Chapter three:Bonds that last

 Chapter Three: Bonds That Last


That evening in Mumbai became a turning point.


They sat on the steps outside the auditorium, talking like no time had passed at all. They spoke about college, ambitions, how difficult it was to adapt to new cities, and how often they'd thought of each other but never found the right moment to reach out.


When it was time to leave, Ayush hesitated for the first time.


“Do you think…” he began, then stopped.


Ananya looked at him with curious eyes.


“…we could stay in touch this time?” he finished.


Ananya smiled, nodding. “I was hoping you’d ask.”


And from that moment on, they did.


Text messages turned into calls. Calls became video chats. They encouraged each other through exams, listened when the pressure got too much, and reminded one another why they started this journey in the first place.


By the time they entered their final year of college, both had secured research internships—Ayush in Delhi, Ananya in Bangalore. The distance tested their bond, but it only grew stronger. There was no label, no need for declarations—just a quiet, enduring connection.


Then, on Ananya’s 21st birthday, Ayush surprised her.


He traveled to Bangalore without telling her and waited outside the library where she worked part-time. When she saw him standing there with a chemistry book in one hand and a small bouquet in the other, she was speechless.


He handed her the book first. Inside was a sticky note:

"Chapter 1: Where it began. Chapter 2: Where we found each other again. Chapter 3: How about we write the rest together?"


Finally, Ayush asked the question he’d held for years:

“Will you be mine—not just in chemistry, but in every subject life throws at us?”


Tears welled in her eyes, and she laughed through them.

“Yes,” she whispered. “You already are.”


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