📦 An Old Box in a New Corner
It started as a routine cleanup.
Ruhi was rearranging her writing desk when she stumbled upon an old shoebox tucked behind her poetry books. Dusty, fragile — a little piece of college preserved in cardboard.
She opened it.
Inside were pages. Folded sheets. Crumpled notes.Letters.All addressed to one person.
To Rudra Sharma(but never sent)
✉️ The First Letter — After the Argument
Date: October 16, Second Year
Dear Rudra,
I hated you today. Not because you beat me in class, again.But because I saw you laugh with someone else — and it stung in places I didn't know existed.
You make me feel small, loud, wrong… and I still look for you when I enter a room.
What is this madness?
Ruhi*
She held the letter close to her chest. Then read the next.
✉️ The Second Letter — Spain Confession
Date: March 5, Study Tour
Rudra,
Today, we touched history. Walked the alleys of poets and painters.
But I kept staring at you. Not the museums. Not the art.
Your silence feels like thunder. Your presence louder than the guide's voice.
Am I falling for a boy who once called me 'predictable'?
Worse — am I loving it?
Ruhi*
Rudra walked into the room just as she finished the second letter.
"What's that?" he asked, noticing her expression.
Ruhi hesitated, then handed him the box.
"These are the words I never gave you… until now."
📓 Beyond the Buzzer – Page 206
"Some letters are never posted.But they still reach the heart they were meant for — years later, softer, stronger, still true."
🪞 Rudra's Reaction — Gentle, Honest, Real
He read a few in silence.
When he finally looked up, his voice was quiet.
"You felt all of this… and still fought with me about pizza toppings?"
She nodded, smiling through misty eyes.
"I was terrified."
He leaned in, kissed her forehead, and whispered:
"You didn't need to send these.
You wrote them. That was enough.
You chose me then. Quietly. And now, loudly. That's love."
📞 Simran's Surprise Call — A Family Reconnects
That evening, Simran called Ruhi.
"You'll never guess what happened," she said.
Ruhi: "You joined a monastery?"
"No. I had coffee with my mom."
Ruhi froze. "What?!"
"She reached out. After five years. She read my short story in the anthology and said she… saw herself in it."
"And how did you feel?"
"Like someone had returned a piece of me I thought was lost."
Ruhi smiled."This year is all about letters, isn't it? Written, unwritten, and rewritten."
☕ Aarav & Kavya — A Non-Date Full of Maybes
Meanwhile, Aarav finally agreed to meet Kavya for what she called a "non-date."
They went to a quaint bookstore café.
Kavya: "So... are you always this brooding, or is it just your brand now?"
Aarav laughed — an actual laugh."I'm new to… this. Connection. Being known."
She looked at him softly."Start small. What's your favorite childhood memory?"
He paused, then said,"Being benched in basketball — and secretly enjoying watching others shine."
Kavya smiled."That's rare. Humility in silence."
🏀 Rudra's Dilemma — A Crossroads
One week later, Rudra received two offers:
Corporate Position:A multinational brand wanted him as a sports strategist. Huge salary. Prestige.
College Coach:His old college offered him the chance to mentor the basketball team — passion-driven, modest salary.
He brought it to Ruhi.
"What should I choose?"
She didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she asked:
"Where do you see your soul smiling?"
He thought.
And that night, he emailed the college.
🧳 Revisiting the Past — College Tour
To celebrate their first book draft being nearly complete, they visited their college again.
The campus looked the same — except it didn't.
Ruhi stood near the classroom where she once threw chalk at Rudra.
Rudra pointed to the canteen bench."That's where I first realized I liked you more than winning."
They took photos, ate from the old samosa stall, and laughed like students again.
📸 The Memory Photo
Ruhi standing by the college gate, holding the old diary
Rudra behind her, arms out like he's welcoming an old friend
Caption:
"We began here. And we never left."
🔚 The End of the Unsent
That night, Ruhi burned the last unsent letter — not in anger, but in release.
"I don't need to hide anymore," she said."He knows everything now."
Rudra watched the paper curl into ash, then held her hand.
"Let's write only sent letters now.Ones that speak.Ones that stay."
💫 End of Chapter 47