............................................ 
.............................................
The moment felt colder as the weight of Sumati’s confession hung heavy in the air. The silence that followed felt deafening, stretching painfully between them as she braced herself for Vidyut’s reaction.........
His expression shifted, the warmth in his gaze faltering as the realization settled in....... “You… you have HIV?” he repeated, the words tasting foreign on his tongue.
Sumati nodded, her heart pounding. “I didn’t know how to tell you. I’ve been so scared. I thought if I could just keep it hidden—”
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” he interrupted, his voice rising slightly. The hurt in his tone cut deeper than she anticipated.
“I was ashamed,” she whispered, tears blurring her vision. “I thought I could handle it alone.......”
Vidyut ran a hand through his hair, frustration flickering across his face....... “Handle it alone??? This is serious, Sumati! How could you think that?”
“I was trying to protect you!” she cried, feeling the walls close in around her....... “I didn’t want you to see me like this. I didn’t want to burden you with my pain.”
“But this isn’t just about you!” he shouted, his voice cracking. “This affects me too. You should have told me right away.”
The heat of his words stung, and Sumati felt a chasm open between them, one that she couldn’t bridge. “I’m sorry. I thought you’d understand. I thought you’d want to help me.........”
“Help you?” Vidyut echoed, stepping back as if her words physically repelled him. “You think I can just step into this? You’re asking me to dive into something I don’t even understand.... This is a lot to take in.........”
Her heart sank as she watched him pull away, the distance between them growing palpable. “Vidyut, please,” she begged, desperation creeping into her voice. “I need you.”
“I don’t know if I can be what you need,” he replied, his tone hardening..... “This isn’t just about love anymore. It’s about health, about risk. I can’t
xx"
“Don’t,” she interrupted, her voice breaking. “Don’t walk away from me. I thought you cared.”
“I do care,” he said, but there was a tremor in his voice, a flicker of doubt that made her stomach churn.... “But I can’t just pretend this doesn’t change everything.”
As the words left his mouth, she felt the ground shift beneath her, her world tilting into chaos. “You’re not the person I thought you were,” she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I thought you’d fight with me.”
“I don’t know how to fight this,” he admitted, his eyes darting away. “I’m scared too, but I can’t let myself get hurt in the process. I need to think.”
The finality in his tone was like a door slamming shut, a barrier that felt insurmountable. Sumati’s breath hitched as she watched him step back, the warmth between them extinguishing like a candle snuffed out in the wind.
“Vidyut, please don’t go,” she pleaded, but her voice felt small and fragile, lost in the vastness of their unraveling connection.
He hesitated, pain flickering across his face, but then turned away, his silhouette growing smaller as he walked toward the exit of the park......! Each step felt like a nail in her heart, a reminder of the distance that had opened between them...........
As he vanished from view, Sumati sank onto the bench, the weight of her despair crashing over her like an unforgiving wave........ The reality of her loneliness settled in, the absence of his warmth leaving her feeling hollow.
For the first time, she truly grasped the enormity of her situation. She had opened her heart only to find it shattered. The fight for her life now felt insurmountable without him by her side. ............
-ElarA
.............................................The moment felt colder as the weight of Sumati’s confession hung heavy in the air. The silence that followed felt deafening, stretching painfully between them as she braced herself for Vidyut’s reaction.........
His expression shifted, the warmth in his gaze faltering as the realization settled in....... “You… you have HIV?” he repeated, the words tasting foreign on his tongue.
Sumati nodded, her heart pounding. “I didn’t know how to tell you. I’ve been so scared. I thought if I could just keep it hidden—”
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” he interrupted, his voice rising slightly. The hurt in his tone cut deeper than she anticipated.
“I was ashamed,” she whispered, tears blurring her vision. “I thought I could handle it alone.......”
Vidyut ran a hand through his hair, frustration flickering across his face....... “Handle it alone??? This is serious, Sumati! How could you think that?”
“I was trying to protect you!” she cried, feeling the walls close in around her....... “I didn’t want you to see me like this. I didn’t want to burden you with my pain.”
“But this isn’t just about you!” he shouted, his voice cracking. “This affects me too. You should have told me right away.”
The heat of his words stung, and Sumati felt a chasm open between them, one that she couldn’t bridge. “I’m sorry. I thought you’d understand. I thought you’d want to help me.........”
“Help you?” Vidyut echoed, stepping back as if her words physically repelled him. “You think I can just step into this? You’re asking me to dive into something I don’t even understand.... This is a lot to take in.........”
Her heart sank as she watched him pull away, the distance between them growing palpable. “Vidyut, please,” she begged, desperation creeping into her voice. “I need you.”
“I don’t know if I can be what you need,” he replied, his tone hardening..... “This isn’t just about love anymore. It’s about health, about risk. I can’t
xx"“Don’t,” she interrupted, her voice breaking. “Don’t walk away from me. I thought you cared.”
“I do care,” he said, but there was a tremor in his voice, a flicker of doubt that made her stomach churn.... “But I can’t just pretend this doesn’t change everything.”
As the words left his mouth, she felt the ground shift beneath her, her world tilting into chaos. “You’re not the person I thought you were,” she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I thought you’d fight with me.”
“I don’t know how to fight this,” he admitted, his eyes darting away. “I’m scared too, but I can’t let myself get hurt in the process. I need to think.”
The finality in his tone was like a door slamming shut, a barrier that felt insurmountable. Sumati’s breath hitched as she watched him step back, the warmth between them extinguishing like a candle snuffed out in the wind.
“Vidyut, please don’t go,” she pleaded, but her voice felt small and fragile, lost in the vastness of their unraveling connection.
He hesitated, pain flickering across his face, but then turned away, his silhouette growing smaller as he walked toward the exit of the park......! Each step felt like a nail in her heart, a reminder of the distance that had opened between them...........
As he vanished from view, Sumati sank onto the bench, the weight of her despair crashing over her like an unforgiving wave........ The reality of her loneliness settled in, the absence of his warmth leaving her feeling hollow.
For the first time, she truly grasped the enormity of her situation. She had opened her heart only to find it shattered. The fight for her life now felt insurmountable without him by her side. ............
-ElarA
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