The Cursed Fate

15. Past

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In the open, the dimly lit restaurant, the soft glow of candlelight flickered on the tables. Kriti finally noticed her phone, and tears welled up in her eyes.

The warm, cozy ambiance of the restaurant seemed to mock her distress, as the laughter and chatter of other patrons faded into the background.

She saw nearly a hundred missed calls from Nishank and a few from Megha. Overwhelmed, she felt a rush of anxiety.

Vijay, noticing her distress, asked worriedly, "What happened?"

Kriti, her voice trembling, replied, "My... my mother has called me a hundred times, and it's already eleven o'clock. What am I going to do now?" she panicked.

Vijay gently held her hand and reassured her, "Don't worry, Kriti. I'll leave you home."

Kriti pulled her hand away, feeling cornered but realizing she had no other option. She conceded, "Thank you, Vijay."

Vijay nodded, "It's fine. First, finish your drink, and then I'll drive you home."

She agreed, "Okay."

Suddenly, Vijay's phone rang. "Excuse me, Kriti. I'll be back in a few minutes," he said before stepping away to take the call.

Kriti's eyes remained wet as she absentmindedly picked up Vijay's drink and downed it in one go, wincing at the bitter taste.

She didn't realize that it was alcoholic, as she was in a hurry. She tried to call out to Vijay to hurry up, but he was out of earshot.

She tried to stand up, but her head started to feel heavy, and she sat back down immediately. She couldn't understand what was happening to her.

As the warmth of the alcohol spread through her, she was suddenly transported back to a distant memory

*Flashback*

Five-year-old Kriti was talking to her father on the phone. Half asleep, she said, "Papa, when will you come back? It's really late."

Her father's voice came through, sounding a bit emotional, "Kittu, meri gudiya has grown up so much," and then there was the sound of him starting to cry, "that now she takes care of her papa."

Kriti, trying to comfort him, said, "Papa, why are you crying?"

In the same emotional voice, her father replied, "You're just like your mother. She was same like you."