Whisper's of destiny

Chapter 18: Between Heartache and Hope

After checking the whole office, Rahul was just about to head back to the cabin, when he thought of checking one last place—the terrace. It was the only spot he hadn't looked yet. He made his way there, taking the stairs two at a time, his heart pounding a little faster with each step.

As he pushed open the door to the terrace, he finally spotted Sameer standing near the edge, staring out at the city skyline, lost in thought. The soft breeze rustled through his hair, but it did nothing to ease the weight that Rahul could see on his friend's shoulders.

Rahul went running after Sameer, catching up to him and placing a hand on his shoulder. “Sameer!” he called out, concern etched on his face. He was worried that Sameer might be on the brink of doing something drastic.

Sameer, however, spoke first, his voice tinged with resignation. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to jump or die,” he said, his gaze fixed on the street below.

Rahul opened his mouth to say something, but Sameer cut him off. “I know what you were thinking,” Sameer said, his eyes never leaving the scene unfolding before them. “Look down there, the girl I love the most.”

Rahul followed Sameer’s line of sight and saw Ishani and Aarohi walking towards their car. The reality of the situation hit him hard as Sameer’s unspoken pain became clear. Rahul stood silently, watching Sameer grapple with the weight of his feelings, feeling a pang of sympathy for his friend.

Sameer’s voice trembled as he spoke, “I listened as she spoke of him, the one who held her heart. Each word felt like a blow, a silent scream echoing in my chest. I hadn’t told her how I felt, and now her love was for someone else.”

A tear slipped down his cheek, tracing a path of heartache. His gaze remained fixed on Ishani and Aarohi, the sight of them deepening the ache in his chest. Rahul, standing beside him, felt the weight of Sameer’s sorrow and stood in silent support, unsure of how to comfort a friend grappling with such profound pain.

Sameer wiped his tear quickly, trying to regain his composure, "Sameer," Rahul said, trying to sound encouraging, "I get that this is tough. But you can't blame her. She doesn’t know how you feel."

Sameer shook his head, "No one is blaming her and she is not to be blamed here, it's just.. it'll be hard to see her with someone else when all I wanted was to be that person for her"

Rahul shrugged, trying to be practical."Sometimes, we don't get what we want or things don't go the way we expect it but we still have to keep moving."

Sameer just nodded looking towards the sky, They stood together for a moment, with Sameer slowly starting to come to terms with the situation.

On the other side, As Ishani and Aarohi drove away from the office, a silence lingered between them. Ishani stared out the window, her mind racing with thoughts. Finally, she turned to Aarohi, her voice filled with uncertainty.

"Roo," Ishani began hesitantly, "do you think I made a mistake? Should I have not told Sameer about Kabir?"

Aarohi glanced at her friend, sensing the anxiety in her voice. She reached over and gave Ishani’s hand a reassuring squeeze. "Ishu, you didn’t do anything wrong. Sameer is your friend, and you trust him. It’s okay to share your life with him."

Ishani sighed, her brow furrowed. "But I just... I don’t know. I feel like something’s off. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything. What if it changes things between us?"

Aarohi shook her head firmly. "Listen to me, Sameer cares about you. He’s not going to let this affect your friendship. You’re important to him, and he would never want anything bad for you."