Rudra Leaves for Mumbai
It was still dark when Rudra left for the airport. Delhi's streets were quiet, blanketed in morning fog.
He hadn't woken Ruhi.
He didn't want to say goodbye — not with words. Words were too small for this.
Instead, he sent her a voice note right before boarding:
"By the time you hear this, I'll be somewhere over Jaipur.I didn't want to wake you.But I want you to know — this isn't the end of anything.
It's just our next chapter."
📬 Ruhi's First Letter Arrives
On Tuesday evening, Ruhi found a thick brown envelope tucked inside her PG mailbox. It smelled faintly of cologne and airport coffee.
Inside was a single handwritten page, folded carefully.
💌 Rudra's Letter — Page 2
Ruhi,
Mumbai is chaos. Meetings, hotel rooms, espresso instead of sleep. But even in the mess, I see you.
In the way people talk too fast. In the way the hotel receptionist laughed like you. In every girl who's not you.
I miss our normal. Our bickering. Your chai. Your silence when you're angry.
Write back. Tell me you're okay.
—Still Yours, Rudra
📓 Beyond the Buzzer – Page 84
*"Love isn't about presence.It's about memory.
And tonight, he's more alive in my thoughtsThan the boy sitting beside me in class."*
🎭 College Life Without Him
Ruhi tried to fill her days.
Classes. Group projects. Literature Week events. Even extra workshops.
But it wasn't the same.
She walked past the basketball court and paused.
It was quiet now.
The echoes of sneakers, the bounce of the ball — all gone.
She missed the chaos he brought. His laughter. His frustration with missed free throws. Even his competitive taunts.
She hadn't told anyone, but she was still wearing the bracelet he had tied on her wrist after their first study date.
Hidden under her sleeve.
Like a secret too big to share.
🌱 Kunal's Growing Presence
After the performance, Kunal had started appearing more often.
In the library. In the canteen line. Sitting on the same bench as Ruhi during breaks.
He wasn't pushy. Just... present.
Kind. Thoughtful. Too observant.
"You always sit facing the sun," he noted one afternoon. "It makes your eyes shine brighter."
Ruhi smiled awkwardly. "I guess I like the light."
"You also write like someone who's been left," he added softly.
Ruhi blinked.
"I haven't been left," she said.
Kunal nodded slowly. "Not yet."
📞 Simran's Update
Simran called Ruhi from home.
"I introduced Aarav to my parents."
Ruhi sat up. "WHAT?! How did it go?"
"Well... they didn't scream."
"Is that a win?"
"In our house? Yes."
Simran sighed. "They said they'll think about it. But only if Aarav takes things seriously."
Ruhi smiled. "He's already serious. You're his 'forever girl'."
Simran laughed. "I know. I just hope forever isn't... impossible."
🌧 That Night — A Memory Returns
It rained that night. Light and steady, like whispers on the window.
Ruhi couldn't sleep.
She reached under her bed and pulled out the small paper bag Rudra had once left there. Inside was his college sweatshirt — navy blue, oversized, and worn at the cuffs.
She slipped it on.
The sleeves swallowed her hands. It smelled like him.
She climbed into bed and curled up, the rain playing soft background music to her ache.
📓 Beyond the Buzzer – Page 86
*"This isn't drama.This is missing.
Missing someone so hard that you wear their warmthTo trick your skin into believing they're still here."*
🖋 Ruhi Writes Back
By candlelight and soft rain, Ruhi picked up her pen.
💌 Ruhi's Letter — Page 1
Rudra,
*I'm fine. I think.
Except when I pass your bench. Or your locker. Or see someone order black coffee without sugar.*
*Kunal's been around. He's nice. But he's not you.
Everyone keeps saying 'distance makes you stronger'. But no one talks about the ache between strength and waiting.*
Come back soon.
P.S. I wore your hoodie. I didn't cry. Not really.
—R
🎁 End Scene — A New Delivery
At the end of the week, Ruhi receives a small parcel.
Inside: a keychain with a tiny buzzer on it — like the ones used in basketball scoreboards. Alongside it, a note:
*"So you never forget where it all started.
Buzzer or not — you're still my final shot."—Rudra*
🌸 End of Chapter 17