- "This is the final chapter of the book, enjoy reading" đź–¤
The world froze in that one, merciless second.
Aarav's half-smile died on his lips as his gaze followed Aveer's, and there, barely ten feet away, stood Vishesh, flanked by his parents. His father's eyes burned with disbelief; his mother's hand flew to her mouth in horror. The half-eaten cotton candy slipped from Aveer's hand, dissolving into the wet mud below.
Vishesh's voice cut through the air like a blade.
"What the fuck is going on here?"
Aveer couldn't move. The color drained from his face. For a heartbeat, he looked like a frightened child, cornered again, four years older but just as helpless.
Aarav instinctively stepped closer, his body half-shielding him. "Vishesh, it's not...."
"Not what it looks like?" Vishesh barked, his voice echoing through the empty park.
He took a step forward, eyes wild with disgust.
"Still the same filth, Aveer. You never changed. I warned you before, didn't I? I told you to stay the hell away from him!"
Aveer flinched at the words as if each syllable carried the weight of a whip. His lips parted, but no sound came out.
Vishesh's father's voice cracked like thunder. "Enough, Vishesh!" But he didn't mean it. His face was red with shame, with fury, not at his son, but at what he thought he was witnessing.
His mother just whispered, "How could you, Aveer? Again?"
Those words — again — sliced deeper than anything else.
Aveer's body trembled.
He wasn't hearing Vishesh anymore; he was hearing echoes from the past. The same accusations. The same venom. The same silence from the one person he'd looked toward for protection - Aarav.
His mind blurred.
The present began to overlap with the past. The park dissolved, replaced by that memory ; a younger version of himself crying in front of everyone, Vishesh's lies spreading like fire, the shame, the whispers, the disbelief in Aarav's eyes.
Aarav reached out and grabbed Aveer's hand.
"Enough, Vishesh," Aarav said, voice shaking but firm. "Don't talk to him like that."
Vishesh laughed, a harsh, ugly sound.
"Still defending him? God, you're blind. He ruined your name once and now you're letting him do it again. Or maybe this time it's mutual?"
"Stop it," Aarav snapped.
But Aveer wasn't hearing any of it anymore. His breathing quickened, his eyes glassed over. The sound of rain, the murmurs of onlookers, Vishesh's words, everything tangled into one unbearable noise.
His voice came out broken, barely a whisper.
"Why does it always have to be me?"
Then, louder, almost like a cry ..
"Why can't it ever stop?"
Before anyone could react, he turned and ran.
Aarav called his name, but Aveer didn't stop. He pushed past the stunned crowd, the voices fading behind him. His chest ached, his mind spiraled, his throat burned.
Aarav didn't think. He ran after him, shouting, "Aveer, stop!"
But Aveer didn't hear.
The rain began to pour again, heavy, punishing, soaking both of them as they ran through the streets toward the PG. The world was a blur, flashes of headlights, honking cars, shouting voices - until they reached the familiar gate.
Aveer stumbled inside, slamming the door behind him, his body shaking uncontrollably. His wet clothes clung to him, his breathing ragged.
He sank to the floor, his hand pressed over his mouth to hold in the sob that escaped anyway. His mind screamed with a thousand echoes of that word ; filth, shame, disgusting, liar.
And somewhere down the hallway, Aarav's voice came again, softer this time.
"Aveer, open the door… please. Just talk to me."
But Aveer couldn't.
Not yet.
He buried his face in his palms, whispering to himself like a prayer -
"I didn't do anything wrong… I didn't…"
The lights flickered with the storm outside, shadows stretching across the room ; a mirror of the darkness still buried deep in both of them.
The room had never felt smaller.
The rain outside beat against the window like fists, matching the pounding in Aveer's chest.
Vishesh stood at the doorway with his parents - soaked, furious, his voice trembling with fake righteousness.
Aarav was beside Aveer, frozen in place, trying to process what had just happened in the park.
"So this is what you've turned into?" Vishesh hissed, glaring at them both. "You still haven't learned your lesson, Aveer? Even after destroying enough lives?"
"Enough," Aarav muttered, stepping forward, but Vishesh's mother's voice sliced through him like glass.
"Don't you dare defend him, Aarav. After everything that boy put our family through?"
Aveer clenched his fists. His throat burned. He wanted to speak, but his words got lost somewhere between his heart and his scars.
"What did I ever do to your family?" his voice finally came out, trembling but fierce. "You people ruined mine!"
