How did it End?

Chapter 6

Juhi sat quietly on the bed, her hand still clasped in Colin's as they both stared at the bathroom door. The weight of what they were about to face hung heavily between them, but Juhi couldn't bring herself to speak. She knew that Colin sensed her hesitation, her fear, but he didn't push her to talk. He just stayed by her side, his presence a comforting anchor in the storm of emotions swirling inside her.

She couldn't tell him about the conversation with her mother—not yet. The words her mother had said were like poison, but Juhi couldn't bring herself to share them with Colin. She didn't want to tarnish the image of her mother in front of the man she believed she would spend the rest of her life with. She had told him so much in the early days of their relationship—about how unsupportive her mother had been before, during, and after her breakup with Harsh—but this was different. This was new, and it felt even more personal, even more damaging.

Colin squeezed her hand gently, bringing her back to the present. He didn't say anything, but the look in his eyes told her that he understood, that he knew without her having to say a word. He knew what her mother was capable of, how deeply her words could cut. He had seen the scars she carried from her past, and he had been there as she healed. He didn't need to ask what had happened—he could already guess.

But this wasn't the time to dwell on that. Juhi took a deep breath, steeling herself as she finally stood up, pulling Colin with her. Together, they walked to the bathroom, the tension between them palpable. Juhi's heart pounded in her chest as she reached for the door handle, her hand trembling slightly.

When they stepped inside, the pregnancy test was still sitting on the counter, covered by the towel she had draped over it earlier. Juhi's breath caught in her throat as she reached for it, her fingers hesitating for just a moment before she pulled the towel away.

She stared at the test, her mind racing. But then, the result came into focus, and she felt a rush of emotions all at once—relief, confusion, and something else she couldn't quite name.

It was negative.

For a moment, Juhi just stood there, processing what that meant. She wasn't pregnant. The fear, the uncertainty that had been weighing on her, began to lift, but it left behind a strange emptiness, a lingering echo of all the emotions she had been grappling with.

Colin stepped closer, his hand resting gently on her shoulder. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly, his voice full of concern.

Juhi nodded, though she wasn't sure how she felt. "I think so," she whispered. "I'm... I'm relieved. But also... I don't know. It's a lot to process."

Colin wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a comforting embrace. "Whatever you're feeling, it's okay. We'll get through it together."

Juhi buried her face in his chest, letting herself take comfort in his words, in his presence. The storm had passed, but she still felt unsteady, as if the ground beneath her was still shifting.

After a few moments, she pulled back slightly, looking up at Colin. The words she had been holding back, the ones she hadn't wanted to share, began to bubble up inside her. She knew she couldn't keep them inside any longer.

"Colin," she began hesitantly, "there's something I need to tell you. About what my mother said when I told her we were moving in together."

Colin's expression softened, a look of understanding in his eyes. "You don't have to if you're not ready," he said gently.

Juhi shook her head. "No, I need to. It's been eating away at me, and I don't want it to have power over me anymore."

She took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. "When I told her about us moving in together, she... she didn't react the way I hoped she would. She didn't congratulate me or say she was happy for me. Instead, she... she started comparing you to Harsh."