Does that mean she was already bothered by this plan?
“For now, just put this damn thing into your head that no woman likes sharing her man’s attention. Even if it’s with his female best friend. Learn that before things get worse.” With that final, heavy statement, Amyra walks away, slipping out of the club and out of my sight. And I’m left standing there, gripping onto a truth I’ve been trying hard to ignore.
Something is definitely wrong with the way I’m handling things… And I need to fix it before everything spins beyond my control.
Chapter 15
Amyra
I’m about to leave the Bajaj Mansion for work when I pause mid-step at the sight of Aditi walking into the hallway from the kitchen.
“Adi!” I call out, and she immediately comes over.
“Leaving for the office, Amyra Di?” I nod to her question.
“So, Adi, you and Rey went on a movie date yesterday. Are things alright between you two now?” I ask, anxious yet curious. I’ve noticed how unsettled she’s been since last week, exactly from the night we met at the club.
The memory flashes, how it stung watching them together as a couple, and how I tried to escape that ache by sitting far from them, only for that drunk idiot to ruin my peace. I silently begged God not to let Reyansh see, but of course, he did, charging over with that overprotective streak of his and causing a scene. It spoiled their dinner plans, riling Aditi, and we left abruptly because of his reckless anger. Since then, both of them have kept their distance from me.
I was surprised Reyansh didn’t show up at my cubicle like he always used to. We only exchanged brief conversations whenever we crossed paths. Determined to act like the old me, Ieven tried initiating talks with both of them until I noticed how dull and unhappy Aditi looked, as if something was off between them. So, I stayed quiet, waiting for one of them to open up. When I learned they went on a movie date yesterday, I hoped things had returned to normal.
But…did I really hope for that?
“There’s nothing to fix when everything is already okay, Di.” She beams, cheerful and smiling. It should comfort me, but why does her assurance feel like a punch in the gut? No. I can’t let my emotions sway me or expect them to drift apart over a silly fight.
I can’t be selfish and twist their relationship into something broken when they’re clearly fine.
I should really give up this ridiculous love for Rey.
“Di…?” Aditi shakes my arm, pulling me back to reality. I offer a small, awkward smile.
“That’s good to hear. Then what’s with your dull mood lately?”
“Oh, that? Nothing serious. One of my dream university applications abroad got rejected. I was disappointed, but I still have plenty of good options left, so I’m fine now.” She explains calmly, and I mentally slam my head against the nearest wall for jumping to the worst conclusion about her and my best friend.
“Oh, Adi! You’ll have so many more opportunities; don’t lose your peace over something so trivial. And I’m relieved things are fine between you and Rey. I know it sounds unreasonable, but I felt guilty for ruining your dinner with him last week.” I whisper, lowering my head.
I might be selfish for assuming the worst between them, but I genuinely felt guilty for ruining their evening at the club.
“But why, Di? That same night, I tried seeing things from his perspective and realized he wasn’t wrong. You’ve been an integral part of his life since childhood, so it’s natural for him to be protective of you. And leaving that place was the smartest choice, so we talked the next day and cleared the tension. Everything went back to normal immediately. I’m sorry for making you worry unnecessarily, but trust me, Di, we’re going strong as ever.”
There’s a new glow on her face, and the upbeat tone in her voice tells me her dating life is going fine and looks like it is everything she wants. Ignoring the dull sting in my chest, I force a smile.
“I’m happy for you,” I whisper, before wishing her goodbye and heading to my car to leave for work.
If there’s no issue between Reyansh and Aditi, then why did he keep his distance all week, barely interacting with me? Maybe he was extremely busy. He always made time for me earlier, even if he was busy, but not this time. It is uncharacteristic.
Is he actually choosing to stay away?
I may not admit it aloud, but God, I missed him. Every knock on my cubicle door made my heart race, hoping it would be him. But he never appeared. Not once. We exchanged a few calls and messages, but they were brief, strictly about work or polite check-ins. Neither of us dared to call and now I understand why. He must have been busy speaking with my sister.
It feels like karma, his silence mirroring how I once shut him out. I deserve it for hurting him just to protect my sanity. But what changed? Why does his sudden indifference cut this deep? I thought he could never stay away from me. I thought I mattered.
But priorities change… with time.
Tears pool in my eyes before I can stop them. A quiet sob escapes as I cover my mouth, not wanting the driver to notice. I quickly wipe my cheeks and turn toward the window, pretending to admire the passing streets.Is this the beginning of the end of us?
*****