Vishesh's father barked, "Watch your tone! You were lucky we didn't drag your name through the courts back then! You should be grateful we showed mercy!"
"Mercy?" Aveer's voice cracked. "You call what you did mercy?"
He turned toward Aarav's father, the man who had once treated him like a son.
"You looked at me like I was filth! You didn't even ask me what happened, you just believed your son!"
The air in the room grew heavy.
Vishesh's mother folded her arms. "We all know what happened, Aveer. You laid hands on Vishesh that day by the pond and pushed him in...."
"I didn't!" Aveer's scream shook the walls. "I didn't do anything!"
Tears came out of his eyes.
The rain roared outside as if echoing his voice. His breath came out uneven; the memories were clawing their way out of the dark.
Flashback - 4 Years Ago
It was supposed to be a simple summer day. The air smelled of mango trees and pond water.
Aarav was sick that afternoon, so he stayed home. Vishesh and I went swimming alone.
He never liked me much, not since Aarav started choosing to spend more time with me than with him. I was the "village cousin," the one whose father worked for theirs. That day, his jealousy finally broke loose.
"Why does Aarav always take your side?" Vishesh said, splashing water like a tantrum. "He's my brother, not yours."
"He's my cousin," I said, laughing nervously. "And we've played together since we were kids, you know that."
"You don't deserve him," Vishesh sneered. "You're not even from our level. You people are just—servants pretending to be family."
"Watch your mouth, Vishesh," I warned, anger prickling up my spine.
He smirked. "Or what? You'll cry? Maybe sell yourself like your father does for salary?"
My patience snapped.
"Don't you dare talk about my father like that!"
Or What? What'll you do fucker?
When he was going to pick dirt to throw on me, He slipped, fell into the pond When he came out, coughing, his shirt was torn near the collar.
Before I could help him, he ran toward the house, crying.
And by the time I reached there, everything had already changed.
"My father called me in," Aveer said , eyes glassy. "He asked me if what Vishesh said was true. He said Vishesh claimed I..." his voice broke, "....I tried to touch him. That I tore his shirt and pushed him into the pond when he resisted."
*Aarav's parents exchanged glances.
His mother shifted uncomfortably.*
Aveer continued, voice rising with every word.
"I begged them to believe me. I said, 'Uncle, I didn't do it.'
I said, 'Aarav, please tell them I'd never do something like that.' But Aarav…"
He turned toward him, tears slipping down his cheeks.
"You didn't say anything. You just stood there. You looked away."
Aarav's jaw clenched. "I....."
"I lost everything that day," Aveer whispered.
"My father was fired. My mother stopped smiling. Everyone at school called me names. Vishesh told everyone I was sick in the head. Even teachers stopped looking me in the eye."
His voice cracked. "You want to know what mercy looks like? Mercy is when people destroy your life quietly, without even giving you a chance to defend yourself."
Vishesh's father took a step forward. "Aveer, enough drama! Do you have any proof? You expect us to believe you after all this...."
But Aarav's Mother interrupted, voice grave. "Wait."
The room stilled.
"I remember that day," he said slowly. "I didn't question you, Vishesh. I just believed what you said. Maybe I shouldn't have."
She turned to his son. "Tell me the truth now. You're grown. What really happened?"
Vishesh froze. "Mom, I...he....."
"Speak!" his father barked.
Vishesh's eyes darted to Aarav, then to Aveer, whose expression was equal parts rage and heartbreak.
Tears welled in his eyes. "I… I didn't mean for it to go this far."
"What do you mean?" Aarav's father's voice shook.
"I....I lied," Vishesh stammered. "He didn't touch me. I just… I was angry. Aarav always picked him over me. I wanted him to hate Aveer. I thought if I scared him enough, he'd stop talking to him."
The silence that followed was unbearable. Even the rain seemed to pause, holding its breath.
Aveer's lips parted, but no words came out. His tears did instead — slow, bitter, years too late.
The silence was interrupted by Aarav's father, he slapped Vishesh, forced enough to make Vishesh fall down on ground.
Aarav's father sat down heavily, covering his face. His mother gasped, whispering, "My God, what have we done…"
Aveer's voice was faint, almost broken.
"You all destroyed me because a jealous child couldn't stand being left out."
Vishesh looked at him helplessly. "I was just a kid, Aveer, I didn't know...."
"You knew enough to ruin someone," Aveer said quietly. "You knew enough to make me hate waking up every morning."
Aarav stood now, trembling with guilt and anger. He faced his brother, voice low but deadly calm.
