanket, whispering and laughing.

Tiara and Kabir sat together too—her head barely resting on his shoulder.
Not quite distance.
But not closeness either.

Arvind glanced at her.
Tiara glanced back.

Their eyes met across the room—just for a second.
Then looked away.

Closing Narration

They were surrounded by love.
By comfort.
By people who cared.

But somewhere deep inside them—
that lift ride still echoed.

And the silence it held...
was louder than anything.

Act 6.3 – "The Truth That Was Always There"

Theme: Sometimes the heart knows before the mind is ready to listen.

Kabir's Living Room – Later That Night

The movie played on.
Laughter rose here and there.
The screen flickered with scenes of a couple holding hands, the room bathed in warm, golden light.

Kabir sat beside Tiara, her head just barely touching his shoulder.

She wasn't really watching the movie.
He wasn't either.

Because—out of the corner of his eye—he saw it.

The glance.

Tiara looking at Arvind.

It wasn't long.
It wasn't obvious.

But it wasn't nothing.

It was soft. Familiar. Quietly devastating.

Something Cracks

Kabir didn't say anything.
Didn't flinch. Didn't pull away.

But something in him cracked open—
like glass under pressure.

The questions he'd buried months ago rose again, this time with quiet, unbearable clarity:

Why did she always seem a little distant, even when she smiled?

Why did she freeze up when he said "I love you"?

Why did she never really talk about her past?

Now he knew.

She had loved someone.

Still did.

Inner Monologue – Kabir

"She never really loved me, did she?"
"Maybe she tried."
"Maybe she convinced herself she did."
"But love... real love... doesn't feel like this."

She wasn't cruel.
She wasn't selfish.

She just wasn't his.

Emotional Realization

Kabir looked at Arvind from across the room.
Kiara was curled against him, unaware of the storm brewing just feet away.

He wasn't jealous.
Not anymore.

He was just... tired.

Tired of pretending he didn't feel the distance.
Tired of filling a space in someone's heart that wasn't meant for him.

Because Arvind didn't just know Tiara.
He understood her.

From the inside out.

Kabir?
He only knew the version she let him see.

Acceptance

And maybe that was the most painful part.

Not that she loved someone else.

But that she never really gave him the chance
to be known.

Not fully.

And yet—he couldn't bring himself to break up with her.

He still loved her.
Even now.
Even knowing.

That Night

After everyone left, Tiara leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks for tonight," she whispered.

He smiled.
Tired. Gentle.

But something in his eyes was gone.

She didn't notice.
Or maybe she did—
and chose not to say anything.

Closing Lines

Sometimes heartbreak doesn't come crashing in.
Sometimes, it walks in quietly—

And sits beside you,
watching a movie
with the girl you love—

who never truly loved you back.