The night felt unnaturally quiet, yet Ruhi's mind was anything but. Her thoughts spiraled, clawing at every memory, every carefully crafted moment she had spent with Abhi. He was supposed to love her, to never doubt her. Yet, in an instant, everything she had built had come crashing down.
Her fingers trembled as she dialed his number. Each ring felt like a hammer against her chest, but there was no answer. Again. And again. And again.
She threw her phone onto her bed in frustration, breathing heavily. "He can't just leave like that," she muttered to herself. "He'll come back. He has to."
But deep down, a voice whispered-what if he never does?
---
Meanwhile, Abhi sat in his car, parked at an empty overlook. The city lights stretched far beneath him, a beautiful illusion of something whole, something untouchable. Just like Ruhi had been.
He ran a hand over his face, exhaustion seeping into his bones. The betrayal clung to him like a shadow, replaying in his mind over and over again. Her words. Her lies.
For so long, he had been blind. Willing to believe that what they had was real. That her love was genuine.
A sharp knock on his window pulled him from his thoughts. He turned, expecting one of his friends, but instead, he saw Ishika standing there.
He hesitated before rolling down the window. "What are you doing here?"
She tilted her head slightly, studying him. "I could ask you the same thing."
Abhi sighed. "Needed some air."
Ishika didn't say anything at first. Then, in a softer voice, she said, "I heard."
His jaw tensed. "Figures."
She leaned against the car, crossing her arms. "Are you okay?"
He let out a bitter chuckle. "Would you be?"
Ishika considered this before answering. "No."
Silence stretched between them, comfortable yet heavy.
She finally spoke again. "You know... I've been where you are."
Abhi glanced at her, surprised. "What?"
Her lips curved into something that wasn't quite a smile. "Not exactly, but close enough. Believing in something that wasn't real. Trusting someone I shouldn't have."
He didn't ask for details, but he appreciated the honesty.
"You're handling it better than I expected," she admitted.
Abhi exhaled. "No point in making a scene."
Ishika nodded. "Maybe not. But it's okay to be angry, you know."
He leaned back in his seat, staring up at the night sky. "I'm not sure what I am right now."
She tapped lightly against the car door. "Then maybe... you should figure that out."
For the first time that night, Abhi felt a small sense of clarity. Maybe she was right.
And maybe, just maybe, this was the start of something new.
...to be continued...