Prologue

Some love stories never begin with a confession.

Vanshika Kapoor had loved him silently, since childhood, since the days when scraped knees and shared secrets made the world seem smaller, warmer, and full of laughter. He was her best friend, her constant, the one person who never made her feel different — not for her disability, not for her height, not for the insecurities she carried quietly.

Krishnansh Malhotra, brilliant, caring, and obliviously charming, had always been by her side. And Vanshika had thought she would always remain just that: the girl who laughed at his jokes, the girl who helped him with his homework, the girl who stayed on the sidelines while he chased someone else’s love.

She had convinced herself it was enough… until it wasn’t.

Life had a way of teaching her that some loves were too quiet, too patient, and too enduring to be ignored. And sometimes, fate had to shake things up — heartbreaks, departures, and unexpected returns — just to remind the heart who it truly belonged to.

This is the story of Anshi and Ansh:

Childhood best friends, separated by circumstances, reunited by destiny, and bound by a love that never spoke its name… until it had no choice but to.