*REET*
"Atharv, give me a chanc-" Maya's voice cracked as she tried to speak through her tears, her desperation palpable.
"I said, get out!" Atharv's voice cut through the air, harsh and unforgiving. His eyes were cold, and his stance showed no signs of softening.
I turned around, looking at him in disbelief, and so did Ariv. The intensity in Atharv's voice was startling, and it seemed to shake even Ariv, who stood frozen, his expression unreadable.
"You can't do this to me, Atharv! My parents have abandoned me-I'm all alone. How am I supposed to go through this... alone?" Maya's sobs grew louder, her body trembling as her words fell apart. She was begging for something, for mercy, for hope-anything that could save her from the dark pit she was in.
But Atharv... he didn't flinch. He didn't even look at her. Instead, his focus shifted to me, his expression void of any emotion. Grabbing my wrist, he whispered coldly, "Let's leave, Reet."
I looked at him, confused, uncertain. His grip tightened as he turned away, his tone commanding as he called out to Ariv. "Ariv, let's go inside."
But Ariv didn't move. His gaze was fixed on Maya, his lips parted slightly in disbelief. He looked... shattered.
"Ariv! I said come ins-"
"What happened to you, Maya?" Ariv's voice was soft, shaking. The coldness in Atharv's voice was nowhere to be found in his. Ariv stepped toward her, his eyes slowly dropping to her swollen belly, his breath catching as he asked again, "Who did this to you?"
Maya sniffled, trying to steady herself, but her body betrayed her. Her shaking hand slowly rose, trembling as it pointed toward the one person I hadn't expected-Atharv.
"It's his," she whispered, her voice barely audible, but the words hit me like a punch to the gut. "The child... is his."
I gasped, my heart racing as I looked at Atharv, hoping, praying, that somehow this was all a horrible misunderstanding. But Atharv didn't even glance at me. His eyes remained on Ariv, as if none of this mattered.
Ariv's gaze, once full of warmth and rage, turned ice-cold as he faced Atharv. This wasn't the Ariv I knew. Something inside him had shifted.
Maya's voice trembled as she continued, "After your... after your expulsion from our previous school, I told Atharv about this, but... but..."
But then She gave up as she collapsed onto the ground. In reflex, I tried to move towards her but atharv's iron grip restricted me.
"Enough," Atharv muttered, gripping my wrist tighter, trying to pull me away, but I couldn't move. I couldn't tear my eyes from the scene unfolding in front of me.
"Maya!" Ariv rushed to her side, kneeling beside her, his arms instinctively wrapping around her fragile body. He held her as she wept uncontrollably into his chest, her cries shaking his entire frame.
"My parents... they've abandoned me, too... after they found out I was pregnant. I have nowhere to go... no one to turn to... I'm so scared," Maya sobbed, her voice growing weaker with every word.
I could feel the tears welling up in my own eyes, my heart breaking at the sight of her crumbling world. Her head rested on Ariv's shoulder, and for the first time, I saw him-Ariv, the strong, stoic figure-break. His eyes were glassy, his jaw clenched as he looked at Atharv, his best friend.
But this wasn't the Ariv I knew. His gaze was cold, filled with bitterness. He held Maya tighter as if shielding her from the cruel world around her.
"Who will take care of me? My child? I have no one left!" Maya's cries echoed in the space, each word a dagger twisting deeper into all of us.
Ariv didn't speak. He couldn't. His eyes, filled with quiet rage and sorrow, were locked on Atharv, as if searching for something, some explanation or apology. But Atharv gave him nothing, only silence and distance.
The silence between us shattered with Ariv's next words, words I never thought I'd hear from him.
"I will."
Both Atharv and I stared at him, our disbelief mirroring each other. Ariv's gaze finally broke away from Atharv's cold eyes as he knelt beside Maya, gently pulling her to her feet. Maya, too, looked at him in shock, her tear-streaked face unable to process what she was hearing.
"I will take care of you," he repeated softly, his voice steady but filled with an undercurrent of something deeper. He turned around, guiding Maya as they began to walk away, leaving us behind in the thick, suffocating tension.
Atharv's grip on my wrist loosened. I stared down at it, feeling his hold slip away, but I didn't waste any time. I moved to run after Ariv, to stop him, but Atharv was quicker. His presence loomed as he stormed ahead, cutting off Ariv's path through his emerging voice.
"You aren't!" Atharv's roar pierced the air, halting both Ariv and Maya. They turned to face him, the tension thick between them.
