The Call at Midnight
The rain tapped gently against Mehak’s window. The city was silent, wrapped in darkness, but inside her heart there was always noise. She had just closed her diary when her phone suddenly rang. The clock showed 12:03 AM.
An unknown number.
Her first thought was to ignore it, but her hand moved on its own. She picked up the call.
“Hello?” her voice shook.
There was silence. She could hear only breathing.
“Who’s this?” she whispered.
And then, a voice came that froze her soul.
“Do you still wait for me?”
Her pen fell, her heart stopped. She knew that voice.
It was Arjun.
The same Arjun who had once promised her forever but had vanished two years ago. No calls. No explanations. Just silence.
Mehak’s hands trembled. “Arjun? Where have you been? Why are you calling me now?”
But he didn’t answer her questions. His voice was soft but heavy.
“Meet me tomorrow evening… railway station, platform 3. If you still believe in love, come. If not, forget this call ever happened.”
Before she could say anything, the line went dead.
---
The Wait
That night, Mehak couldn’t sleep. She kept turning in bed, her pillow wet with tears. Every memory of Arjun returned. His laughter, the way he held her hand, the promises under the stars.
But so did the pain — the nights she cried alone, the mornings when she hoped for a message that never came.
Her mind said, Don’t go. Protect your heart.
Her heart whispered, What if this is your only chance to know the truth?
The next evening, she found herself walking into the railway station, her heartbeat louder than the trains.
---
The Encounter
Platform 3 was crowded. People rushed in every direction. She looked around nervously. Minutes passed. No sign of him.
Maybe it was a cruel joke, she thought, her chest tightening.
And then she saw him.
At the far end, near the last bench, stood a man in a black jacket. His frame looked thinner, his eyes darker, but she knew him instantly.
It was Arjun.
She walked closer, fighting the storm inside her. When their eyes met, it felt like years of silence melted away.
But Arjun didn’t smile. He didn’t move closer. His eyes carried a sadness she had never seen before.
“Mehak…” he said softly. “I wanted to come back long ago. But I couldn’t. I wasn’t the man you thought I was.”
Tears filled her eyes. “Then who are you, Arjun? Why did you leave me like I never mattered?”
Arjun pulled a small diary from his pocket and placed it in her hands.
“This has every answer you deserve.”
Before she could react, he turned to walk away.
“Arjun! Stop! Please… not again!” she cried, her voice echoing.
He paused, looked back with eyes full of pain, and whispered,
“Because love never dies… but sometimes, people do.”
And then he disappeared into the crowd.
---
The Truth
Back in her room, Mehak opened the diary with trembling hands.
“Mehak, if you are reading this, it means I no longer had the courage to face you. The night I disappeared, it wasn’t because I stopped loving you. It was because my father’s debts trapped me. Dangerous people were after me. I couldn’t risk your safety. So I ran. Every single day since then was punishment.”
Tears blurred her sight, but she kept reading.
“Now the debts are gone, but I am not the same. Illness has stolen my time. I don’t know how long I have left. I only wanted to see you once. If your heart still carries me, meet me tomorrow at the old bridge at dawn. If not, I’ll vanish forever.”
The diary slipped from her hands. Her whole body shook. Should she go? Could she risk another heartbreak?
But deep inside, her heart already knew the answer.
---
The Old Bridge
Dawn broke with a soft golden glow. Mist floated above the river. On the old bridge, Arjun stood alone, his hands trembling, his eyes searching every direction.
She won’t come, he thought, despair sinking in.
Then footsteps echoed. Slow. Then faster.
He turned.
It was Mehak.
Her eyes were wet, her breath heavy, but her steps were steady. She walked to him and without a word, threw her arms around him.
Arjun froze for a second, then hugged her as if he would never let go again.
“I hated you, Arjun… I cursed you,” she whispered. “But I never stopped loving you. Not even for a single day.”
His voice broke. “I thought leaving you would protect you. But all I did was destroy us both.”
She looked up at him, her smile faint but real. “We’ve already lost enough time. No more running. No more secrets. If love is real, we face everything together.”
For the first time in years, Arjun’s eyes softened. Hope lit up his face.
The sun rose brighter, painting the sky golden. On that old bridge, two broken hearts finally healed.
No crowd, no noise — only the river flowing beneath and a promise unspoken:
This time, forever.
