"I don't want to become the kind of Adwait who would rip every single skin cell off any man who dares to have even the faintest touch upon your skin," He placed a soft, lingering kiss on her earlobe.
Nitya's heart raced in response to his words. Sh...
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Nitya quickly climbed the stairs to the second floor where Adwait had called her. Ever since she left home for the university, she had been overwhelmed with anxiety and stress about what was coming up.
As she turned the doorknob, she found the room mostly empty except for a few people inside. Adwait, Virat, and Arushi were among them, and they instantly caught her eye.
But her eyes kept scanning, and she spotted Ishana and Riya standing off to the side, their faces tense with worry.
Curiosity bubbled up as she wondered why they were all in that room. But before she could ask, Arushi hurried over and wrapped her in a tight embrace.
"I'm really sorry. I screwed up as a friend," she confessed, sounding genuinely regretful.
Nitya gently pulled away from the hug. "Why are you apologizing, Aru? What's going on?"
"Adwait informed us about everything that went down yesterday," Arushi's voice wavered, tears welling up in her eyes. "I can't even imagine what you went through, and I wasn't even there to give you a shoulder to lean on."
Since morning, a heavy guilt had been weighing on her heart ever since Adwait spilled the beans to both her and Virat. The truth shook her to the core. If it weren't for Adwait, who knows what would've happened to her friend? She'd never forgive herself for it.
Nitya was speechless. Deep down, she knew Arushi wasn't to blame for any of this, and neither was anyone else. It was just one of those uncontrollable twists of fate, a force beyond anyone's control. There was no one at fault here.
"Stop apologising, Aru," Nitya urged gently. "Why do you burden yourself with guilt when it holds no connection to you? No one should bear the weight of remorse for something beyond their control."
"We also share responsibility," Virat interjected, standing beside Nitya. "It was our job to keep you safe, and as your brother, I failed in that regard. I am deeply sorry."
"Virat, Arushi, if something bad happened to either of you, would you blame me? Of course not, right? So please, I'm begging you, stop apologizing," Nitya pleaded.
Witnessing them like this was so painful to her. She stretched out her arms wide and pulled both of them into a tight embrace simultaneously. And they, in turn, welcomed her into their arms.
That's when Nitya's gaze landed on Adwait who was watching their interaction with a little smile on his face. Her heart did a little somersault, and suddenly all the moments she'd shared with him the night before flashed before her eyes.
She broke away from the hug and made a beeline straight for him, unable to resist the pull any longer.
Adwait couldn't help but notice the slight signs of tiredness on her face, hinting that she hadn't gotten much sleep. His heart just wanted to wrap her up in a warm hug, plant a soft kiss on her forehead, and ask how she was feeling. But, he held back, knowing that they were in the company of others and didn't want to make things awkward.
