Judaaiyaan

7

Mishti knew that was it. That was the moment she had been waiting since she arrived in Mumbai. While she gave her father space and never pressured or even as much mentioned the need for them to talk about how long she was going to pretend to be Pragati, she had wanted to have this conversation since she found out her sister wouldn't wake up. But then she met Ritwik and saw how much he loved her sister and how he could potentially love her too and she started to feel like she wanted to be loved by him. It was a feeling she would be comfortable and more than happy with. But her mother was right. She would probably question his feelings and feel guilty for lying to him for a lifetime. And if she ever got guilty enough to confess her lies she was positive he would hate her. She knew what she had to do. She knew what the right thing to do was and based on Kunal's face he also knew it. But just because her head told her what was right it didn't mean her heart didn't feel almost sad about it. She felt slightly disappointed and upset and although she wasn't entitled to feel this way about him, she just did.

"Come inside," she suggested, stepping aside for him to enter her bedroom.

"I talked to Vijaypath today," Kunal said as soon as he stepped inside, his back still turned to her.

"About?" she asked, slightly confused.

"I told him everything. What I asked you to do, what you agreed with, and what it became. The Noons are people I cherish and treasure, Mishti. I can't deceive them like that," Kunal explained and Mishti felt her knees giving up under her. She moved to her bed and sat, bringing her hand to her heart, trying to recover her breath that suddenly vanished from her lungs.

"Did you also tell Ritwik?" she asked quietly, still having breathing issues. Her worst nightmare was coming to life. She already knew Ritwik should know but if anyone should tell him, it should be her.

"I wouldn't do it, Mishti. I know I dragged you into this and I wouldn't do it behind your back. But Vijaypath is my friend and I owed him the truth. We talked about what we think should be done from now on. We can't keep lying," he added, reaching for her hand and squeezing it.

"Does Vijay uncle hates me?" her voice cracked. She already expected a horrible answer but she trusted her father's honesty not to lie to her about it.

"Of course not, Mishti. If he had to hate someone that would be me. I was the one who came up with this crazy idea. He knows that. I don't know if Ritwik talked about his mother with you, but Mamta died two years ago and Vijay knows how it feels to lose your family although nothing compares to losing a son. I loved Mauli more than anything and I believe she was the person I loved the most in my life, more even than Pragati. But somehow you feel like when you get married you know one of you will die first so although devastating it isn't unexpected but I lost Mauli too soon. Yet losing a son or a daughter is something no parent ever thinks could happen," he explained and she finally felt like she could somehow breathe normally again although her heart still broke for her father.

"He didn't mention her. I suppose that's not something he likes to talk about," Mishti suggested and although she had no clue if her guess corresponded to reality, that was how she felt about Ritwik. If he loved Pragati like that she could only imagine how his mother had been important to him and that made her think that talking about Mamta was probably something Ritwik avoided, even with Pragati.

"That's probably true," Kunal nodded.

"So what did Vijay uncle say?" she asked curious but also fearing for the oldest Noon's reaction. She knew how Nandini would react if she found out Ruhaan was deceiving Mishti anyhow and this time she wasn't far from the truth.

"He wants it to end, but he also wants to make things easier for Ritwik," Kunal explained and she looked at him confused. There was nothing they could do to make it easier for him. The woman he loved was barely surviving through the many machines that kept her in the living world and the woman he spent the last few days with was a stranger that lied to him. There was nothing that would make the reality less hurtful and cruel to Ritwik, and she felt devastated for him already.