"You made me lose him, Vishesh. You made me lose us. I should never see your face again"
Vishesh opened his mouth, but no sound came. His parents were silent too ....nothing left to defend.
Aveer sat down again, face buried in his hands.
"I never wanted revenge," he said softly. "I just wanted someone to believe me once."
Aarav kneeled beside him, placing a trembling hand over Aveer's. "I believe you Aveer i do," he whispered.
Aveer looked up through his tears, searching his eyes - this time finding truth there.
For the first time in four years, Aveer's sobs weren't silent.
He wasn't hiding them behind closed doors or muffling them under a pillow.
He was crying, truly crying, his face buried against Aarav's shoulder, his body trembling like it had carried a mountain of grief too long.
Aarav didn't move.
He just held him, tighter than he ever had before. His hand moved through Aveer's hair, his chin resting against his head, whispering over and over -
"I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. Not this time."
The room that had witnessed their pain now echoed with the sound of Aveer's release, a decade of injustice, shame, and loneliness poured out in tears that soaked Aarav's shirt.
No one interrupted.
Even the rain outside seemed to soften, as if the world itself finally decided to listen.
When Aveer finally found his breath, he looked up at Aarav, eyes swollen, lips trembling and whispered,
"They believed me, Aarav. After all these years… someone finally believed me."
Aarav smiled through his own tears and cupped his face gently.
"You never needed proof. You just needed to be heard."
Vishesh's father turned toward his son, voice hard.
"You destroyed someone's life because of jealousy. You don't deserve the comfort of this house anymore. You'll shift to Mumbai by next week."
Vishesh didn't argue. He couldn't. His eyes met Aveer's once, filled with silent guilt, then dropped to the floor.
But the peace didn't last long...
Aarav's parents turned to Aarav and Aveer - everything changed.
His mother's gaze sharpened as if she had finally gathered the courage to speak the words sitting in her throat.
"And both of you…" she exhaled shakily, "…what is going on?"
Aarav stiffened.
Aveer straightened his back unconsciously.
"We care for each other," Aarav said quietly, honestly.
"We're together."
The silence that followed was suffocating.
His father took a step closer, anger swelling in his eyes - not loud, but deep, disappointed.
"Aarav… this is wrong."
Aarav's lips parted, but the words didn't come out.
"This is not how boys behave," his father continued, voice trembling between fear and frustration.
"This is not how we raised you. This… thing between you two..."
"It's not a thing."
Aarav's voice cracked, but it was steady.
"It's love."
His mother flinched as if the word itself hurt her.
"Aarav," she whispered, "this is a sin. People will laugh at you. They will point fingers at us. At our family. You don't understand what you're dragging yourself into."
Aarav stepped forward, almost pleading.
"Maa, please listen....."
"No."
The father grabbed his arm.
"This ends now."
Aarav stumbled backward as they began pulling him toward the staircase.
"Maa! Papa, please!"
Aarav struggled, trying to free his hand, eyes already wet.
"You can't just decide this for me...."
But they didn't stop.
Aveer stood there frozen, a lump forming in his throat so painfully he could barely breathe.
He opened his mouth, but the words didn't come out.
Fear held him captive again.
Aarav's hand reached out to him desperately.
"Aveer! Say something....please!"
Aveer's lips trembled.
His hands hung limp by his sides.
He started crying.
Aarav's father yanked him harder.
"You're coming home. Today. Right now."
Aarav's cries echoed down the hallway as they dragged him out of the PG.
In the Room*
Aveer slowly backed into the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click.
He walked to the window like someone moving underwater, numb and lost.
He caught a final glimpse - Aarav's hand reaching out… his body resisting… his face full of pain.
Then the car door slammed.
A thunderclap.
Rain began pouring from the sky in sheets.
Aveer's knees gave out.
He sank to the floor beside the window, chest heaving.
The tears he'd held back for years finally spilled out, hot and uncontrollable.
"How can life be so cruel to me?"
His voice cracked like something breaking inside him.
"Why can't I hold on to the one thing that finally made me happy?"
He pressed his palm to the cold glass, wishing he could shatter everything between them.
"I'm cursed… I swear I'm cursed," he whispered through sobs.
"Anyone I love… I lose."
He cried quietly, then loudly, then helplessly, until even crying hurt.
Outside*
The rain drenched Aarav instantly as he stood outside the building, being pulled toward the car.
His mother tried to shield him with her dupatta, but he shook her hand off - not out of anger, out of desperation.
