~It was a cold night so I got a fire going. I lit a scented candle in my heart to warm the both of us~

Manik's POV:

The night is not forever but to me it seemed to be the best & beautiful night of my life. I unlocked my car and smiled gesturing her to get in while she kept giving me confused stares.

"Manik, ah..I really can manage u know" She said politely.

"No, Cabir asked me to drop u & I will" I said.

"Are u sure?" She asked whilst I nodded in a yes.

She asked me again if I was sure & this time creasing my brows I kept staring at her. She indicated me towards the bottom of my car & I kept looking here & there to find a clue. It was after a while I noticed that the tyre pressure of my car due to the kindness of snow was totally weak. I turned the other side cursing the stupid car in my mind hitting the tyre slightly with my foot.

"It's really okay, my house is a little away only, I'll manage" she politely uttered.

"And how will u manage?" I questioned.

"I'll walk. I said na it's nearby, don't bother" she smiled faintly & started to walk away.

"Hello? I'll walk u till ur home, come" I said. She turned back & raised one of her brows.

"Why?" She asked widening her eyes.

"Because I want to" I couldn't think of a better answer then.

"But u don't need to. Thank u" she turned around & started walking.

"Okay then if that's what u want. If u don't permit me to accompany u then I'll have to stalk u till ur home to make sure u reached safely" I spoke a little higher yet gentlemanly because she was gone little away.

She turned back giving me a shocked expression while I smirked & asked her to get going & this time surprisingly she didn't protest as she might have understood my adamancy clearly.

We had been walking since past 10 minutes & what a lier she had been when she said her house was a little away. We kept silent though every now & then, I couldn't help but stare at her to admire her beauty which was glistening like a river bed under the moonlight. She was wearing a french-style knitted beanie cap and kept rubbing her arms to fight the cold. She spared a glance at me allowing our eyes to meet while I heartily admired her celestial face more & more.

That night either the almighty was playing pranks on me or kindling a hope of a new unrealised feeling in my heart. The snowflakes from the sky started pouring at a very slow pace filling our hearts with its content. We both looked up at the sudden snowfall but u know, in Shimla during the winters this was the commonest thing. It's very well said that whenever the snow falls, the nature listens. I've let my hoodie glide down from my head as I wanted to enjoy this snowfall like never done before. This was special and her presence turned it ethereal. A tranquil smile appeared on my face as I looked around everywhere & found things to be looking exceptionally divine.

Walking on the snow under the snowfall under such starry sky had never been this beautiful. Her hair which reached her hips were decorated beautifully with the snow flakes as if they were beads studded in her hair to compliment her empyrean personality like some professional had stylised her hair. But her face......
She didn't seem happy rather she was lost into her saddening paradise.

Didn't she really like me accompanying her?

Was she bugged by the cold?

"I used to stare at the sky during snowfall in childhood to figure out where these snows were born. I could do it for hours. But it was always the waiting that was the most fun" I said looking at her & she feebly smiled back though her eyes didn't smile.

"Snow falling soundlessly in the night has always...fi..filled my heart with pains" She spoke in a shaky voice though she tried her best to hide her weakness.

I knew she wasn't good but how could I comfort her at that hour for the parts of her life unknown to me & most crucially when I was a complete stranger to her.. I had no right to console her. I just stayed silent, walking beside her & with eyes only on her, accompanying her in her silence.

"Past is that demon that completely ruins ur today & all of ur tomorrows. It hinders u from praising all the beautiful things around u. Good..bad whatever it is, what's gone is gone. We really can't help that. We should live for what tomorrow has to offer and not what yesterday has taken away from us" I completed & she paused to stare at me for a while.

"Hope I haven't crossed my line" I voiced. She looked down & we started walking.

"Somethings..are so integral parts of our existence that leaving them in the past leaves with...emptiness in the future" she looked at the snowy road & softly uttered almost like crying a grief.

I was sure something was not so pretty in her life.

"Maybe because that is how things are planned" I said.

"Oh so u think, we lose something precious because we only had been planned to be separated from it" her tone went a little higher denoting her pissing off.

"I'm not saying that. But u know if we keep carrying the bricks of our past relationships or incidents then we'll end up building the same house all over again" I justified.

"Saying that is easy" She rolled her eyes.