"Don't you remember what she did to us? To me, to you? And you still want to help her?!" His voice was laced with fury, but beneath it, there was something else-something desperate. I had never seen Atharv like this before, and it terrified me.
But Ariv remained calm, his face cold, almost detached. "The only thing I can remember right now is what 'you' did to her, and what it may mean for your future child."
"I don't consider it my child!" Atharv's words sent a shock through me, through all of us. I looked at him in disbelief, my heart pounding in my chest. This wasn't the Atharv I knew.
Ariv, however, was unmoved. He stood there, quiet for a moment before speaking again, his voice steady and bitter. "I don't care if you don't consider yourself the father. At this moment, I consider myself a human, and that's enough for me."
His words were sharp, cutting deep into the silence. They weren't loud, but they struck with more force than any scream could.
"I won't bother you, Atharv. I won't tell anyone. But I can't just leave her like this," Ariv continued, his voice filled with a quiet resolve.
Atharv, shaking with anger, took a step forward, his voice booming, "You damn cheater! You always said a girl would never come between us, and here you are, standing in front of me, choosing Maya over our friendship!"
Ariv's eyes flickered, but his face remained impassive. "But for me ditching her means losing my humanity, thus I take my words back. I don't care because at the end I can't be the kind of husband your father was, or the kind of father my dad is. The only thing I can be is Ariv Singhania, who doesn't care if tomorrow even exists."
His words hung heavy in the air, each syllable sinking deep into the heart of the matter. Ariv turned away again, pulling Maya along, but Atharv wasn't done. His voice cracked, raw with emotion as he shouted after him.
"My dad raised you like his own blood! My mom loved you like her own son!" Atharv's voice wavered as he paused, his back to us, unwilling to face the truth spilling from his lips. "But you... you always ruined things. You never deserved our love. You were a burden to me, to all of us! You always ruined my plans, you ruined my love-you're the reason I was left behind with nothing but a shattered heart!"
His words struck hard, like venom seeping through the cracks in our world. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move. I watched helplessly as years of hidden wounds and unspoken pain came crashing to the surface.
"Atharv," s new voice emerged, as Maya decided to speak trembling with the weight of everything unravelling. "When will you stop feeling insecure from your friend?! When will this stop?" her words were heavy, pleading, but they barely reached him.
"Maya," Atharv whispered, his voice barely audible as if speaking to himself, still not turning around to face us.
She hesitated, her eyes filled with conflict, but finally, she took Ariv's hand. "Come, Maya," Ariv said gently, his voice soft but resolute.
Maya cast one last, burning glance at Atharv before turning her back on him, her steps heavy, as if every inch she walked away from him tore something apart inside her. Ariv's arm was a steady anchor as they faded into the shadows, the distance between us growing deeper and more impossible to bridge.
I couldn't let them go-I couldn't. My feet moved before I could think, but just as I started toward them, Atharv's hand shot out, gripping my wrist once again.
"Don't," he whispered, his voice breaking at last, no longer filled with dominance, no longer filled with rage-just pain.
"I can't, Atharv," I whispered, loosening my hand from his grip. My voice was soft but resolute. "She needs me. She needs a woman to stand by her side."
Atharv didn't say anything. He just stared at me, his eyes reflecting the raw pain of betrayal, a wound I couldn't heal for him. I could feel the weight of his hurt, the unspoken words hanging between us, but I couldn't turn back now. Not when Maya needed someone.
Without looking back, I turned around and ran toward Ariv and the woman who had become his responsibility.
I rushed toward the retreating figure, breathless, and called out, "Ariv!"
Both he and the girl turned to face me.
Finally reaching them, panting, I met his gaze. "Reet," he whispered softly, his once blazing eyes now dimmed.
My eyes drifted downward to his hand-clasped tightly by another hand. Not mine. I looked up again to see the girl beside him, tear tracks still fresh on her face. The sight of them together twisted something deep inside me, but I pushed the feeling aside.
"I'll come with you," I said, my voice firmer than I expected.
His eyes flashed with brief surprise. "Reet, you know what you're-"
"I know exactly what I'm saying, Ariv. I know I'm nothing but a troublemaker, but right now... I need to help her." My gaze shifted to the girl, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Because in the end, I'm a girl too, and sometimes only a girl can help another girl."
Ariv sighed, the tension in his posture easing slightly. "Fine, you can come."
A small glimmer of hope sparked within me, and I allowed myself the faintest of smiles. Yet his eyes remained indifferent, distant even, as if battling something inside him.
"Alright, let's go," he muttered, turning away.
