Baarishein

5

Mishti's voice, barely a whisper, shattered the silence. "There's someone...else."

Kriti's breath hitched. "Someone...else?" The words hung heavy in the air, a sudden weight on the conversation. "Well, that's certainly...new information," she said, forcing a lightness that didn't quite reach her voice. "But moved on or not, both of you need to have this conversation."

" Move on... move on Kriti it's not that simple. How can I move on from the one who holds a piece of my soul? Rudraksh is all I have because the idea of losing Ritwik again is unbearable. It's...complicated beyond words," Mishti stammered, the weight of her secret pressing down on her. The thought of revealing the truth to Ritwik filled her with a bone-deep fear, making even this conversation feel like a raw exposure.

"He'll despise me. He'll think even worse of me than before," Mishti fretted aloud.

"Is it because you feel like you're settling?"

She sighed. "It's not settling, it's making the best choices I can. I don't know if he'll ever truly forgive me, but I do have some hope now. Maybe he can at least understand why I lied and treat me with some decency, even if friendliness is out of the question. But these lingering secrets... they won't help matters, will they?"

"Is this new boyfriend the only secret you're holding onto?" Kriti offered Mishti as much understanding as she could, considering the limited details about the year-old incident. It was clear how much it pained Mishti to deceive Ritwik. But Kriti couldn't grasp why confessing to a new boyfriend felt impossible. Sure, Ritwik wouldn't be thrilled, maybe even a tad bitter about Mishti moving on while he remained hung up. But that was irrelevant. Kriti hoped Mishti could see the bigger picture.

Mishti groaned, burying her face in her hands. "This is way worse than I thought," she mumbled. Life kept throwing curveballs, and she yearned for a simple solution. But reality had a nasty habit of dashing those kinds of wishes.

Kriti squeezed Mishti's hand gently. "Need just to rip the Band-Aid off, huh? Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and let it all out. No judgment here, Mishti. Not from me. You've been through a lot worse than Ritwik losing his girlfriend. You lost your sister. That's a pain I can't compare. Talk to me. Let it all out."

Kriti's words hung heavy, yet a flicker of hope, unexpected and bright, ignited in Mishti's eyes. For the first time, a tear escaped Mishti's eye. Could it be? Could Kriti be right? Perhaps it was finally time to open up. Maybe, just maybe, Kriti was the key. Maybe it was finally time to unlock her heart.

The burden of her internal struggles and feelings had become unbearable. She craved an unfiltered perspective, someone who could offer truth without the sugarcoating of affection and she knew Vijaypath wouldn't be the answer. His gentle nature and tendency to see the best in everything, wouldn't be that voice. His optimism, while endearing, often bordered on wishful thinking. Yet, it was this very quality, this unwavering faith in the good, that made her love him all the more.

Kriti hung on every word, but as Mishti finished the story, a startled gasp escaped her lips. The muffin in her hand tumbled to the floor with a soft thud. "Wait," Kriti stammered, "say that last part again?" Mishti repeated the bombshell, and Kriti felt a cold dread settle in her stomach. The situation had spiraled into something far worse than she imagined. Despite the shock, Kriti knew she had to be Mishti's rock. She saw the inner conflict swirling in Mishti's eyes. Mishti desperately wanted to choose the right path, but Kriti understood the immense difficulty, even when the "right thing" seemed like a simple first step.

"Mishti, this isn't just 'someone else.' It's far more complicated. Call Ritwik now. Tell him you need a serious talk. Explain how you couldn't reach him for months and you're going to tell him everything, even if it bends the truth a bit. Yes, Dad did what he thought was best, and frankly, it's not like Ritwik kept tabs on him either, although he now knows that he did know his whereabouts for most of the time. But he'll forgive him. His health is still a worry, and honestly, I think he's learned from this. Papa was trying to help him the best he could in a really messed up situation," Kriti suggested promptly. What Mishti had just confessed was shockingly serious and she knew the girl in front of her knew what she needed to do but she also wondered how hard it would be to admit everything to Ritwik. That was a conversation no one had an easy time having.