"And proving that correct is bravery" I voiced.

"I still hate snowfall" she gritted her teeth.

"Hate...is a very strong word. And I believe the person who so strongly hates something, that thing might've happened to be one of his/her favourites in the past" I mouthed composedly.

Her eyes which were scorching at me softened after listening to my words & she looked down resting her weapons. I looked at her & stood before facing her causing her motion to stop, expectedly she looked at me being totally puzzled.

"U hate snow now because u have stopped letting them touch u. They may fall on ur skin but never touch ur heart, what if u break the barrier just for one time's sake?" I smiled & she kept listening with a serious face. I extended my arms to feel the snow.

"These snowflakes are like the million feathers falling down. These are like millions of stars that touch the ground. No matter how old u have become and how much u had seen these falls earlier in life, these snows mark a reminder that things still could be new if u are willing to believe that they still mattered" I shifted my gaze from the sky to her & found her eyes to be moist.

........

It was around 10 minutes later that we reached her place & the walk had really been blissful to me at least.

"Thank u so much. I really appreciate ur kindness" she said while opening the gate of her small cozy house.

"Have I asked u to praise me that formally madam?" I sarcastically asked.

"Umm actually I would've asked u to come inside but my parents are home & they wouldn't like the thing much, hope u understand" she sweetly yet in an unexcited manner spoke.

"Oh no, I completely get that plus it's already late, I'll have to reach even. So...take care and...it was nice knowing u" I waved her a bye & lethargically turned around.

Was this our last meet?

"Manik! But how will u go?" She asked & I felt happiness overpowering me.

"My cousin stays nearby, I'll go there" I grinned as she nodded.

"Good night" she smiled.

"Good night, take care." I smiled back.

End of POV

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Nandini's POV:

Having tiptoed I entered the house which was almost darkened. As I was about to climb up the stairs an empty bottle of wine came rolling near my feet followed by a huge noise of argument coming from behind the closed door. I waited there for a little looking at the closed door but I was habituated with all these, hence made my way to my room.

I wish my life was easier as much as are described in novels. I had alcoholic parents who every night not only fought with each other like animals but sometimes they got at me by verbally & physically abusing me if I had slipped into the scene to make some peace. Thus I decided to stay away since I myself wasn't emotionally stable enough. I looked at the clock hitting 12.30. Usually I would've hit my bed by now in every other day but that night seemed to be an exceptional as I just didn't feel like doing the monotonous job.

I opened the door of the balcony attached to my room & because of the snowfall, I found the floor & railing of the balcony to be covered by flakes. I was lost in the nighttime sky.

Maddy, each day I found myself watching for u & it broke my heart over & over when the realisation stricken me that u weren't coming back. My hands shook with sorrow & my heart...it bled in pain.... my soul forever lingered that what if...what if u could've stayed Maddy. I didn't realise when on my cold cheeks warm water started dribbling. I sighed.

"I hate these snows" I said under my breath.

"U hate snow now because u have stopped letting them touch u. They may fall on ur skin but never touch ur heart, what if u break the barrier just for one time's sake?" Manik's words echoed in my mind as I looked around everywhere being little muddled.

I closed my eyes to gain back those lost courage as I didn't know why but this boy's words had somehow casted a teeny-weeny effect on me. I breathed in heavily closing my eyes letting the cap loosely fall from my head, making it bare to the touch of the icy breezes. Unknowingly my hands were automatically stretched out to feel the baby flakes falling on them. The touch of those falling on my skin gave a tingling sensation through my body & took the shape of a smile on my face. A smile that...that I haven't felt on myself since a year. Amidst the shadows of darkness, somewhere a light managed to peep in through. Having opened my eyes, I looked at the same snows but they didn't seem the same anymore. I came inside my room locking the door of the balcony & hid myself under the thick quilt. Holding Maddy's photo frame near my heart I closed my eyes allowing the night to fall for giving rise to another dawn. A dawn of something that I didn't know...maybe something different and beautiful.

"Love is a beautiful journey where every step is a destination & every moment eternity"
Apoorve Dubey
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Thank u so so much Fizzah for such a wonderful cover. Loved it babe 😘❤️
FirefliesAndStarx (silentwarriorx|instagram)

A/N- keep voting and commenting lovelies ❤️
Love,
Rai.