But as he walked ahead, I noticed something that unsettled me even more-his hand, still tightly gripping Maya's. That sight hit me harder than I expected.
Ariv, the one who always kept his distance from girls, was holding onto her like she was something different, something important. A pang of jealousy flared, but I ignored it. Whatever they shared, it wasn't my place to question right now.
I steeled myself and followed them, trying to quiet the storm brewing inside me.
-------------------
Ariv had brought us to a small, shabby old house, one he had found after countless phone calls to his people. I'd offered him a place to stay at my house for the night, but he refused, not wanting to burden me, no matter how hard I tried to convince him. But in a way, he was also right. I couldn't keep sheltering them forever; it was only because my parents weren't home that I had the freedom to offer it at all.
The room we were given was simple and unlocked, with only the bare essentials. There was an attached bathroom and a tiny balcony that was practically closed off, leaving little space to breathe. Ariv had gone out to get some food, while Maya sat on the mattress, gently patting her swollen belly. The house had no decor, no warmth, just the emptiness of an old forgotten place.
I sat a distance away, leaning against the wall, and found myself quietly admiring her. Despite everything, despite her exhaustion, she was still breathtakingly beautiful. Her long, thick black hair cascaded around her, adding an effortless charm. Her almond-shaped eyes, small, pointed nose, and lips-dark but still soft pink-radiated a kind of beauty that transcended her worn appearance. I could only imagine how stunning she must have been during her school days with Ariv and Atharv, a living goddess among mortals.
"You probably have a lot of questions in your mind, don't you?" she broke the silence, her eyes still fixed on her belly.
"Maybe," I murmured. She finally looked up at me, and those eyes-so deep, so dark, framed by thick lashes-held a story of their own. She smiled, a sad, distant smile, and said, "Come sit by my side."
I got up and joined her, and without thinking, my hand found its way to her belly, gently moving across her thick skin.
"I want to know how you ended up like this," I asked softly.
She chuckled, but there was no humour in it. She glanced at me, her eyes revealing a fresh wave of sadness. "You know, the toughest decision in life is trusting destiny," she said, her voice tinged with bitterness. "And unfortunately, my trust has already betrayed me."
I could feel the vulnerability in her words, see it in her eyes. But I couldn't agree. Destiny hadn't betrayed her entirely-she still had Ariv by her side.
"But you still have your lover with you," I muttered.
She shook her head, smiling sadly. "Always a one-sided lover," she corrected.
I looked at her, disbelief clouding my thoughts. "What do you mean?"
She let out a fatigued sigh, her eyes momentarily drifting away as if she was gathering the strength to speak. "Wanna know my story?" she asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
I nodded, sensing that whatever she was about to reveal carried the weight of years.
She took a deep breath, her hand still gently rubbing her belly, then began, "It wasn't always like this, you know... there was a time when things were different. So much brighter. I wasn't someone you'd pity. I was... hopeful. But hope, as I've learned, can also be the cruellest illusion." Her words hung in the air like a confession, and I could tell she was bracing herself for the emotions the story would dredge up.
"I, Ariv, and Atharv were in the same school since childhood," she began, her voice carrying a distant tone as she recalled the past. "And, if you know them well, you'd understand how inseparable they were. The best friends you could ever witness apart in your whole life."
I listened intently, knowing from experience that her descriptions were true to the core. She continued, her words weaving a picture that matched everything I'd come to understand about the two.
"Atharv... he was cold, always lurking in the shadows, calm and silent, but with storms brewing beneath his darkness. Ariv, on the other hand... he was the troublemaker. Always the bad boy. Since childhood, he caused chaos, got into trouble, earned detention like awards." She smiled faintly at the memories, though the weight of them seemed heavy on her shoulders.
"Growing up, from our early years in primary school, I had the biggest crush on Ariv. I mean, who wouldn't? Everyone did," she chuckled softly, but there was a hint of sadness behind it. "He was mischievous, handsome, and... just something different."
Her eyes glazed over for a moment as if she could see the younger version of Ariv standing before her. "He was made different," she said with a soft sigh. "He never had any female friends-not a single one. Atharv, though... Atharv always had girls around him. That made him the school's 'one-time-use playboy'," she smirked bitterly at the old nickname. "It was always the same: if you couldn't get Ariv, you'd settle for Atharv. But me..." her voice dropped, tinged with emotion. "My eyes were always on Ariv. Always."
I could feel the depth of her admiration for Ariv as she spoke, the years of silent devotion etched into every word. "From first grade all the way to tenth, I never spoke to him. Not once. But I worked so hard for my board exams, just so I could end up in the science stream, in the same class as him."
