Destiny|| A Rutkarsha Story

18.

तुम बिन मैं देखू तो, क्या से क्या हो बैठे
तुम को जो खोया तो, खुदको मैं भी खो बैठी..🥀
~•~

Utkarsha’s day began like any other, but the hushed whispers in the corridors soon stole her peace. “Did you hear? Rutu is dating Priya,” one girl said, her voice full of intrigue.

Utkarsha froze, her heart skipping a beat. She forced herself to walk away, pretending she hadn’t heard. Rumors were common in school, weren’t they? She consoled herself, convincing her mind that it was just baseless gossip.

But her fragile hope crumbled when Navya confirmed it later that day.

“Utkarsha, I saw Rutu with Priya,” Navya said hesitantly, her voice low as they sat in a quiet corner of the schoolyard. “They were alone in the cafeteria, and they looked… close.”

Utkarsha blinked, her throat suddenly dry. “Close? What do you mean?” she managed to ask, though every word felt heavy.

“They were talking like… like they’re more than just friends,” Navya said carefully, watching her friend’s reaction.

Utkarsha laughed it off, though it sounded hollow even to her ears. “Maybe you misunderstood. Rutu isn’t like that.”

Navya shrugged. “Maybe. But I thought you should know.”

Utkarsha nodded, brushing it aside on the surface, but inside, her heart clenched painfully.

The next day, she found herself drawn to the library, a place she usually loved for its peace. But today, it turned into a scene that would haunt her.

She saw Ruturaj sitting across from Priya at one of the wooden tables. They weren’t just talking. His hand rested on hers, and they were leaning in close, their faces serious.

Utkarsha felt like the air had been knocked out of her lungs. She turned away before they could see her, tears stinging her eyes. It was real. The rumors were true.

Ruturaj, on the other hand, had no idea how his actions were being interpreted. He was trying to resolve the very rumors that were hurting Utkarsha.

“This is ridiculous,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair. “Priya, how did this even start?”

Priya sighed, just as frustrated. “I don’t know! But now my boyfriend thinks I’m hiding something. I’m tired of explaining it’s not true.”

“We need to put an end to this,” Ruturaj said firmly.

As Priya nodded, her eyes glistened with worry. Ruturaj reached out instinctively, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry. We’ll sort it out.”

It was this moment that Utkarsha had seen—a moment of misunderstanding that shattered her trust.

Days passed, but the pain didn’t. The whispers around her grew louder. To her horror, new rumors began to circulate—this time about her and Ruturaj.

“I heard they’re secretly dating,” one boy smirked as she passed by.

“No way. Rutu said they’re just friends,” another replied.

Utkarsha overheard it all, and each word felt like a fresh wound. Rutu didn’t even deny the rumors kindly. He simply laughed them off, as if the idea of them being together was absurd.

That hurt more than she could express.

Late one evening, Utkarsha sat alone in her room, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Tears rolled down her cheeks, but she didn’t bother wiping them away. Her mind replayed every moment she’d shared with Ruturaj—the times he’d smiled at her, the way he’d cheered her up during stressful days, the way her name sounded when he said it.

Had it all been fake? Had she just imagined a connection that didn’t exist?

She clutched her pillow tightly, the sobs she’d been holding back finally escaping.

“I trusted him,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “I thought he cared. I thought I mattered to him.”

But now, it felt like everything had been a cruel joke. How could he laugh at the idea of them being together? Didn’t he know how much it hurt her?

Navya’s words echoed in her mind. “They looked really close.”

Utkarsha’s heart felt heavy with betrayal. She had let herself hope, let herself believe that maybe—just maybe—Rutu saw her the way she saw him.

Now, she wasn’t sure if she’d ever be able to trust him again.

Meanwhile, Ruturaj was oblivious to the storm raging in Utkarsha’s heart. He thought everything was normal between them, that his casual denial of the rumors would put an end to the gossip.

But he didn’t realize that to Utkarsha, his words had been like a blade to her heart.

And as the days went by, Utkarsha found herself avoiding him, her once-bright eyes now clouded with doubt and pain.

But what she didn’t know was that Ruturaj wasn’t the villain she thought he was. The truth was waiting to be uncovered—if only they could find a way to bridge the growing chasm between them.