cross road

Chapter-3

Raghav and Aarav were deep in the final settlement documents when Raghav's phone rang. Surprised to see Mitul's name on the screen, he hesitated; it had been almost a year since they last spoke. Mitul rarely called during office hours unless it was something important.

"Hi, how are you? It's been a long time," Raghav said as he answered the call.

For a moment, there was silence on the other end. Just as Raghav was about to check if the call had disconnected, he heard Mitul's voice. "I'm at your office building. Meet me at our regular place."

Before Raghav could respond, the call ended. He sighed and turned to Aarav and the lawyer. "It's almost lunch time. Let's take a break and reconvene in an hour." He stood up, signaling Aarav that he would be stepping out.

Aarav took the lawyer to lunch while Raghav walked towards the elevator, lost in thought. He recalled the day their partnership secured two floors in a multi-level building within a tech park. The tech park, set on ten acres, was the last of its kind, away from the city's hustle and bustle. He had instantly liked the building; it reminded him of his hometown. Aarav and Atul had agreed on the location, and as soon as the contract was signed, Raghav had called Mitul, the one person who understood its significance to him.

Despite their friendship going through a rough patch, Mitul had visited him. They found a small, hidden park next to a temple in the tech park, a place that felt like their childhood sanctuary.

The elevator dinged, jolting him back to reality. Once he reached the ground floor, he made his way out of the building toward the park next to the temple.

When he entered the park, he spotted a tall figure waiting at the far end. As Raghav approached, Mitul turned and, without warning, punched him in the face.

Raghav was taken aback, barely registering what had happened when Mitul struck him again. This time, he was ready and retaliated. Blood poured from both their heads, their knuckles bruised, and their clothes ripped as they fought until exhaustion set in.

"What's wrong with you?" Raghav shouted, breathless.

"You got a job for Sneha in your firm!" Mitul shouted back, distress evident in his voice.

"Yes, I helped her get a job, but not in my firm—she's in the same building. What does that have to do with your rage towards me?" Raghav replied, frustration creeping in.

Mitul wiped away tears. "Sneha took three months to accept our relationship. She said she'd look for jobs outside the city. If she didn't find anything, she'd consider working for me. It's been almost three months, and she couldn't crack any interviews because of the two-year gap in her career. I thought if she worked for me, I could convince her to marry me. But now she's ignoring my calls, and I find out about the job from her sister, Swathi. You've ruined my chance to get her back!"

Hearing this, Mitul slumped to the ground, hopeless.

"I'm so sorry, Mitul. She called me a week ago, stressed about finding a job. I recommended her to the firm in our building because I knew her financial situation. She never asked for help, so I didn't know the backstory," Raghav explained, trying to sit next to Mitul for comfort, but Mitul pushed him away.

"To know the backstory, you need to stay in touch. How long have I been trying to contact you? Over a year! Did you ever answer my calls?" Mitul shot back, rising from the ground.

"You know we were splitting up the business. After everything that happened with Atul last year, I was lost and couldn't focus on anything else, including friends and family. It's not an excuse, but please try to understand where I'm coming from," Raghav pleaded.

Mitul let out a harsh laugh. "Understand you? I've done that my whole life. I chose engineering over my passion for politics because I valued our friendship more. While you were abroad for your studies, I struggled in my career. When you returned and opened your firm, I supported you, even when I didn't want to. I did everything for Sneha too—stood by her in her troubles. What did I get in return? Nothing!" With that, Mitul turned and marched out of the park.

Raghav chased after him, desperate to stop him. Just as they reached the exit, they collided with Sneha, who had been waiting outside the temple.

Mitul glared at her, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "How are you? Sorry for asking—you must be good after running away from me."

Sneha reached out to wipe the blood from Mitul's head, but he recoiled. "You lost that right when you left me behind. I'm done sacrificing myself for both of you. From now on, I'm making myself a priority. Enjoy your lives, but don't ever come near me again." With that, he stormed off.

Tears filled Sneha's eyes as she watched him leave, heartbroken not only for her lost love but also for the fracture it had caused between Raghav and Mitul.