Chapter 26 – His Past Knocks Again
Love is a journey forward—
But sometimes, the past finds a way to knock on the door,
Even when you've locked it shut.
—
Aarav didn't see it coming.
He was walking across campus, his headphones in, a playlist Mehar had made playing softly—
when a voice from behind him froze his steps.
"Aarav?"
He turned.
And there she was.
Aaliya.
The chapter he had closed long before Mehar.
The name he hadn't said in over a year.
The reason behind the walls Mehar had slowly broken.
She looked the same. Soft curls. Wide eyes. That same unreadable expression.
"What... are you doing here?" Aarav managed.
"I transferred back this semester," she said casually. "Figured it was time to come home."
He forced a polite nod. "Right."
She stepped closer. "You look... happy."
"I am," he said simply. "I'm with someone."
—
He didn't tell Mehar that day.
Not out of guilt.
But because it didn't matter.
At least... he hoped it wouldn't.
—
But secrets, even small ones, create space.
And Mehar noticed.
She noticed the way he seemed distracted.
The way he skipped their call one evening.
The way he smiled less.
"Aarav," she said softly one night as they sat on the rooftop, "what's going on?"
He hesitated.
Then sighed.
And told her everything.
—
Mehar listened. Quietly. Carefully.
No drama. No accusations.
But her heart ached.
Not because of Aaliya.
But because Aarav hadn't told her sooner.
"You promised honesty," she said gently.
"I know," he murmured. "I just... panicked."
"I'm not afraid of your past, Aarav. But I can't compete with shadows if you don't let the light in."
He reached for her hand.
"You're the only one I see, Mehar."
—
Still, the past has its own way of lingering.
Aaliya was in his classes. At the same café. On the same campus.
And while Aarav had moved on, Aaliya hadn't.
She started showing up more often.
A message here. A "hi" there.
A little too friendly.
Mehar watched from afar.
Calm. But not blind.
—
One afternoon, Aaliya approached Mehar in the art block hallway.
"You're the girl, huh?" she said with a polite smile.
Mehar raised an eyebrow. "The girl?"
"The one he chose after me."
Mehar smiled back. Calm. Steady. "No. I'm the girl he chose—period."
—
She told Aarav that evening.
Not out of fear.
But trust.
"I know what she's trying to do," Mehar said. "I'm not going to play games. But I need to know we're on the same side."
Aarav didn't hesitate.
He blocked Aaliya that night.
—
Love isn't about never having a past.
It's about choosing your present.
And Aarav and Mehar?
They were each other's present.
And future.
No matter who came knocking.
—