“Aren’t you the one who was at Bajaj Mansion a few minutes ago? How are you swamped right now?” she snapped, her voice carrying the leftover frustration from earlier that evening.
“Ames went out for a jog, and while following her, I got caught in the rain,” I muttered with a shrug, continuing toward my room.
“Strange how you chase after Amyra when you should’ve stayed to talk with Aditi. I don’t understand you.” Her tone softened, but those words hit harder than I expected.
I froze mid-step, realizing how I’d cut off my conversation with Aditi just because I couldn’t find Amyra. How could I leave the very girl I’d confessed my feelings to, all because my best friend had disappeared for a while?
That was wrong. It should’ve been my moment with Aditi…So why did I end up running after Amyra instead?
That question still rattles me, but when I think about it, it makes sense. Amyra has always been the only girl in my life, so maybe it was just instinct, an old habit I didn’t even realize I had.
Now that I might actually have a girlfriend, I’ll need to learn how to balance things. So, could Amyra be feeling insecure about the same? Worried I’ll start caring for her less?
That’s impossible.
Not after she’s practically imprinted herself on my life and hacked her way into my mind. I chuckle at the thought just as a soft knock sounds and my door swings open abruptly.
“Reyansh!” Dad appears before me, and I immediately stand up in respect for his presence.
“Good evening, Dad.” I greet him politely.
“Evening. I’m here to inform you that the preparations for appointing you and Amyra as trainees have picked up speed. It may take another two weeks to finalize everything.” I nod, noticing he’s still in his formal wear, probably just got home.
“Sure, Dad. I’ll let Amyra know.”
“No need. Harsha will handle it. I just want to make sure you’re focusing on your groundwork for the company and notgetting caught up in...distractions.” His tone carries that familiar bitterness, and I know exactly what he’s hinting at.
“I don’t entertain distractions when I’m working, Dad. You don’t have to worry about that,” I say firmly, keeping my voice even.
“Good. Be ready to join the company.”
“Okay. And Dad,” I add carefully, “please try to accept and support my personal life decisions. You can’t stay locked in the past—”
“Stop.” He raises his palm, silencing me instantly.
“Be grateful we didn’t oppose your personal choice. But don’t be greedy enough to expect our support for it. That may take years or may not have a chance too.” His words hit like bullets, sharp, cold, and deliberate.
“For God’s sake, you act like I’ve committed a big mistake, Dad.”
“You did, Reyansh. We’ve been dreaming of Amyra as our daughter-in-law for years. You broke that.” His impassive tone freezes me in place, and before I can respond, he’s already gone, leaving my room and me in stunned silence.
What the hell, man!
I slam my fist against the wall, frustration boiling over. Why can’t they understand something so simple?
They’re making me look like some villain, a man who abandoned his bride and broke a promise when all I ever said about marrying Amyra was childish nonsense. Why the hell did they ever imagine her as my wife? Their future daughter-in-law?
Unbelievable. How can they cling to something I said as a kid?
Sure, I get it, they wanted our friendship to turn into something more. But shouldn’t that idea end when there are no feelings involved? My spiralling thoughts come to a halt as my phone starts ringing.
Amyra’s name flashes on the screen.Relief washes through me instantly.
“Thank God, Ames. You called me at the right time. I was almost on the verge of losing my shit.” I explain in an exaggerated tone.
“What's wrong?” Her dull reply comes up, which somehow slows down my fervor.
“My dad just came to my room and started the same old rant about my childhood blabbering. He even said I shouldn’t expect his support for my relationship. Does that even make sense, Ames? It wasn’t a promise for God’s sake! Why did I even say that?” I grumble, exasperated, but there’s only silence on the other end.
