When We Were Forever
Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End
It was a quiet morning.
The courtroom stood in silence, its atmosphere heavy yet calm. The soft rustling of papers and the occasional creak of chairs were the only sounds that disturbed the stillness.
Then a voice broke through the silence.
"Case Number 217 of 2026. Petition for Divorce."
The bench clerk looked down at the file before repeating the announcement.
"Case Number 217 of 2026. Petition for Divorce. Mr. Arjun Kumar versus Mrs. Nila Arjun."
The words echoed throughout the courtroom.
"Both parties, please come forward."
A few moments later, the judge entered the courtroom, and everyone rose to their feet.
Arjun Kumar slowly stood from his seat.
Across the courtroom, Nila rose as well.
For a brief second, their eyes met.
Once, they had promised each other forever.
Today, they stood before a judge asking for an ending.
The judge adjusted his glasses and opened the case file.
"State your names for the record."
Arjun cleared his throat.
"Arjun Kumar, Your Honor."
The judge nodded before turning to the woman beside him.
"Nila Arjun, Your Honor."
The judge made a note and continued.
"How long have you been married?"
"One and a half years," Arjun replied.
The judge glanced at both of them.
"Do you both wish to proceed with this divorce petition?"
There was a brief silence.
"Yes, Your Honor," they answered.
The judge leaned back in his chair.
"Have you been living separately?"
"No, Your Honor."
"Do you have any children?"
"No."
"Are there any disputes regarding property, maintenance, or financial matters?"
"No, Your Honor."
The judge closed the file for a moment and looked at them carefully.
Both appeared calm.
Yet behind their calm faces were emotions neither was willing to show.
"In that case," the judge said, "I am granting both parties one week. During this period, you will attend counseling sessions arranged by the court."
He paused before continuing.
"Marriage is a serious commitment. Before taking a final decision, the court wishes to ensure that there is absolutely no possibility of reconciliation."
Neither Arjun nor Nila responded.
The judge nodded.
"The matter is adjourned for one week. The next hearing will determine how this case proceeds."
The gavel struck lightly.
"Court adjourned."
As people began leaving the courtroom, advocates and assistant advocates gathered around the files, discussing legal formalities and paperwork.
Questions were exchanged.
Documents were reviewed.
Signatures were verified.
Amid the noise of legal discussions, Arjun and Nila stood silently.
Just a few feet apart.
Yet somehow farther away than ever before.
Neither knew that the coming week would force them to revisit memories they had spent months trying to forget.
And neither knew that this divorce case was about to reopen a love story that had never truly ended.
The moment Nila stepped out of the courthouse, she raised her hand and stopped a cab.
Without looking back, she got inside.
As the vehicle disappeared into the traffic, Arjun remained inside the court building, discussing a few formalities with his advocate. Though he appeared calm on the outside, his mind was anything but peaceful.
A strange heaviness followed him wherever he went.
After finishing the discussion, he walked to his car and drove home.
The same home.
The home they had built together.
The home they were now preparing to leave behind.
---
Nila arrived first.
She unlocked the gate, entered the house, and quietly locked everything behind her.
The silence inside felt louder than ever.
Without saying a word, she walked straight to her room and sat on the edge of her bed.
A few minutes later, Arjun arrived.
He parked his car and entered the house.
The familiar walls that once held laughter now carried only silence.
Neither spoke.
Neither looked for the other.
He walked to his room and closed the door behind him.
Two people.
One house.
A thousand miles apart.
---
After a while, Nila called her parents.
Her mother answered immediately.
"Nila... how did it go?"
Nila took a deep breath.
"The court gave us one week."
"One week?" her father asked.
"Yes. They want us to attend counseling before the next hearing."
There was a brief silence.
Then Nila spoke softly.
"I don't think anything is going to change, Appa. I think we'll get divorced soon."
Her words struck her parents harder than she realized.
After the call ended, Nila's father sat quietly for several moments before dialing another number.
It was Arjun's father.
The call connected.
"Brother..." Nila's father said softly. "What can we do now?"
On the other side, Arjun's father sighed.
"Nothing."
His voice was calm but heavy.
"We cannot do anything."
There was silence between them.
Finally, he continued.
"This wasn't an arranged marriage. They chose each other. They fell in love. They came to us asking for permission to marry. We agreed because we believed in their love."
He paused.
"Now they have chosen this path too. All we can do is wait and see."
Nila's father nodded silently.
Even though his daughter was independent, educated, and capable of taking care of herself, a father's heart never stopped worrying.
The thought of seeing her marriage end left a painful ache inside him.
"We'll see what happens," he finally said.
---
Meanwhile, in Arjun's parents' house, his mother sat beside her husband.
