Shadows in the Light

RECAP:-

After days of silence and distance, Maira finally finds the courage to express her feelings through handwritten letters, carefully placing them in Krish's bag or along his path. Though Krish initially avoids contact, he quietly reads her words — slowly letting his guard down. A new friend, Raghav, enters Krish's life and gently encourages him to open up about what's weighing on him.

Eventually, Krish decides to meet Maira face-to-face — with the help of a familiar auto driver — and they talk openly for the first time. Their bond begins to bloom in secret, within the safety of their daily auto rides. Over the next three months, this shared routine turns into something beautiful. During this time, Maira grows close to Raghav as well, forming a friendship that seems harmless... for now.

And when birthdays arrive in the same month — Krish surprises Maira with a meaningful gift, while she gives him something even deeper: her first hug and kiss. Their story, once hidden in folded letters, begins to unfold into something real… and fragile.

Let us enter into the story...

The love story of Krish and Maira bloomed gently in the early days of the new term. Their bond had grown stronger with every shared glance, every ride back home, every word spoken and unspoken. There was something sacred in the silence they shared, something comforting in the rhythms of their quiet togetherness.

Krish began to smile more often now — faintly, softly, like someone learning how to feel light after being under a storm. Maira, too, opened up more each day. They often sat in the quietest corners of the college during lunch, sharing stories, laughter, and the occasional poem. Their rides home in the auto were no longer silent journeys — they were tiny chapters in a growing story of trust.

Their bond deepened with time, not just in words but in the way they looked at each other, in the comfort of shared silence, in the small rituals they built together — walking down the same lane, exchanging knowing glances during class, or holding hands for just a second too long. They lived in moments, and those moments were pure.

But happiness, as always, was short-lived in Krish's world.

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One evening, while Krish sat sketching under the Gulmohar tree, a message reached his home — a message that would shake the peace he was slowly beginning to build.

A lecturer from his college, Mr. Kumaraswamy, had visited Krish's neighborhood. As someone close to a few of Krish's uncles, he casually joined a gathering at their home. Over chai and snacks, he spoke lightly at first — praising some students, complaining about others. But then, the conversation took a sharp, dangerous turn.

"Krish?" he said, sipping his tea.

"He's distracted these days. Not at all the sincere boy you think he is. You know, there are rumors about him and a Muslim girl in the college. Maira, I think. They sit together, leave together. Not the kind of focus we expect from him."

The words fell like stones into a quiet pond. Small ripples at first… but they would grow.

Krish's relatives were quick to react.

"So he's spoiling his career for a love story?" one said.

"Shameful. Bringing such disgrace to the family," another added.

By the time his father heard, the story had been twisted into a tale of betrayal.

The Fire at Home

That night, Krish walked into a storm.

His father sat waiting — eyes narrowed, voice cold. "So this is why you go to college? For girls?"

Krish blinked, confused. "What?"

"Don't act innocent," his uncle barked. "Your sir came today. He told us everything. That girl, Maira. What shame are you bringing to our family?"

Krish tried to explain, but no one listened. His mother stood silently in the background, her eyes filled with hurt — not anger, just quiet pain. And that hurt broke Krish more than the words ever could.

Over the next few days, the atmosphere at home became unbearable. His father stopped speaking to him. His relatives mocked him indirectly during meals. Even his cousins looked at him differently now.

The once peaceful household now felt like a courtroom. Every word Krish spoke was dissected. Every action was judged. The walls seemed to close in, pressing down on him with the weight of unmet expectations.

He stopped drawing. Stopped talking much. He didn't even tell Maira about it.

Not because he didn't trust her — but because he didn't want to stain their happiness with the dirt of his personal mess.

He would spend hours at the local park or on the terrace, simply staring into the emptiness. It was in those silent hours that he felt the void growing inside him. He knew something was slipping away, but he wasn't sure how to hold onto it anymore.

Krish Fades

In class, Krish became a shadow. He stopped sitting with Maira, choosing instead a back corner of the room. She noticed, of course. She sent him letters asking what was wrong. But he never replied.

She waited near the auto stand. He never came.

She asked Raghav.

And Raghav simply said, "He is facing something difficult. Give him some time."

But even as Krish faded from her life, someone else began to rise.

One day, Maira left a small hand-drawn card on Krish's desk — nothing poetic, just a smiley face with a "Don't disappear on me."

Krish looked at it for minutes but eventually left it on the desk. That small act of neglect hurt Maira more than she showed.