I could picture it-her dedication, the way she must have worshipped Ariv from afar, never daring to speak but always watching.
"And then... in eleventh grade, I finally decided it was time. I wanted to confess my feelings to Ariv." She paused, her face clouding with regret. "But before I could... someone else appeared."
She swallowed, as if forcing herself to continue. "Atharv Rathore. He came to me and confessed that he had loved me since childhood. He admired me, wanted me, needed me... I had no words. None. I just stood there, speechless, unable to respond, and then ran away."
Her voice wavered, thick with regret. "But then... I realized. If I wanted to get close to Ariv, Atharv was my only way in. So, I did it. I said yes to him." Her eyes met mine, and the regret in them was like a weight sinking into my chest. All I could do was watch her in disbelief.
"And that decision ruined everything." She placed her hand over her swollen belly, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Not just for me... but for all three of us. And this... this new life." Her hand lingered on her stomach, the gravity of her words pressing down on the air around us.
"I started going to Atharv's house, pretending to be the perfect girlfriend. We had what people called a relationship, for almost a year. Atharv loved me-completely, unconditionally. But I..." Her voice cracked, her tears brimming on the edge. "I was nothing but selfish. I was only using him... just to catch glimpses of Ariv."
A sob escaped her, her shoulders trembling as she wiped at her tears, but they kept coming. "Slowly, I got what I wanted. Ariv and I started talking. Casual conversations-like how you'd talk to your best friend's girlfriend. But no matter how much I hoped for something more, I could see it. He didn't look at me the way I wanted him to. His body language said it all-he only saw me as Atharv's girl, nothing more."
She paused, her breath shaking as she let out a weak laugh, soaked in bitterness. "I got so many proposals back in school. So many boys liked me. But the one person I wanted, he never did. Even then, Ariv kept me at arm's length, only giving me the bare minimum of attention because I was his best friend's girlfriend. It killed me."
Her voice grew soft, fragile, like she was afraid, her words shattered under the weight of her memories. "I even lost my innocence...my virginity...just to convince Atharv that I loved him. But I didn't. Not really. No matter what I did, I could never forget Ariv. He was always there, in my mind, in my heart. And then... that night came."
Her breath hitched, and she stared into the distance, lost in the painful recollection. "I was at their house. Atharv wasn't there, so I sat down on the couch beside Ariv. He was watching TV. He looked indescribable handsome. And I don't know what came over me... but I leaned in and tried to kiss him. And... Ariv, he pulled back."
Her voice dropped lower, almost a whisper. "That's when Atharv walked in. He saw the whole thing."
I could feel my pulse quicken, the weight of her words crashing down on me like waves. I stared at her, my heart racing. She paused, her eyes glistening with tears that she no longer had the strength to wipe away.
"Atharv didn't even look at me." Her voice was thick with grief. "He didn't ask me why. He didn't have to. He knew. He knew Ariv would never do something like that. He knew it was all me. It was all my lusty wish." She took a shaky breath. "And that's when I realized what I'd done. I had betrayed him. I didn't love him... but I betrayed him. And I regret that... more than anything."
She let out a shaky exhale, her words barely holding together. "But that wasn't the end... Two months later, I found out I was pregnant... with Atharv's child."
I felt my stomach lurch, my eyes widening as the truth hit me.
"That was the day Ariv got expelled from school for one of his stunts. I ran to their house... but Ariv wasn't there. I found Atharv, who he didn't even look at me. I begged him to hear me out, to just listen. I told him everything-that I used to love Ariv, but I'd realized how wrong I was, how much I wanted to come back to him. But he didn't say a word. He just stood there, silent. Cold. And when I told him I was pregnant... he didn't flinch. His face stayed exactly the same, like he didn't care. And without saying anything... he shut the door on my face."
Her voice trembled, each word more broken than the last. "I waited... I waited for him to call, to reach out... but nothing. And the next day, I found out... Ariv and Atharv had both left the school. Just like that."
Her words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating, as she wrapped her arms around herself, lost in the memories of a past that had crushed her.
"My parents found out when I was three months along. They gave me two choices-abort the baby, or be thrown out. But... this blood is mine," she whispered, her hand trembling as it rested on her belly. "I chose to keep the baby. And so... I left home. A disgrace, a burden. I worked as a servant, then at McDonald's, just trying to survive. But a few weeks ago... they fired me because of my health. I couldn't afford rent anymore. My landlord kicked me out. And for the past two days, I've been walking... wandering the streets with nothing but a few crumpled notes in my pocket, nine months pregnant, wondering how much longer I can survive."