"Please… just listen to me…"
His voice was thick with tears.
"I'm not doing anything wrong. I'm not hurting anyone."
"You're hurting us," his father said, voice raw.
"You're choosing disgrace over your own family."
Aarav's chest tightened painfully.
He fell to his knees on the wet ground.
"I'll study," he cried.
"I'll become the kind of doctor people talk about with respect.
I'll never bring shame to your name.
But don't ask me to leave him.
Please… don't take me away from him."
His mother's eyes welled, but she looked away, unable to watch her son breaking apart.
"It's a sin," she whispered.
"He's a boy, Aarav…"
"And I love him," Aarav said, trembling.
"I love him with everything I am."
Lightning lit the sky.
Thunder roared.
His parents exchanged a broken, helpless look.
Then slowly - painfully - they released his wrists.
His father's voice cracked as he spoke.
"If this is what you believe is right… then go."
Aarav froze, rain dripping from his lashes.
"But remember," his father added softly, with a sorrow that pierced sharper than anger,
"the world will never accept this.
One day… maybe even you won't."
Aarav stood.
Rain poured over him, yet his voice was steady.
"If love was a sin," he whispered,
"I'd still commit it -
a thousand times."
His parents turned and walked toward the car, shoulders heavy with defeat, before driving away.
The tail lights of the car disappeared into the rain, swallowed by the night.
Aarav stood alone on the empty street, chest heaving, rain pouring down his face like the sky was crying with him.
For a moment, he didn't move. He just stared at the road his parents took… the world that would never accept him… the rules he had just broken for the sake of one boy.
Then he whispered, voice breaking -
"Aveer…"
His knees shook. His breath trembled.
"Aveer!"
His second shout wasn't just a call.
It was a plea.
A prayer.
A last attempt to hold on to the only person who had ever felt like home.
Inside the room*
Aveer wiped his tears with a shaky hand, still sitting beside the window.
The storm outside roared, matching the storm inside him.
Then -
"Aveeer!!"
Aveer's head snapped up.
He froze.
"That… that sounded like...."
But before he could finish thinking, another shout pierced through the rain -
"Aveer! Please!"
Aveer stumbled to the window, palms pressing against the cold glass.
And there he was.
Aarav.
Drenched.
Shaking.
Crying.
Looking up at the building as if searching for him in every window.
Aveer's heart dropped to his knees.
He didn't think.
He didn't breathe.
He just ran.
Aarav saw movement -
Aveer bursting out the PG door, running into the rain as if nothing else mattered.
Aarav's lips trembled into a broken smile.
"Aveer..."
Before he could finish, Aveer collided with him, throwing his arms around Aarav so tightly that Aarav actually stumbled.
Aarav let out a breathy, emotional laugh, holding him back just as fiercely.
"God… Aveer…"
He cupped the back of Aveer's head, pulling him into his chest.
"I thought I lost you. I thought..."
Aveer shook his head against Aarav's shoulder.
"You didn't. You never will."
Rain drenched them, but neither moved.
Aarav whispered, voice low, shaking, full of heartbreak,
"They… they called it a sin. They said the world will never accept us."
Aveer tightened his grip.
"Then let the world choke on its rules," Aveer whispered fiercely.
"I'm done living by their standards."
Aarav pulled back slightly, their foreheads touching, breaths mixing.
"You're not scared anymore?" he asked softly, searching Aveer's eyes.
Aveer swallowed hard, eyes shining with tears.
"I'm still scared," he admitted.
"But losing you scares me more."
Aarav exhaled shakily, wiping rain and tears off Aveer's cheek with trembling fingers.
"They said love like ours destroys families," Aarav whispered.
"They said it ruins reputations."
Aveer shook his head.
"No. Hate destroys families. Fear destroys families. Love… love saves people."
Aarav closed his eyes, tears slipping out even as rain washed them away.
"They said I'm sinning, Aveer."
Aveer held his face gently, voice steady and strong now -
"Then let me sin with you."
Aarav opened his eyes, staring at him with something fragile and powerful all at once.
"Aveer…"
Aveer whispered,
"If love is a sin… then I'm ready to burn. As long as it's with you."
Aarav shook with emotion, a sob escaping as he pulled Aveer into another tight hug.
"I fought for you, i fought for us," Aarav whispered into his neck.
"And I'll keep fighting - even if the whole world stands against us."
Aveer's fingers curled into Aarav's shirt like he was anchoring himself.
"I'm with you," Aveer said softly.
