The words settle between us.
Cold.
Heavy.
I don’t respond immediately. Because I’m suddenly not sure what to say. Rhea picks up her purse. “Enjoy the party.”
Then she walks out. The other woman follows quickly behind her. The door closes. And the room feels very quiet. I stand there for several seconds staring at my reflection. The same thoughts circle in my mind over and over.
What if she’s right?
The idea slips in slowly. Like water finding cracks in stone.
I press my palms against the sink. Aditya is kind. Too kind sometimes. He helps people without thinking twice. He helped me. The memory of the early days flickers through my mind.
The debts.
The stress.
The situation that brought us together in the first place. A knot forms in my chest. What if he’s just… too good of a person to admit he’s stuck?
The thought hurts more than I expect.
Because somewhere along the way something changed for me.
I didn’t plan it.
I didn’t even notice when it happened.
But now the truth sits clearly in my chest.
I love him. The realization feels both terrifying and strangely peaceful.
If Rhea is right…If he’s only staying because he feels responsible… Then I can’t let that continue. The idea of him feeling trapped makes my stomach twist painfully. I straighten slowly.
I splash cold water on my face and dry it carefully.
When I walk back into the hall the noise of the event returns around me.
Laughter.
Music.
Conversations overlapping.
I find Aditya across the room speaking to two men. The moment his eyes land on me he stops mid-sentence. Something in my face must give me away. Because his expression changes instantly. Concern replaces the easy smile he had earlier.
He excuses himself from the conversation and walks toward me. “Divya.”
I try to smile. “I think I should go home.”
His eyebrows draw together. “Why?”
“Neel.”
“What about Neel?”
“He might need me.”
