As they walked out of the dolphin museum, the sky was turning gold, the wind softer now. They didn't speak for a while—just the quiet rhythm of their steps and the hum of the city beneath them.

Then, out of nowhere, he said quietly,
"Suppose... if I die someday, what would you do?"

She froze. The sound of traffic, the laughter, the wind—everything seemed to stop for a heartbeat.

Her eyes lifted to him, searching his face. He wasn't joking. His tone was steady, almost calm, but there was something behind it—something heavy.

She swallowed, words caught in her throat. The air between them shifted, all the lightness of the day folding into silence.

For a long second, the world held still — even the noise of life around them seemed to fade, as if waiting for her answer.

She looked at him, eyes glimmering under the fading sunlight.
"I'll also die," she whispered, voice trembling but sure. "And then we'll live happily in heaven... together."

He turned toward her, the corner of his mouth pulling into a sad smile.
"No," he said softly, shaking his head. "You don't. You stay. You live."

She blinked, confused. "But why?"

"Because," he murmured, looking at the horizon where the last light broke into gold, "someone has to remember. Someone has to keep the dream alive. The restaurant, the laughter, this day... all of it."

The silence that followed wasn't empty—it was full of everything they didn't say.
The world moved again, but slower, gentler—like it, too, was grieving what hadn't yet been lost.

  He noticed her eyes beginning to glisten, and before the weight could sink deeper, he chuckled and nudged her shoulder.

"Arre ignore yrrr," he said, grinning. "Abhi toh fun karna hai! Don't make it filmy."

She blinked, half laughing through the tears that never fell. "You're impossible," she said, but the heaviness began to fade.

They walked until the night wrapped around them, the city lights giving way to open sky. At the edge of the park, they sat on a bench, the moon hanging bright above like it had been waiting for them.

He leaned back, hands behind his head. "Look," he said, "our unpaid guest—the moon. Always here, never asks for attention."

She smiled. "Still steals the spotlight though."

They laughed, quiet and content, the kind of laughter that lingers in the heart long after the sound fades.
The wind grew cooler, and the moonlight touched their faces, soft and silver, as if blessing a moment too perfect to last.

After a while, the laughter softened, turning into quiet breaths under the moonlight. The night had grown colder, gentler. He glanced at his watch, then at her.

"Now... bye," he said, voice low but steady.

She stared at him, disbelief flickering across her face. "Already?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Sometimes... the best nights aren't meant to last too long."

The words hit harder than he meant them to. She stood there, silent, the wind playing with her hair. For a moment neither of them moved—just two souls caught between wanting to stay and knowing they had to go.

When they finally hugged, it wasn't just a goodbye—it was a promise, unspoken and fragile.
Tears shimmered in both their eyes, slipping down like rain that refused to be seen.

She whispered, "Take care, okay?"
He smiled faintly. "Always."

And then—just like that—he walked away into the dim streetlight, leaving her under the moon, heart full, eyes wet, and the night suddenly too quiet.

He took a few steps back, the night air curling around him. Then he turned, that same soft smile on his face — the one that always managed to calm her storms.

"Tara," he said, voice warm but edged with something deeper, "you're the best, okay? Don't cry."

She tried to smile, but her lips trembled. "You always say that when you're about to disappear."

He laughed quietly, the sound mixing with the rustle of the trees. "Maybe... but I mean it every time."

The moonlight caught his eyes — gentle, steady, unforgettable.
She wanted to say something back, to hold him there a moment longer, but her voice broke before the words could form.

He waved once, that boyish grin flickering like a goodbye folded in light. "Keep smiling, Tara. Always."

And then he turned away, his shadow stretching farther until it faded into the silver mist of the night.
She stood still, tears sliding down, whispering to the stars, "Come back soon."

She stood there, watching him fade into the night, his laughter still echoing faintly in the air. The wind carried the last of his words — "Don't cry, Tara."

She wiped her tears and looked up at the moon. It was glowing brighter now, as if holding a secret. The city felt too still, too aware.

Neither of them knew what would happen next.
Whether that goodbye was for a night... or forever.

He walked down the empty street, unaware of the storm quietly building behind the horizon. She stayed under the same moon, clutching the warmth of his voice like a promise she couldn't let go.

Two souls, two paths, both holding on — not knowing fate had already turned its next page.

Tara came back home late that night. The house was quiet — too quiet. No lights on, no voices calling her name.

Her family didn't notice she was late... didn't ask where she'd been, or if she was even okay. It was the same kind of silence she'd known for years, one that no longer hurt — it just existed.

She went straight to her room, dropped her bag, and sat on the edge of her bed. Her phone still glowed with the last photo of the day — her and Karan, laughing under the streetlights, their faces tired but full of peace.

Karan.
The one who truly knew her — beyond the noise, beyond the world. Her online friend, her secret comfort, the only person who ever looked at her and saw everything.

For the first time in years, she felt a quiet happiness settle inside her chest. Because even if life had been cruel, she had lived one perfect day — one real, beautiful day — with the person who mattered most.

She lay down, still smiling faintly, as the night wrapped around her like a gentle shadow.
And as she drifted into sleep, she didn't know what tomorrow would bring — only that something unseen was already waiting in the dark, ready to change her life forever.

and next day.....

Oiiiii readers Don't just watch the chapter vote also 😒