Rewrite the Stars | A Ruturaj Gaikwad Fanfiction

The aftermath (Ruturaj's pov)

Eve of the wedding day, FC Kundra Gardens, December 2028 (Present)

Rutu was lying on his back, gazing at the golden lights decorating the ceiling, unblinking. The clocked ticked on from the side wall...

12:43...1...2...3...4... ...57...58...59...

12:44...1...2...3...4... ...57...58...59...

Just sleep already, he told his brain angrily.

No...count... his brain said. 9 hours, 15 minutes left till you exchange your vows. 9 hours 15 minutes till you're bound for life with Aditi...

I'm looking forward to it, he said.

I know you are, said his brain. That's why you're staring at the ceiling, counting sheep instead of sneaking in to her room to spend one last night together as unmarried...instead of making memories with her...

I'm NOT counting sheep.

Irrelevant.

Shut up, Rutu screamed at the infuriating voice in his head, much more rudely than he ever spoke to people in real life. SHUT UP.

***

Events between the two weddings, 2025- 2028 (Past)

~~~RAKESH'S APOLOGY~~~

A few months had passed since the cancelled wedding; Rutu still found it difficult to forgive Rakesh, or at least speak to him normally.

Rakesh had persisted, however, seeming unwilling to give up trying to win his forgiveness.

"Aditi and Mahati have both forgiven me, Rutu," he said one day. "Why won't you?"

"Neither of them know the whole story, they don't know it was a plan, Rakesh," said Rutu.

"Aditi does. I told her."

"And did you tell her you've been planning it from 2022?"

"No," confessed Rakesh. "I couldn't summon up the courage for that."

"And Mahati? Does she know anything?"

"No."

"Even so," said Rutu. "I hope you know you generous she is."

"Rutu, I know that so well," said Rakesh frankly. "It kills me that the person I hurt so badly still sees me with the same affection she did before. It would have been better if she ghosted me."

"No, it wouldn't have been," retorted Rutu. "She ghosted me once, so I know."

"About that," said Rakesh. "I'm super glad you two are the best of friends again, Rutu, but I'd appreciate if you wouldn't ghost me because of what I did to her. I mean, I am your oldest best friend..."

"I'm not ghosting you," sighed Rutu. "It's just impossible to forget, what you did."

"You could forgive me without forgetting it," said Rakesh. "It's too hard for me to forgive myself if even you won't, Rutu."

Somehow that last line of Rakesh's made Rutu melt from inside. Maybe because now he knew Rakesh definitely had not forgiven himself yet.

That made Rutu want to forgive him.

"I forgive you," he said. "Now if you need any help learning to forgive yourself, you only have to ask."

"I'm asking," said Rakesh at once.