DEV(i)

10. Complicated~

"I don't even know the guy! I don't wanna marry him. I... I love-."

The words tumbled out, raw and vulnerable. She had never said it out loud, not like this. A fragile thing she had kept hidden in the shadows. But now, it was out in the open, exposed to the harshness of Dev's indifference.

Dev's face hardened. His jaw clenched, and the air between them shifted. His voice was low, sharp, almost venomous. "Aakash, Aakash, Aakash," he mocked, spitting out the name like it left a bitter taste in his mouth. "That fucking asshole."

Srinika flinched at his words. She had expected him to be hurt, maybe even upset, but this... this was something else. The way he said Aakash's name, with such hate, caught her off guard.

"Dev, what's your problem?" she asked, her voice tinged with confusion. "Why are you being like this?"

His eyes flashed with anger, and before she could say anything more, he cut her off. "My problem, Srinika, is that you're so fucking clueless. If you had bothered to pay attention, maybe you'd know who your parents are forcing you to marry."

Srinika stared at him, her heart racing. "What are you talking about? What do you mean, I'd know who the guy is?" She paused, her mind racing to piece together his words. "You knew?"

Dev let out a harsh, bitter laugh, shaking his head. "Of course I knew. But you? You're so wrapped up in yourself, so fucking obsessed with your own problems, that you didn't even think to ask. You didn't care to find out. Because you are held back by a person - and all he can do is pull you down. But you are too delusional to even realize it by yourself. Can't you see that you have been brainwashed? Since the day he fucking barged in your life- all of your decisions are manipulated by him and for him. "

The words hit her like a slap, each one cutting deeper than the last. She felt a mix of anger and guilt rise within her, but she refused to let it show. "I didn't ask because you never told me!" she shot back, her voice shaking with emotion. "All you ever do is work! You're the one who's never around anymore."

"Oh, please," Dev scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Don't turn this on me. You've been so consumed with your own drama, you wouldn't notice if the world was on fire."

Srinika's patience snapped. "Fuck you, Dev!" she shouted, her voice trembling with rage. "How dare you say that to me after all this time? You don't know what I've been going through!"

"You don't know what I've been going through!" Dev yelled back, his voice loud and harsh. "Do you think it's easy for me? I've been working my ass off trying to make something of myself, trying to build a future. My company was at stake but did I burden you with what I was going through? Did I blame for not being able to help me out- when all I could think about was getting ruined. But you? You're just drowning in your own shit, expecting me to drop everything for you and come running. Because am your Just Best Friend? right?"

Srinika recoiled, stunned by the venom in his voice. This wasn't the Dev she knew. The one who had always been her rock, her closest friend. This version of him was angry, bitter, someone she barely recognized.

"You're so fucking self-obsessed, Srinika," he said, his voice lower now but no less sharp. "I don't know why I even bother anymore."

For a moment, they just stood there, the air between them thick with tension. Srinika's chest ached, her heart pounding painfully in her ribcage. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

Without another word, Dev turned on his heel and stormed out to his car, slamming the door behind him.

Srinika stood frozen, her body numb. The roads around her felt suffocating now, as if the walls had closed in, trapping her in the aftermath of their fight. The silence that followed was deafening, filled only with the echo of his parting words.

Dev sped through the streets, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel. His heart was racing, the anger still burning hot in his chest. He couldn't think, couldn't breathe. All he could feel was the betrayal, the frustration, the overwhelming sense that everything was spiraling out of control.

By the time he reached his house, his sanctuary, he was exhausted. The house was a testament to his hard work, his first real project. It stood tall, a beautiful fusion of antique and modern design, nestled in a quiet neighborhood not far from his parents' place. This place had always brought him peace—a place where he could shut out the world, focus, and breathe.

But not today.

Dev slammed the door behind him, his mind still racing with the fight, the words they had exchanged. He kicked off his shoes and threw his bag onto the couch, pacing back and forth as if trying to walk off the storm raging inside him.

Without thinking, he grabbed his phone and dialed his mother's number. The phone rang twice before she picked up, her familiar voice soft and comforting.

"Dev?" she said, her tone warm with concern.

"I can't come tomorrow, to whatever meeting you both have set up. You should have consulted me before deciding things so fast. Especially without my proper knowledge. And all you do is care to inform me- right before I was going to present the - You knew it was either everything or nothing right? and you all still decided to burden me with two sensitive topics and everyone expects me to deal with it calmly. Am sorry- I can't." he blurted out, cutting her off before she could say anything else. "I can't do it. Not with Srinika."

There was a pause on the other end. "Dev, what happened?" she asked, her voice gentle but probing.

"She's still in love with someone else, Maa. She doesn't want to marry anyone. Not the guy her parents picked." His voice wavered, the anger replaced by something heavier, something that felt a lot like sadness. "I just... I can't be there. Not tomorrow. Everything is just messed up- it's complicated. Not in such a short notice."

His mother tried to say something, her voice full of sympathy, but Dev wasn't in the mood for comfort. Before she could respond, he hung up the phone, tossing it onto the couch with a frustrated sigh....

The weight of everything hit him all at once. The tension from the argument, the weight of his career, the realization that he was losing Srinika in more ways than one. It was too much. He needed a break from it all, even if just for a moment.

Dev stripped off his clothes, letting them fall to the floor, and headed straight to the bathroom. He turned the shower on, scalding hot, hoping that the heat would wash away the tension clinging to his skin. The water hit his back, burning, but he didn't flinch. He just stood there, letting it numb him.

After what felt like an eternity, he stepped out of the shower, water dripping from his hair as he wrapped a towel around his waist. He walked to his bedroom, collapsing onto the bed, his body heavy with exhaustion.

He stared up at the ceiling, the events of the day playing over and over in his mind. Every word, every argument, every emotion. His mind wouldn't stop.

With a heavy sigh, he closed his eyes, hoping that sleep would take him away from the chaos in his head. But even as exhaustion pulled at him, the turmoil inside him lingered, refusing to let him rest.

~.~

To be continued...