She broke down completely, her sobs shaking her entire body. "And then... I saw him. I saw Ariv again. That same face, the one that stole my breath all those years ago... it still had the same effect. And I... I couldn't help it. I called his name."
Her voice faded into a soft, defeated whisper. "But it was too late. For everything."
The silence that followed was suffocating. I could barely breathe, overwhelmed by the sheer weight of her story. The pain, the regret, the shattered pieces of a life she once knew-it was all too much to bear.
The memories of the past blurred my vision with tears, and when hers began to fall, I could no longer hold back. Without thinking, I reached out, pulling her close and hugging her tightly as her tears flowed freely. "You've endured so much, Maya," I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. "You're so brave... truly brave." She said nothing, only sobbing softly against me, her fragile body trembling in my arms.
But then my phone buzzed, breaking the moment. I glanced at the screen-it was Atharv. Reluctantly, I pulled back, gently brushing a tear from her cheek. "Maya, I need to go," I murmured. She gave a small nod, her silence lingering between us, and I stepped outside into the fresh air to take the call.
"Hello," I answered as I picked up the call, but there was only silence on the other end. "Atharv? Hello?" I called again, my voice laced with concern. After a long pause, I finally heard his voice, barely a whisper.
"Reet," he breathed, and that single word told me everything. He was breaking. Sobbing. Wrestling with something deep inside.
"Atharv, are you okay?" I asked, genuinely worried.
"Why are you asking me that?" His words came out bitter, surprising me with their edge. "You probably hate me now... after knowing everything that I've done. The mistakes I made in the past... and even now." He whispered the last part, and I could feel the weight of the guilt that was consuming him.
"I could never hate you, Atharv," I said softly. "We're friends, remember?"
There was a long pause, and I could almost hear his heart breaking on the other side of the line. I continued gently, "I understand. You were young... hurt and betrayed. I know you did wrong, but I also know you're carrying that guilt. You see it too, don't you? I understand you, Atharv. And I don't hate you. I never could."
His sobs came through the phone, fragile and raw. "What kind of person are you, Reet?" His voice was thick with emotion. "How can you be so gentle with me?"
"Because I know you need someone to be," I whispered. "Someone who won't judge you, someone who will stand by your side no matter what."
He let out a deep sigh, heavy with pain. "I'm a monster, Reet. From the inside out. You saw it today... you must have."
I closed my eyes, feeling the ache in my chest. "Even the devil was once the brightest angel in heaven," I replied softly.
Another sigh. Longer, more broken. "I'm ruined, Reet. I'm so... ruined," he muttered to himself, but I heard every word.
"Atharv," I said, my voice gentle yet firm. "You've known me for a long time. What do you think I am to you? What do you think I'm capable of doing for you?"
There was a long silence, and for a moment, I wondered if he would ever answer. But then, in a voice that trembled with vulnerability, he finally spoke.
"My dear Earth," he began, and I felt my breath catch. "I know I've lost my innocence. I know I've broken myself into a thousand scattered pieces. But now... now I feel that you're the one. The only one who could heal me. The only one who sees the real me behind all this mess... the only one I can trust with my whole heart."
Tears stung my eyes as his confession hung in the air, raw and open. His brokenness reached out to mine, and at that moment, I realized he had finally let me in.
"I want you to heal me, Reet. I want you to fix this mess," Atharv's voice trembled with a vulnerability I had never heard from him before. The weight of his words hit me like a wave, and for a moment, I couldn't speak.
"Atharv, I-" I began, but before I could finish, the line went dead. I stared at my phone, realizing it had died, the screen black. A sigh escaped my lips as the heaviness settled deeper in my chest. So much left unsaid.
I stepped back into the room, my thoughts swirling, only to find Maya munching on a burger. She glanced up when she noticed me. "Reet," she said through a mouthful, "yours is there." She pointed towards a packet on the table.
I nodded, offering a small smile, though my mind was elsewhere. "Where's Ariv?" I asked, my voice quieter than usual.
Maya swallowed and gestured towards the balcony. "He's outside."
Nodding again, I said, "I'll eat in a bit." My heart was still heavy from the conversation, but I couldn't leave things like this. With slow, deliberate steps, I made my way to the balcony, feeling the pull of everything that needed to be faced.
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A/N- twelve to fifteen chapters more to update. So stay tuned guys. I hope you are enjoying the story. Thanks for your support and 5K reads.
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