Chapter 34 – The Photo He Never Shared
Not everything captured is meant for the world to see.
Some moments are meant to stay sacred—tucked away, not for likes, not for comments—
But for the heart.
—
Aarav had always been the kind of man who took pictures quietly. Not the type who'd post stories every day or share reels of romantic gestures.
But he observed. He noticed.
And sometimes, he clicked.
Like the day Mehar fell asleep reading by the window, sunlight tangled in her hair, a half-smile on her lips, the world forgotten.
Click.
He never shared that photo.
He never even printed it.
But he looked at it often.
—
It was saved in a hidden folder on his phone. Labeled with just a dot. Unnoticeable to everyone but him.
That photo, for Aarav, wasn't just an image.
It was a pause in time.
Before fights. Before doubts. Before life got complicated.
It was her, untouched by the noise.
—
One evening, Mehar was searching for an old bill on his laptop and stumbled upon a folder with just one file.
She clicked.
Her breath caught.
It was her.
She didn't remember the moment. Didn't know he was watching. But everything about the photo felt... pure.
The warm tones. The quiet. Her unguarded softness.
And the love in the angle.
—
When Aarav walked in, she was staring at the screen.
"You never showed me this," she said softly.
He froze.
"I didn't take it for you," he replied, sitting beside her. "I took it for me. For the days when I needed to remember how peace looked."
She swallowed hard.
"I looked peaceful?" she whispered.
He nodded. "You still do. I just... sometimes forget to tell you."
—
That night, she framed the photo.
Placed it on their bedside table.
Not because she liked how she looked in it—
But because it reminded her of how he saw her.
Not just in that moment, but always.
—
Some photos aren't meant to be shared.
They're meant to be kept.
Like prayers.
Like promises.
—