Reyansh
Aditi is at my workplace for a surprise visit, and I genuinely feel happy to have her here. I took her on an office tour, showing her the major places I usually visit. We strolled around the seventh floor, shared a brief conversation at my cubicle, and then went together to meet my father and Harsha Uncle, but my dad was nowhere to be found.
Now that it’s lunchtime, she suggested going out for a lunch date, and I agree. Though there was an urge at the back of my mind to invite Amyra, I kept my mouth shut, not wanting to step back into the pool of overwhelming emotions I am still trying to label. What surprised me the most was how Aditi herself came up with the idea of inviting her sister to join us for lunch. My heart swelled with joy at the thought of seeing her through the entire meal, and that realization instantly excited me.
So Aditi left to talk to Amyra, and I am left alone in my cubicle.
Even though Amyra and I are on good terms, we have avoided meeting outside of group hangouts. The last time we met privately was at the B&T Green Horizon Drive event, so the thought of having her near me for a long time fills me with a quiet thrill. Yet, I cannot erase the memory of the incident fromthis morning. The incident with my father and Harsha Uncle, when they called me in to meet them in Harsha Uncle’s cabin.
“Good morning, Dad. Good morning, Uncle,” I wished the moment I stepped inside the cabin.
“Morning, Reyansh. Have a seat,” Harsha Uncle said, gesturing to the chair opposite them while both of them sat on the large sofa in the corner.
“Thank you,” I uttered, keeping my gaze on them.
“We’ve heard positive reviews about you from your mentor, and we’re pleased,” Dad said in a firm tone, though there was no trace of happiness on his face.
It had been months since I had started my relationship with Aditi, yet my parents still seemed unable to accept it. They spoke to me, yes, but the warmth they once showered on me was missing. Sometimes, I even wondered if I had truly been wrong about that forgotten promise.
“Thanks, Dad,” I replied meekly.
“But we called you here for a different purpose,” Harsha Uncle added. My brows knit together at his unexpected words as I waited for him to continue.
“Did you know Karan Mahajan before joining here?” The sudden question left me speechless. Their need to bring up Karan felt odd and completely absurd.
“Yes, but why bring him up now?” I asked.
“Just tell us about him. His personality, character, behavior,” Dad prompted, and an uneasy suspicion settled in my chest.
“He studied at the same university as Amyra and me, but we never really crossed paths with him.” I cooked up a lie, unwilling to reveal how he had once chased Amyra, desperate for a chance to date her.
“Oh? Then why did his father say Karan was interested in Amyra during university, but she turned him down?”
Another shock, perhaps the biggest of the day. I couldn’t believe which was worse: whether they had gone digging into Karan’s past, or that his father shamelessly shared something so personal.
Wait. Why would Karan even tell his dad about it? Was he that serious about Amyra? Was he here for her?
“That might have happened. I don’t remember, Uncle,” I replied, forcing an indifferent tone.
“What do you mean you don’t remember? Weren’t you two inseparable almost your entire lives? You sound like you were deliberately hiding things from us,” Dad snapped, his disbelief evident.
“So what if I was?” I grunted harshly, my jaw clenching as both of them stared at me, baffled.
“Look how reckless he’s become, Harsha,” Dad complained, while Harsha Uncle let out a tired sigh.
“What’s your problem with revealing Karan’s confession?” Uncle asked.
“Because it wasn’t my place,” I snapped. “It was Amyra’s personal choice to share it or not, but you both turned it into a news story.”
Anger burned through me. I hated the way they had found out and used that information to cross-examine me. I still didn’t understand their real motive.
“You’re right, Reyansh. What we did may have been wrong, but it was only for her good?” Uncle said.
“What?” I whispered.
“We’ve noticed how Amyra and Karan not only completed the campaign successfully, but also seemed quite close. Knowing he once liked her gave us a new hope.”
“Hope?” I interrupted, panic seeping into my voice.
