🎵 Song: Khairiyat – Instrumental Version

"Sometimes...

the journey ends.

But the longing...

has only just begun."

The next morning...

The beautiful trip to Shimla finally came to an end.

The luggage was loaded into the cars.

The farmhouse staff bid everyone goodbye.

One last glance at the snow-covered mountains...

One last deep breath of the fresh mountain air...

And then...

The convoy left for the airport.

Private Jet

Unlike the cheerful journey to Shimla...

Today's journey was much quieter.

Kabir and Anaya were asleep after getting tired from all the excitement.

The adults discussed work and home.

Meanwhile...

Aarohi sat quietly beside the window.

Her eyes remained fixed on the clouds outside.

She smiled faintly as she remembered every moment of the trip.

The snowball fight.

The bonfire.

The late-night conversations.

Getting lost.

And...

Reyansh's hug.

Her cheeks warmed instantly.

"I really am in love with him..."

She smiled to herself.

A few seats away...

Reyansh pretended to scroll through his phone.

But every few seconds...

His eyes wandered toward Aarohi.

He watched her quietly.

She looked peaceful.

Her hair gently rested over one shoulder.

The sunlight coming through the window made her blue eyes shine even brighter.

"My Ocean..."

He smiled unconsciously.

A few hours later...

The jet landed safely.

Soon...

Both families returned to their neighborhood.

The familiar gates of the Sharma House and the Malhotra Mansion came into view.

Home Sweet Home

As soon as the cars stopped...

Kabir stretched dramatically.

"Finally!"

"My own room!"

Anaya laughed.

"I missed my bed."

The adults chuckled.

Everyone began unloading the luggage.

Aarohi looked at her home with a smile.

"It feels nice to be back."

Nandini nodded.

"Trips are beautiful..."

"But home always feels different."

Across the driveway...

Reyansh quietly watched Aarohi enter her house.

For the first time in days...

A strange emptiness settled inside him.

The trip was over.

No more breakfast together.

No more walking beside her.

No more teasing her throughout the day.

No more watching her blush every few minutes.

Kabir noticed his brother staring toward the Sharma House.

He folded his arms.

"What happened?"

Reyansh sighed.

"The trip ended too quickly."

Kabir smiled knowingly.

"You don't miss the trip."

"I do."

"No."

"You miss someone."

Reyansh looked away.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Kabir laughed.

"Sure, Bhai."

Later that evening...

Reyansh threw himself onto his bed.

His room suddenly felt unusually quiet.

He picked up his phone.

There were dozens of pictures from the trip.

His thumb automatically stopped on one photograph.

The family picture.

Where Aarohi was standing beside him.

He smiled.

Then another one.

The picture where it was just the two of them.

He stared at it for several seconds.

"You look beautiful..."

He whispered unconsciously.

Just then...

Kabir entered without knocking.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing."

Kabir looked at the phone.

Then smirked.

"You've zoomed into only Aarohi Didi."

Reyansh immediately locked his phone.

"I wasn't."

"You definitely were."

"I said I wasn't."

Kabir laughed loudly.

"My brother has become hopeless."

"Get out."

"I'm going."

"But..."

Kabir grinned mischievously.

"You'll see her in five minutes anyway."

Reyansh looked confused.

"What?"

Kabir pointed toward the balcony.

"You forgot?"

"You're neighbors."

Reyansh blinked.

Then...

A slow smile spread across his face.

"Right..."

Without wasting another second...

He walked toward his balcony.

The cool evening breeze welcomed him.

He rested his hands on the railing.

The balcony opposite his was still empty.

He waited.

One minute.

Two minutes.

Three...

Then...

The balcony door slowly opened.

Aarohi stepped outside with a cup of coffee in her hands.

She had changed into a comfortable lavender night suit.

Her hair was left open.

She looked up.

And immediately noticed him.

For a second...

Neither of them spoke.

Then...

Aarohi smiled.

A soft...

Beautiful smile.

One that Reyansh had begun looking forward to every day.

He smiled back.

"Good evening..."

"...Ocean."

Aarohi laughed softly.

"Good evening."

He leaned against the railing.

"I thought I'd have to wait until school to see you."

She smiled.

"So did I."

"But..."

She looked around at the two neighboring balconies.

"I forgot."

"We're neighbors."

Reyansh chuckled.

"See?"

"The trip may be over..."

"But I still get to see my Ocean every day."

Aarohi looked down shyly.

Her heart skipped a beat.

She still wasn't used to hearing that nickname.

Yet...

It had slowly become her favorite.

For the next half hour...

They simply talked from one balcony to the other.

About the trip.

About Kabir and Anaya's endless mischief.

About the mountains.

About school reopening in a few days.

It was simple.

Comfortable.

Natural.

Inside the Sharma House...

Anaya peeked through the curtains.

She gasped dramatically.

"They're already talking!"

Across the street...

Kabir was doing exactly the same thing.

He looked at his brother.

Then at Aarohi.

He smiled proudly.

"I knew it."

The two little cupids secretly waved at each other through the windows.

Mission updates didn't need words anymore.

Everything was progressing perfectly.

As the night grew darker...

Aarohi smiled softly.

"I should go."

Reyansh nodded.

"Yeah."

"Good night, Ocean."

"Good night, Reyansh."

She walked back inside.

But before closing the balcony door...

She turned around one last time.

Reyansh was still standing there.

Looking at the balcony she had just left.

She couldn't help but smile again.

Reyansh looked up at the star-filled sky.

The trip had ended.

Summer holidays would soon end too.

But somehow...

He wasn't as disappointed anymore.

Because no matter what...

Every morning...

And every evening...

His Ocean was only one balcony away.

End of Chapter 55 🌊🏡💙