Two Cooks Spilt the Broth

19. The Fall

Jayveer took a pause to play without buffering. His mind could not process the secrets that Priya unveiled.

"I asked you a question. Who was your mother?" Jayveer asked sternly and Priya knew there was no going back. Her eyes gave Jayveer his answer, and they were full of varied emotions. "Pritestri?" He questioned with a gruff voice and shock written all over his face.

Guilt was written all over Priya's face, and she nodded her head in affirmative accepting her online name. "You knew it since the start?" Priya didn't reply, but the answer was obvious. Jayveer held her arms forcing her to meet his eyes. "Why did you never..."
Jayveer put his hands on his hips and shook his head unable to believe the secret that unfolded. "You deceived me worse than Arifa. I am... I feel like the biggest idiot on Earth."

Priya caught Jayveer's hand and said, "No. Please don't say that. I had my reasons." Priya narrated to Jayveer her story about the weight issues. The one she shared with Anandya.

"Papa and Mumma's constant fights were getting worse while I was trying to lose weight. I became irritated and angry even for the silliest of things. After we had a couple of disagreements, I realised I shouldn't create a ruckus in your life. I was broken, but that did not mean I break everything around me. It was so difficult for me to part ways with the only friend I had, but I knew I had to, to save him from the drama that I carried like my shadow."

Jayveer was sitting on her bed and listening to her quietly with his chin resting on his hand. "Why didn't you say anything to me in college? We were together for four years damn it!"

Priya was probably prepared for the question. She sat on a chair across from him and elucidated, "Mumma had just passed away a month back. She couldn't take all the accusations that papa planned against her. Dadu, my grandfather, sent me to the college of my choice and had a lot of expectations from me. I had to concentrate on my studies and..." A small smile played on Priya's lips while saying, "With you around I could barely do that. I decided to tell you everything if I scored well in the first semester but till then we were already at loggerheads, and you were courting Arifa. You both looked so good together that I didn't have the heart to create issues between you two."

As soon as Priya finished her dialogue, Jayveer stood up and in a rough voice told her, "You know you are not good a person. This act of wanting good for me is just to make yourself feel better. You are selfish, self-centered, and self-obsessed. How were you telling me that you were the girl, Pritestri, I chatted with online to break my bond with Arifa? How could you alone decide for both of us? If I was your best friend, you were also... You were practically my mentor, Priya. My love for cooking paved me in the right direction because of your guidance. Whenever I climbed up the ladder of success I never forgot to thank my online friend whom I never saw. Only if you were not so selfish and once, just once told me about everything, we could be in a better space mentally and professionally."

Priya didn't reply and sat with her head hung low. Jayveer waited for a few minutes then stomped his foot before opening the door to leave. Priya caught his hand just in time and confessed, "I know I have done more wrong than I intended to, but I feared if I told you I was 'Pritestri' then you would question me about my sudden disappearance. Please understand that I wasn't prepared to share my problems with you then. My mother's name became a cuss word in the food industry until Dadu fought tooth and nail to clear it. It was too much to handle and I just... I am sorry."

Jayveer stood with a Stoic expression and that pained Priya's heart. There was so much in their story that was never heard of except the fact that love is true if it's unconditional.

"What do you want us to do now, Priya? Knowing everything about you now I cannot even be annoyed or fight with you. I regret throwing stones at your counter more than I already did. I worshipped and treasured our online friendship and more than everything, I... You have no idea what I felt about you."