Almost Yours - Part 4

Aaditya kept staring at the message.

“I’m thinking of texting her again.”

His thumb hovered over the screen, unsure of what to say. Every reply he drafted felt wrong. He deleted each one.

A part of him wanted to tell Karan everything. Another part whispered, why complicate things? They broke up years ago. She’s free. You’re free. And maybe this is your chance.

The phone buzzed again.

“Do you think it’s a bad idea?” Karan had texted.

Aaditya finally replied.

“Honestly bro, you should do what feels right.”

He read his own message twice. Technically not a lie. Technically not the full truth either.

The next morning, Rhea texted him first.

“Had a great time yesterday. Coffee round two soon?”

“Absolutely,” Aaditya replied.

They decided to meet again that evening. But this time, something felt different, not between them, but inside Aaditya. The weight of Karan’s messages hung in his head.

They met at a small rooftop cafe, away from the usual noise. The conversations were still effortless, but every time she laughed, every time she looked at him, he kept hearing Karan’s voice in his head.

As they were leaving, Aaditya finally gathered the courage.

“Rhea… can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” she smiled.

“Do you still have feelings for Karan?”

The question caught her off guard.

She paused for a second before answering.

“No. That chapter closed long ago. Honestly, I barely even think of him now.”

Aaditya felt a strange mix of relief and guilt washing over him.

As they walked towards their cars, Rhea’s phone buzzed. She quickly glanced at it and smiled faintly.

Aaditya caught a glimpse of the screen.

It was a message.

From Karan.

“Hey Rhea. Long time. Can we catch up sometime soon?”

She noticed Aaditya noticing.

Their eyes met for a moment.

Neither of them said anything.

Not yet.

To be continued...

#romance #comedy #flashfiction #shortstories