DEV(i)

16. It's me~

Dev stood before the mirror in his bedroom, adjusting his shirt as his mind replayed the events that lay ahead. The soft cotton of his shirt brushed against his skin, comfortable but almost mocking in its simplicity. Jeans and a shirt for a day like this—it felt too casual, too ordinary for the turmoil he was about to step into. He sighed, running a hand through his hair before grabbing his keys.

At his parents' house, the air smelled faintly of sandalwood and spices, comforting and familiar. His mother met him at the door, her eyes crinkling in a smile that didn't quite reach her usual warmth. She pulled him into a tight hug, the kind that made him feel like he was a boy again, not a grown man about to walk into a situation he wanted to run from.

"Dev," she whispered, rubbing his back. "It'll be okay. It's just a talk, beta. We'll face this together. Nothing's decided yet."

He nodded into her shoulder, inhaling the familiar scent of her perfume, as if trying to draw strength from her words. But deep down, he knew that today wasn't just a conversation. Today was the day they'd confront the unspoken tension that had been brewing for weeks, ever since his relationship with Srinika had evolved into something neither of them had anticipated.

Dev sat in the backseat of the SUV with his parents and sister, staring out the window, watching the familiar streets of his neighborhood slide by, though they barely registered in his mind. His father was focused on the road, while his mother sat quietly beside him, her hand resting on his knee as if to reassure him. His sister was tapping away on her phone in the front seat, completely unaware of the storm brewing in Dev's chest. The tension in the air was thick, but no one spoke.

Then, his phone buzzed in his lap, jolting him out of his thoughts. He glanced at the screen—Srinika. His stomach dropped. His heart sped up. She still didn't know. She had no idea that the boy her parents had arranged for her to meet today was him. How could she? They hadn't told her, she didn't want to know and he hadn't had the courage to tell her either. He hesitated for a second, then answered.

"Srinika?"

Her voice came through the line, shaky and breathless, the panic unmistakable. "Dev... I'm scared," she said, her words tumbling out quickly. "I can't do this. I don't want to meet this guy. I don't care who he is. I just... I just want to get out of this."

He clenched his jaw, closing his eyes as her words washed over him. He hated hearing her like this, knowing that she felt cornered. And yet, she had no idea what was about to happen.

"Srinika, listen," he began, trying to keep his voice steady, though his heart was pounding.

"No, Dev, please," she interrupted, her voice cracking. "You don't get it. I don't want to do this. I don't want to marry a stranger. I can't go through this again." She paused, her breath hitching as if she were on the verge of tears. "Please, Dev, can't you come and just... take me away from here? Make my parents understand that I don't want this? You're the only one who gets me. Please."

Dev's heart twisted painfully in his chest. She didn't know the truth. She was asking him to save her from himself. He couldn't even respond for a moment, the weight of it all too heavy.

"Srinika," he said slowly, trying to keep the guilt out of his voice, "you don't have to run. You're not alone in this. I'll be there."

"I can't face this alone," she pleaded, her desperation cutting through him like a knife. "I'll go to Akash. He... he'll understand. Please, just take me to him."

Akash. The name hit him like a punch to the gut. She was thinking of her ex, the one she had almost married before things fell apart. She wanted Dev to take her to him, to avoid whatever stranger she thought she was going to meet today. Dev's grip tightened on his phone as he forced himself to breathe.

"You don't need to see Akash, Srinika," he said firmly, fighting back the growing frustration and the helplessness that threatened to overwhelm him. "Stay home. I'll come over. I'll be with you. You won't have to do this alone."

There was a long pause, her breath uneven on the other end of the line. "You'll come?" she whispered, her voice small and hopeful.

"I'll be there soon," Dev promised, his voice softer now, filled with a mixture of guilt and inevitability.

When the call ended, Dev lowered his phone slowly, his hand trembling slightly. He glanced up at his parents in the front seats. His mother gave him a knowing look, her expression calm but understanding. His father's eyes flicked to him briefly in the rearview mirror before focusing back on the road, and even his sister turned slightly, offering him a small, tight-lipped smile as if to say, "It'll be fine."

But Dev wasn't sure. Everything inside him was churning. He was driving toward a moment that would change everything, and Srinika didn't even know it.

......................................

When they arrived at Srinika's house, it was like stepping into another world. The SUV came to a slow stop in front of the familiar home, a place that had once felt so warm and inviting, but today it felt like the walls were closing in. His mother opened the door, stepping out first, followed by his father. Dev hesitated, swallowing hard before he stepped out onto the driveway, his heart hammering in his chest.

Srinika's mother answered the door, a polite smile on her face as she greeted Dev's parents, but Dev noticed the subtle exchange of looks between the adults, the silent understanding that passed between them. His stomach clenched.

Then Srinika appeared in the doorway, and the moment she saw him standing there with his parents, her face twisted into confusion. Her gaze darted between him and the adults, her eyes wide with uncertainty. She was expecting him to come alone, to help her, but now—why were his parents here?

"Dev?" she asked, her voice soft and confused. "What... what's going on? Why are your parents here? I thought... I thought you were just coming to talk to me ?"

Dev couldn't speak for a moment. The lump in his throat grew larger with every second of her bewildered expression. This wasn't how she was supposed to find out. His family stepped inside, exchanging pleasantries with hers, and the tension in the air grew thicker.

Srinika's mother smiled knowingly at her daughter. "Why don't you and Dev go have a little talk, hm? We'll give you both some space."

Srinika's eyes widened, confusion giving way to something closer to panic. She turned to Dev, her breath quickening. "Wait... what's going on?" Her voice wavered, cracking on the last word. "Why is everyone acting like this?"

Dev couldn't keep it from her any longer. He took a deep breath, stepping closer to her, lowering his voice so only she could hear.

"Srinika, the guy you're supposed to meet today... it's me."

~.~

To be continued...