Krish spent more time alone, wandering the corridors long after lectures ended, sitting on deserted benches with his mind swirling in thoughts. The sketchbook remained closed, gathering dust. The boy who once found beauty in the world now saw only grey.

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The Other Side of the Story

There was another person who began to message Maira every evening. Someone who made her laugh. Who listened to her when she spoke. Who checked in on her if she seemed low. Someone who slowly became a daily presence.

And slowly… someone she started to depend on.

She know very well who he is. They both didn't revealed it. He said, "Let's just be friends like this for now. No names. Just honesty."

They met twice, in secret. In crowded public spaces, like the college corridor or during short breaks. Both times, he wore a hoodie, keeping his face half hidden. But his voice was familiar. His manner of speaking made her feel like she had known him for years.

He said things about Krish that made her think.

"Do you really think he cares for you like you do for him?"

"He has been ignoring you for days. You deserve better."

Maira didn't reply much. But his words stayed with her.

And slowly, doubt crept in.

She began to compare the unknown texter's attention to Krish's silence. His consistent presence to Krish's absence. She didn't mean to drift away. But emotions are like rivers—they flow where there is space.

She smiled less when she read Krish's old messages. Her diary now had entries about someone else—someone she couldn't name, but couldn't ignore either.

What she didn't realize was that this unknown boy was Raghav.

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The Growing Silence

Krish kept sinking.

He would stare out of windows in class, not hearing a single word. The sketchbook remained untouched. His eyes had lost that spark Maira loved. Even Raghav noticed it—but never pushed too hard.

Because Raghav knew.

He was the one texting Maira.

But not out of cruelty—not to steal her. But because he saw how lonely she felt. And how much Krish was pushing her away.

And maybe… just maybe… he began to feel something too.

There were nights Raghav would scroll through his messages with Maira, read her words, and wonder—what if? What if she had always deserved better? What if he could be that better?

He never crossed the line. But he stayed dangerously close to it.

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A Fading Hope

Krish, despite the cold silence around him, never let go of his feelings for Maira. Even when she didn't message him. Even when she started showing up late to class, or sometimes skipping college entirely.

He kept thinking: "Maybe tomorrow she'll wait for me at the auto stand. Maybe she'll write another letter."

He still imagined a future—with her.

He wrote poems in his head, ones he never shared. He remembered her laugh and replayed it like his favorite song. He held onto the moments they had shared like pages from a book he refused to close.

Even when everyone around him, even life itself, seemed ready to turn the page.

He believed that love, if it was real, would find a way back.

So he waited.

Even as the world around him moved on.

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Auto Stand – A Storm in Silence

A regular evening. Krish walks toward the auto stand where he usually sees Maira off.But this time, his steps slow as he notices Maira standing close to Raghav, laughing gently. Not the casual laugh she gives everyone—the kind of laugh Krish thought was just for him.

They don't notice him yet.Krish stands frozen for a moment, eyes fixed, heart pounding, every possibility crashing in his mind like waves.

The Confrontation Begins

Krish walks up—quietly, with a trembling calm.He stands before them, his voice cracked but steady.

Krish : "Maira… I need to talk to you. Just for a minute."

Maira goes silent. Raghav immediately senses tension.Krish turns to him.

Krish (to Raghav): "Please bro... if I did anything wrong, forgive me. But don't take her away from me. I beg you... just back off."

Raghav tries to act innocent.

Raghav: "I didn't take anything from you. Maybe it's not about me at all."

Maira stays silent, not defending Krish.

Desperation Breaks In

Krish's breathing changes. His hands are shaking now.He looks at Maira, tears forming.

Krish: "You said you loved me, right? Was that a lie? Or am I just late to understand you've moved on?"

Still, no reply.

Krish steps closer to Raghav.

Krish: "You were my friend. I shared everything with you. Why, Raghav? Why her?"

Raghav: "She's not a thing to be owned, Krish. She's her own person."

The Outburst

That's it. Krish can't take it anymore.In a burst of emotional pain—not out of ego, but heartbreak—he raises his hand toward Raghav, about to slap or push him.

But before his hand lands,Maira grabs Krish's arm and slaps him hard across the face.

Maira: "Enough, Krish! You don't get to control my choices. You don't get to make scenes like this."

The world goes silent for Krish.

That one slap feels louder than everything else in the moment.The pain isn't physical. It's the realization that she's not on his side anymore.

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what do you think about krish's inner feelings???

what will be his next step towards maira and raghav???

hold on your facial expressions towards some shockingness.....

let us continue in the next chapter.

To be continued...