"What is happening with these children?" she asked sadly.
"They aren't taking life seriously. If something goes wrong, they immediately think about ending it."
Arjun's father slowly shook his head.
"We cannot fix their problems for them."
"But shouldn't we try?" she asked.
"We can advise them. We can support them. But we cannot live their lives for them."
He leaned back in his chair.
"You know, in our generation, divorce was never the first option."
His wife listened quietly.
"We had misunderstandings too. We fought. We got angry. Sometimes we didn't speak for days."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"But even during those difficult times, we held on to each other."
"We learned how to stay."
His eyes drifted toward the window.
"Nowadays, people are taught how to leave."
The room fell silent.
After a few moments, he continued.
"And the saddest part is that Arjun and Nila were perfect together."
His wife nodded immediately.
"They were."
"They spent six years loving each other before marriage."
He smiled sadly.
"Even if we had searched the entire world for a bride for Arjun, I don't think we would have found someone better than Nila."
"She's a good girl."
His wife agreed.
"Very good."
"There is no lack of love between them," he said.
"Only misunderstandings."
He sighed deeply.
"The problem is that they have already convinced themselves that this is the end."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then he smiled faintly.
"If destiny brought them together once, maybe destiny isn't finished with them yet."
His wife looked at him.
"You still believe they'll find their way back?"
"I don't know."
He shrugged.
"But if the universe could make them fall in love, perhaps it can teach them how to stay in love too."
---
At the same time, Nila's parents sat together in their living room.
Nila's father stared thoughtfully at the family photograph hanging on the wall.
It was taken on Arjun and Nila's wedding day.
Both of them were smiling.
Both of them looked happy.
"Even now," he said softly, "Arjun is a good boy."
His wife nodded.
"And Nila is perfect for him."
"Their love helped them grow."
"It helped them become successful."
He sighed.
"That's why I can't accept this ending."
His wife looked at the photograph.
"They were made for each other."
"Exactly."
She continued softly.
"They aren't fighting because they hate each other."
"They're fighting because neither of them is willing to talk."
Nila's father smiled sadly.
"That is the problem with many young people today."
His wife looked at him.
"They wait for the other person to understand without speaking."
He nodded.
"If something breaks, they replace it."
His eyes remained fixed on the photograph.
"In our days, we tried to repair things first."
The room became quiet.
For a long moment, both parents sat there, hoping that somehow, somewhere, the love that had brought Arjun and Nila together would be strong enough to save them one more time.
Back at their house, silence welcomed them once again.
Arjun sat on the edge of his bed, leaning against the wall. His eyes stared blankly at the ceiling.
Across the hallway, Nila sat in her room the same way.
Two hearts.
One house.
And a silence that neither of them knew how to break.
As evening arrived, hunger slowly crept in.
Arjun stepped out of his room and walked toward the kitchen.
The house was quiet.
As he passed Nila's door, his footsteps slowed.
For a moment, he stood there.
His hand almost reached for the door.
A part of him wanted to knock.
A part of him wanted to ask the simplest question.
"Have you eaten?"
Or maybe...
"Should we heat the food together?"
But something stopped him.
Ego.
Fear.
Pain.
Perhaps all three.
He took a deep breath and walked away.
A few minutes later, he left the house and headed out for dinner alone.
Meanwhile, Nila stepped out of her room.
She glanced toward Arjun's door.
Closed.
For a brief moment, she thought about knocking.
She wanted to ask if he had eaten.
She wanted to ask if he was okay.
But she didn't.
Just like him, she walked away from the opportunity.
Both of them expected the other person to take the first step.
Neither did.
And silence won once again.
Nila ordered food online.
When it arrived, she collected it quietly and returned to her room.
That night, they didn't cook together.
They didn't eat together.
They didn't even see each other.
The kitchen remained dark.
The same kitchen where they had once cooked together.
The same dining table where they had shared laughter, dreams, and midnight conversations.
Now it stood empty.
Cold.
Silent.
Almost like their marriage itself.
Later that night, Nila stepped out to throw away the food containers.
She washed her hands and returned to her room.
A few minutes later, Arjun returned home.
He locked the front door and stood silently in the kitchen.
His eyes wandered around the room.
Memories flashed through his mind.
Nila stealing food while he cooked.
Their playful arguments.
Their laughter.
Their happiness.
A deep sigh escaped his lips.
Then he walked back to his room.
And another silent night passed.
Dear Readers,
Thank you for reading my story. If you enjoyed it, please support me by liking, sharing, and leaving a review. Your feedback and encouragement mean a lot to me.
Thank you for your support.
– S.B Jaisurya