"Not secretly. Not quietly. I'm with you, Aarav. In the open. In front of whoever wants to judge us."
Aarav let out a shaky laugh through tears, brushing his thumb under Aveer's eye.
"So now you don't care if people see us hugging in public?"
Aveer looked right into his eyes and whispered,
"I want the whole world to see."
Aarav broke into a hopeless, emotional smile.
"You're mine," he whispered.
Aveer nodded, rain dripping from his lashes.
"And you're mine."
Aarav leaned his forehead on Aveer's, closing his eyes.
"Then let them call it sin," he murmured.
"Because to me… you're the only thing that's ever felt right."
Aveer swallowed hard, voice barely a whisper -
"To me too."
And under the rain, under the weight of a world that refused to understand them, they held each other like two people who had finally found a reason to breathe again.
Aarav's forehead rested against Aveer's, their breaths mixing, rain dripping from their eyelashes like the sky was crying with them.
Aveer whispered, voice trembling but certain -
"I want the whole world to see."
Aarav's lips parted in disbelief, a soft emotional laugh slipping out.
"You've changed… you're not scared anymore."
Aveer shook his head, brushing away the raindrop that wasn't rain from Aarav's cheek.
"I'm still scared," he admitted quietly.
"But not of people.
Not of society.
Not of the word sin.
I'm scared only of losing you."
Aarav's chest tightened.
Something in him broke and healed at the same time.
He cupped Aveer's face with both hands, thumbs trembling as they touched his wet skin.
"Aveer…"
His voice cracked.
"I fought my parents tonight. I fought everything I grew up believing. And I'd do it again. A thousand times. For you."
Aveer closed his eyes for a second, letting the warmth of those words sink into him through the cold rain.
Then, softly - deliberately -
he lifted his face again.
Aarav looked at him, searching.
"Can I…?"
He didn't even complete the question.
Aveer nodded once.
Small.
Shy.
But certain.
And then -
Aarav leaned in.
Not fast.
Not desperate.
Just gently… like he was touching something fragile that he had been terrified to lose.
Their lips met softly - a slow, trembling kiss under the rain, warm against the cold night.
A kiss that wasn't about desire.
It was about finding home after being dragged through hell.
Aveer's fingers curled into the back of Aarav's shirt, holding him closer, just enough to say I'm here. I'm yours.
The rain fell harder, wrapping them in a curtain of sound, hiding them from the world.
Aarav pulled back only an inch, their noses still touching, breath unsteady.
"Now you really don't care if people see?" he whispered, smiling through tears.
Aveer gave a soft, breathy laugh.
"I hope they see," he whispered back.
"Let them see exactly what they call a sin… because this..."
his thumb brushed Aarav's lip gently,
"...this is the only thing that's ever felt right."
Aarav rested his forehead against his again, eyes closed, heart thudding like a drum in the rain.
"If love was a sin…" Aarav murmured, voice shaky,
"I'd still commit it.
Again.
And again.
As long as it's with you."
Aveer's breath hitched, tears finally breaking free.
"Then let's sin together," he whispered.
"For the rest of our lives."
Aarav pulled him back into an embrace , tight, protective, grounding - holding him as if he was holding back the entire world.
And under the storm, with the taste of rain and the warmth of that kiss still lingering between them, they stood together…
Two boys against the world.
Two hearts choosing each other.
Two souls refusing to let go.
The rain softened around them, no longer harsh - almost like the storm itself had calmed after watching them break and rebuild.
Aarav was the first to move.
He slid his fingers down Aveer's wrist until their hands found each other, interlocking easily, naturally - like they had always belonged that way.
Aveer looked at their joined hands, a small breath escaping him.
Not disbelief.
Not fear.
Something deeper - relief.
Aarav whispered, "Let's go inside. You're freezing."
Aveer nodded, but his grip tightened, refusing to let even a step create distance between them.
They walked toward the PG door, clothes soaked, hair dripping, shoes splashing in tiny puddles - but their hands stayed locked, warm despite the cold.
The world felt quiet.
Like everything had paused to watch them return home.
When they reached the stairway, Aarav slowed.
"I'm not letting you out of my sight again," he murmured softly.
Aveer's voice was fragile, but sure.
"Then don't."
He didn't.
They climbed the stairs side by side, shoulders brushing.
Small touches but enough to send warmth through the rain's chill.
Outside Aveer's door, both stopped - breathless for reasons other than running.
Aveer looked up at him, eyes still shining.
