POV: Mixed (Mostly Ram, with a touch of Rithul and Max)
The haunted block wasn't haunted anymore.
At least, not to us.
That place—once whispered about in fear—now held laughter, warmth, and the kind of peace that only comes after long-awaited confessions.
I, Ram, stood there like a man reborn. My hands still tingled from that kiss, and my heart? God, it felt like it was finally breathing after years of suffocation. And when I looked at Max—even in that simple shirt and pants combo, with her messy hair and unsure eyes—she looked like home.
Kitty and Ren were pulling Max aside and whispering something that made her face go crimson. I smirked.
And then…
"Excuse me."
That voice.
Rithul.
The ever-charming, never-serious Rithul, stood with his arms crossed and an expression so dramatically betrayed that even Vin couldn't help but whistle low.
"So," Rithul began, eyes flickering between me and Max, "you've been loving her for—what?—nine? Ten years? And you didn't even drop a hint? Bro, that's not romance, that's emotional terrorism."
Everyone burst into laughter.
I scratched my head, chuckling. "It wasn't the right time."
"Well, guess what?" Rithul shrugged, placing a hand dramatically over his chest. "You may have won the girl, Ram. But I'm not backing off yet. I'll wait for your breakup."
Max blinked, surprised. "What?"
"Just kidding!" he grinned mischievously, turning to me. "Or maybe not. Keep treating her like a queen, or I'm stepping in."
Kitty and Ren whooped. Vin laughed so hard he had to sit.
Max, to my amusement, just rolled her eyes. "You'll be waiting forever."
I don't know if it was the golden hour sunlight pouring through the broken windows or just the clarity in my chest—but at that moment, I knew everything had changed.
We weren't hiding anymore.
No more stolen glances. No more suffocating silences.
We were us.
And even Rithul, dramatic as ever, pulled me into a side hug. "I'm happy for you, idiot. Really. But damn… you stole the biggest twist of my love story."
"I'll make it up to you," I laughed.
Ren piped up, "Group selfie?"
We all huddled—laughing, teasing, still half-high from the emotion of the last few hours.
In the middle of that dusty, cracked room…
We clicked a memory.
One with all of us.
Love. Friendship. A little heartbreak. And a lot of hope.
Later that evening...
Max and I sat together, our shoulders brushing. The girls were joking about horror stories again, but I couldn't take my eyes off her.
"You okay?" I whispered.
She nodded, smiling softly. "Yeah. This… this feels right."
I kissed her knuckles gently.
Rithul, overhearing us, called out from across the room, "Okay, that's enough PDA for one day. Save some for the sequel!"
Laughter again. But it didn't matter.
Because today, for the first time in forever…
We were happy.
And nothing haunted us anymore.
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