8. ANVI GOT ENGAGED

                                    

                                          

Dhruv's Pov
Resignation letter.
I stared at it, the words blurring as my chest tightened. Anvi was leaving me. I couldn’t hide the confusion and panic. “Anvi… What is this? Why are you resigning?”
She hesitated, then extended something else. It was shiny. Like an invitation. My fingers felt numb as I took it from her and opened it. My heart pounded harder with every second. 
A wedding invitation.
Anvi Rathore weds Bhuvana Khanna 
I froze. For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t speak. I stared at the invitation, the name of the man she was marrying standing out like a taunt, like a punch to the gut.
Her wedding.
I looked up at her, my mouth dry. “You’re… getting married?” She nodded, her expression something different. I couldn't read her face. It made my chest ache even more.
I tried to swallow the lump forming in my throat, but the words came out anyway. “Do you love him?” My voice was hoarse, betraying the rawness I was trying to keep hidden. “Do you even like this guy?”
She looked at me, her eyes slightly softening. Like she was about to cry.. she does love him.. right? Of course she is mine... She can't... “Yes. I do" she said and smiled.. 
The ground beneath me seemed to shift. She was happy, with someone else. Someone who wasn’t me. The realization hit me like a punch, and I felt something inside me crack, the weight of everything I hadn’t said suddenly suffocating me.
I struggled to keep my voice steady. I don't know what to do now. I lost. I lost everything. I lost her. She doesn't need me. She had forgotten me and she was happy with someone else. I was heartbroken. But.. she was happy.. and that's all that matters to me.. of course.. I came back after eighteen years and didn't even call her once.. she.. she forgot me and doesn't need me anymore.. 
“Anvi... Y..you don’t h..have to go. You can keep...working here, Anvi. I mean… there’s no reason to quit just because you’re getting married.” please stay.. I at least can see you and be happy...
She looked down and took a deep breath, the kind that told me her mind was already made up. “No, sir. I need to move on. This is a new chapter for me, and I need to focus on that.”
Move on. The words echoed in my head like a death sentence. She was walking away, starting a life that didn’t include me. I had waited too long, missed the moment when I could have told her how I felt. Now, it was too late.
I forced a smile, even though it felt like my heart was being torn apart. “Congratulations, Anvi,” I said, my voice hollow. “I’m happy for you.”
The lie tasted bitter, but what else could I say? She deserved happiness, even if it wasn’t with me. “Thank you” her voice cracked as I looked deep in her eyes.. there was something she was hiding and she wasn't expressing it to me..
I nodded. I could feel the walls closing in around me, the office suddenly too small, too empty. Anvi had been the light in this place, the one constant in my chaotic life. And now she was leaving, and I had no one to blame but myself.
I managed to find my voice one last time. “Anvi… if you ever need anything—anything at all—or if you find yourself in any situation or a problem… you can call me. I’ll always be here.”
She looked at me, her eyes moist. I softly gulped the huge lump in my throat and smiled. "All the best. I wish you all the happiness in the world anvi. I really mean it" I ended as she smiled and nodded. "Thank you" she ended. She took a few steps back.. each step telling me that she isn't mine.