"Tonight felt like losing you… and getting you back in the same breath."
Aarav stepped a little closer, hand still in his.
"You're not losing me again. Not after everything."
Aveer swallowed, his gaze dropping briefly to Aarav's lips - unintentional, shy - before shifting away.
Aarav noticed, but said nothing.
Instead, he lifted Aveer's hand and pressed a soft kiss to his knuckles - gentle, slow, almost reverent.
Aveer's breath caught.
A silence settled between them, warm and charged, the kind of silence that didn't need words.
Aarav opened the door slowly.
Inside, the room was dim, the only sound the rain tapping softly on the window.
Their wet clothes stuck to their skin, dripping onto the floor, but neither of them cared.
Aveer turned back to him, still holding his hand.
He didn't let go when they stepped inside.
He didn't even think to.
Aarav softly closed the door behind them, their fingers still hooked.
They stood there for a moment - the world outside fading, the storm quieting, their breaths slow and close.
Aveer whispered, "Stay… with me tonight."
Not desperate.
Not rushed.
Just honest.
Aarav nodded, his thumb stroking the back of Aveer's hand.
"I'm right here."
He stepped closer - slow, unhurried - until their foreheads touched again, their breaths mingling in the soft darkness.
Their fingers intertwined pulled them closer, their silhouettes merging gently as they moved further into the room…
…doors closed, hearts open, a quiet night waiting for them.
Nothing needed to be said.
The room filled with warmth the moment the lights dimmed.
A night where two boys who had survived storms - finally allowed themselves to rest in each other.
If love was a sin, they thought together, then they'd gladly sin again.
ONE YEAR LATER
It was one of those lazy Sunday mornings when the rain had no intention of stopping.
The city outside buzzed faintly, but inside their tiny apartment, chaos had a different definition.
"Aveer!" Aarav's voice came from the kitchen. "You burnt the toast again!"
Aveer peeked out from behind his book, with stethoscope in his neck (he's in same medical college now), completely unfazed. "It's called crispy perfection, thank you very much."
"It's called charcoal," Aarav muttered, holding up the blackened slice like evidence. "You could have just let me cook." And what are you doing with your stethoscope Sweetie, hearing heartbeat of book?
"You? The guy who once put salt instead of sugar in tea? No, thanks."
And yes I'm hearing the heartbeat, should i hear yours now?
My heart already belongs to you darling Aarav scoffed, tossing the ruined toast into the dustbin. "That was one time! You'll never let that salt incident go, will you?"
Aveer grinned and leaned against the counter, arms folded. "Never. It's my favorite blackmail story."
Aarav walked closer, fake-pouting. "You know, for someone who said he loves me, you sure act like a bully."
"Correction," Aveer said, his tone teasing. "I bully only the person I love."
Aarav rolled his eyes. "That's your excuse for everything."
"Works every time," Aveer said with a smirk.
Aarav grabbed a cotton candy packet from the table, his new obsession and took a bite, pretending to ignore him.
Aveer reached out, brushing a bit of sugar off Aarav's lip with his thumb. "You'll never change, will you?"
"Not unless you plan to make me," Aarav replied softly, eyes locking with his.
For a second, the world quieted again - the rain, the city, everything. Just the two of them, standing too close, laughing one moment, lost the next.
Aveer sighed dramatically. "Fine, come here, My Drama Queen."
"What?" Aarav blinked. "Why...."
Before he could finish, Aveer tugged him by the collar, their foreheads touching, their laughter mixing with the rain.
Aarav smiled against his breath. "You're impossible."
"And you love me for it," Aveer whispered before closing the distance.
Their lips met in a kiss, soft, familiar, and still carrying the same electricity as the first.
Outside, the rain clapped gently against the window, sealing the moment with its rhythm.
When they finally pulled away, Aarav whispered against his skin,
"Maybe love was a sin… but it's my favorite one."
Aveer smiled, brushing his forehead against Aarav's.
"Then let's keep sinning - together."
Love had finally stopped being a battle - it had become a promise.
If love was a sin, then let the world judge - we already found our heaven in it.
Aarav laughed quietly, resting his head on Aveer's shoulder.
"Oh, and by the way… pack your bags."
Aveer frowned playfully. "Why?"
"We're visiting the village next week," Aarav grinned. "I think it's time we make some new memories where it all began."
Aveer's smile softened, his eyes glinting with nostalgia.
"Yeah," he murmured, pressing a kiss to Aarav's hair. "This time, no goodbyes."
THE END .