REGRETS: An Unspoken Longings

AMENDS

Veer leaned back in his chair, staring at the Mumbai skyline. The city had always been a place of chaos, but for him, it was now a form of solace, a distraction from the storm that had been brewing inside him for years. The flickering lights of the city below were oddly soothing, a contrast to the turbulence that had consumed him since the day he left everything behind. Since the day he left her behind.

Suhani.

Even thinking her name sent a ripple of pain through his chest. Seven years had passed, but it might as well have been yesterday. Her face, her voice, her laughter—everything about her was still etched into his mind like a scar that refused to fade. He had tried to forget her, tried to bury the memories under layers of work, distractions, and meaningless relationships, but nothing worked. She was always there, in the background, haunting him.

He sighed, rubbing his temples. His life now was a stark contrast to what it had been back then. Professionally, he was thriving—running his own business, successful beyond his wildest dreams. But personally? He was hollow. There was an emptiness inside him that no amount of success or money could fill.

The knock at the door startled him, pulling him from his thoughts. He wasn’t expecting anyone. Not tonight, not ever really. He’d made sure to keep his circle small, isolating himself from most people who had known him back then.

Curious and slightly apprehensive, Veer got up and walked to the door. As he opened it, his heart nearly stopped.

Standing in the doorway were two people he hadn’t seen in years—Arjun and Vivaan. His old friends. His best friends, once upon a time.

For a moment, the three of them just stood there, staring at one another in silence. Veer’s mind raced, trying to process the sight before him. It was like seeing ghosts from a past life. Arjun looked older, more worn. His once carefree face was etched with lines that spoke of battles fought and scars earned. Vivaan, too, had changed. There was a somberness in his eyes that Veer wasn’t used to seeing, a quiet seriousness that hadn’t been there before.

“Are you just going to stand there and stare, or are you going to let us in?” Arjun finally said, breaking the tension with a smirk that was just barely tinged with the playfulness Veer remembered.

Veer blinked, snapped out of his stupor. “Right. Yeah, of course.” He stepped aside, opening the door wider to let them in.

As they walked into the living room, Veer couldn’t help but feel a strange mixture of emotions. Seeing them again was like being hit with a wave of nostalgia—good memories, bad memories, all crashing down on him at once. He had missed them, missed this connection, more than he cared to admit. But there was also a heaviness, a reminder of why they had all fallen apart in the first place. Why he had fallen apart.

They sat down on the couch, the silence stretching out awkwardly between them. It was strange, after all these years, to be sitting here with them like this. Once, they had been inseparable. Now, it felt like they were trying to navigate through a minefield of old wounds and unspoken words.

“So... Mumbai, huh?” Vivaan finally said, breaking the silence. His tone was light, but there was an undercurrent of tension, as if he was testing the waters.

Veer chuckled, though it felt forced. “Yeah. It’s home now, I guess.”

Arjun leaned forward, his expression more serious. “You really went off the grid, Veer. No calls, no messages. We had no idea where you were.”

Veer sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I had to. After everything that happened... I couldn’t stay. Not after Suhani.”

Her name hung in the air between them like a dark cloud, casting a shadow over the room. For a moment, no one spoke. It was as if the mere mention of her had brought all the pain and heartbreak rushing back, reminding them of everything they had lost.