Threads of Destiny

Chapter 26: Lost in the Crowd

"Wiggle your toes and breathe," Maitree told herself, leaning on the closed washroom door. She could hear faint knocks from the other side. "It's probably Rudra," she could hear her heart whisper to her, but her mind was too scattered to process the information. Too much information all at once, and the tears still flowing down her cheeks, she wiped them away with the back of her hand.

Maitree struggled to regain control as the panic attack threatened to overwhelm her. Each breath felt like a struggle, her chest tight and constricted. She pressed her palms against her temples, trying to focus amidst the chaos of her thoughts.

"It's okay," she whispered to herself, though the words felt hollow against the rising tide of panic. The knocks on the door grew louder, more insistent, but Maitree couldn't bring herself to respond. The world outside felt distant, disconnected from the whirlwind of emotions consuming her.

Her mind raced back to just a few minutes ago when everything was perfect. She had told Rudra how much she loved him, and he loved her back, maybe even more than she could ever love him. Along with Rudra came a beautiful family, and perhaps one day she wouldn't have to carry a made up last name anymore. She was walking on clouds until that dreadful moment when she overheard the conversation. All she could think about was whether she should have stayed in the room, gone to the kitchen to talk to Nalini aunty, or thanked Anjali yet again for the gorgeous bangles she refuses to take off, or even wandered into the garden to admire the roses she had planted yesterday with Aradhya; anything would have been better than this.

A family was all she had ever wanted, and now there was a chance. Everyone seemed to know about it except for her, and she felt silly, small, her every breath growing louder. Khushi knew about it, Shourya knew about it, but neither of them said a word. Not even the man she had come to another city with, only after knowing him for less than a week, uttered a word.

She replayed the moments, wondering how long they had known about it, how many signs and gestures had she missed, she thought as she got up and grabbed onto the sink with heavy breaths. She replayed the last couple of days in her mind as her breath grew louder, but amidst the turmoil, she also remembered kindness.

In her mind's eye, she conjured images of the kitchen, where the familiar presence of Nalini aunty offered solace. Oh, how tightly she hugged and held her hand, or the delicate beauty of Anjali's bangles, symbols of friendship and connection. The memory of the garden, where the vibrant hues of freshly planted roses danced in the gentle breeze with Aradhya's never-ending dramatic way of complaining about her Anjali di.

As her mind slowly began to calm down, she held onto the memories, feeling her breath gradually evening out with every passing second. Slowly, she opened her eyes to find sweat beads glistening on her forehead and neck. Her yellow kurta bore faint patches of perspiration around the neckline.

She could hear the knocks outside, more than one—it's not just Rudra, she thought, touching the door. It's probably Khushi, her maybe sister. She looked at the mirror and tied her hair in a ponytail with a scrunchie from her wrist, washed her face, and wiped it clean. Glancing down at her neckline, she considered changing her clothes, searching for something else to wear. Her eyes fell on a hoodie hanging on the towel bar. As she touched it, she realized it belonged to Rudra.

Looking around, she realized she was in his washroom. How bad was the panic attack that she didn't even realize where she was running to? Shaking her head, she changed into the hoodie.

Checking herself in the mirror one more time, her hands trembling, she opened the door. Rudra stood there, his expression a mix of relief and uncertainty as he looked at her. Behind him, Khushi stood with tears in her eyes, Shourya by her side holding her hand. Anjali and Nalini aunty stood nearby, their expressions a blend of worry and confusion.

"Run," her mind yelled after a few seconds, but exhaustion weighed her down. "But I am so tired," her heart whispered back, and she collapsed into Rudra's arms, a single tear escaping her right eye. She felt his arms enveloping her, holding her tightly as she whispered, "I am tired, I want to sleep."

Rudra didn't say a word. Instead, he helped her walk to the bed, pulling aside the blanket for her to lie down. He gently covered her and sat on the floor, softly brushing her hair as she closed her eyes.

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"How is she?" Khushi asked Rudra as he was closing the bedroom door.

Rudra nodded, his expression somber. "She is sleeping."

"She shouldn't have found out," Khushi murmured more to herself.

"Are you kidding?" Rudra retorted, his hands on his hips. "If we had told her, this outburst could have been avoided."

"Rudra," Shourya interjected, trying to intervene.

"Or you should have never brought this up," Rudra said, fixing his gaze on Shourya.

"Rudra," Khushi said, her eyes wide with concern.

Nalini touched his right shoulder, her expression filled with concern. With a heavy breath, Rudra continued, "All I am saying is if she had found out in a better way, things could have gone smoother." With that, Rudra walked away, Anjali following close behind, leaving Khushi and Shourya to exchange worried glances in the hallway.

"Rudra," Anjali called softly as he settled on the garden swing.

"We were right here last night, and she was so happy," Rudra said, looking at the spot where Maitree had sat just the day before.

"Rudra," Anjali said, gently touching his shoulder, "it will be okay."

"I wanted to tell her since the godh bharai. I wanted to tell her, but I didn't, and she will forever remember that," Rudra said, his hand covering his face in anguish.

Anjali hugged him tightly, offering him comfort in her embrace.

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Sorry for the late update.

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