Chapter - 1

It was past midnight and here I was on the balcony, the city’s hush pressing in from all sides, a glass of whiskey my only companion. People say alcohol changes things. Does it? Maybe not—maybe it only makes the edges softer so the truth doesn’t cut as sharp.

My thoughts were interrupted by a small voice calling, “Ajju.” I looked down. My little princess, Adhya, blinked up at me with sleep-rubbed eyes. I set the glass aside and lifted her into my lap.

“Couldn’t sleep,” she whispered, nestling her head against my shoulder and looping her tiny arms around my neck. “You promised you’ll tell me a story.”

I smiled at her earnestness and shook my head in mock sternness. “I will, princess. But you have to sleep first.”

“No—no, Ajju. I want to listen.” She pouted in that way she knew would win me over. I couldn’t say no.

“All right then. Which one?” I asked.

She brightened as if she’d been waiting for this exact question. “Until my last breath!” she announced, eyes wide with mischief and the kind of certainty only children have.

Her words snagged on me for a heartbeat. I returned the phrase softly, with more weight than she could possibly understand. “Until my last breath,” I whispered back.

“So, you want to hear about Viaan and Anvi?” I asked, raising a brow.

Ara nodded eagerly, her little face lighting up. I still don’t know how she first found out about that book—maybe it’s popular, maybe someone mentioned it at school. Or maybe she just stumbled upon it, the way children somehow always do.

I sighed, though a smile tugged at my lips. If she was happy, then so was I.

“Fine, princess,” I said, tucking the blanket around her small shoulders. “I’ll tell you the best part of Until My Last Breath.”

Her eyes sparkled, and for a moment, I could almost forget the weight behind the title.

I cleared my throat, let my thoughts wander back to the days that still haunted me, and began—

“It all started with the B.Tech…” I began, my voice soft, letting the story unfold.

“Ajju, is Viaan more lucky… or Anvi more lucky?” my little princess asked suddenly.

Her question made me pause, a knot forming in my chest. I had never expected her to ask that. The words lingered, making me rethink my whole decision about the book

“Ajju,” she continued, her small fingers clutching my hand, “I heard from your latest interview that the book has a sad ending. Why .... do people meet if they’re destined to break apart?”

I looked at her, my heart tightening. My little princess—the one I cherish most in this world—was asking questions that left me speechless.

Even if they were destined to break apart, they had lived the best life together. Every laugh, every moment, every stolen second had been worth it. And that… that is what I wanted her to understand.

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