Fire In Hearts

Chapter 11

"Priya..tu yaha?" Sara replied the passenger sitting beside her. Her friend from last year before she went to NYC.

"Columbia jaake to hume vhul hi gayi" Priya replied with a voice laced with sarcasm and taunt.

"Esa nahi hain yaar...baas"

"Aur bata kesi chal rahi hain life?"

"Delhi main mom dad hain to unse milne jaa rahi hu...tu?" Sara said forcing a smile

"Ooh...main baas mere kaam ke silsile main...wahi boring job...tu bata conventional job kar rahi hain ya..."

"Unconventional one" Sara replied with a soft smile.

Priya smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. "Btw still chasing those big dreams of yours?”

Sara nodded, unwilling to engage in much conversation. She was exhausted and emotionally drained. But Priya, sensing Sara’s vulnerability, leaned in closer.

"Waise… I couldn’t help but notice all the recent headlines about you and Kartik Aaryan", Priya said, her voice feigning sweetness but laced with malice. "Quite the media frenzy you've got going on. Must be tough"

Sara's throat tightened by the mention of Kartik again.

"No...nothing like that Priya...he's a good friend...all are just stupid rumours"

"Accha par Sara tu dost hain isiliye ek suggestion de rahi hu, I've seen it happen so many times. A girl like you, with her whole future ahead of her, getting caught up with someone like him. Sure, he’s rich and famous, but guys like Kartik… they don’t change. They use people and then move on when they get bored"

Sara's eyes widened and she fumed in anger.

"Tu janti bhi hain usse...he's nothing like that. I won't tolerate any word against him"

"Oh, come on Sara...tu ab bhi immature hi hain", Priya said, leaning back with a smug expression. "You really think he is serious about you? You’re just another name in a long list of his girlfriends"

"Priya tu ab jyada kar rahi hain...you know nothing about him. He is nothing like you are describing"

Sara clenched her fists, her heart racing. She didn’t want to believe Priya, but her words hit a nerve.

Priya quickly took out her phone and made Sara see some articles on Kartik and his rumoured girlfriends.

"Listen Sara...there can't be smoke without fire. Koi baat ese hi samne nahi ati"

"Sara", Priya continued, her voice softer now, as if she were truly concerned, "You’re better than this. Don’t let yourself get played"

Sara turned to look out the window, her mind spinning. Priya's words were like poison, slowly seeping into her thoughts.

After the plane landed, there was a car waiting for her that took her to her parents'.

The thing was his father was a bit sick by elderly issues and that’s way she was being called. After a long conversation session, Sara went to her room to get changed and freshened up.

Sara’s phone buzzed on the table as she stood by the window.

It was Kartik calling. Her fingers hovered over the screen before she finally picked up, bracing herself for the conversation she knew was inevitable.

"Hello Kartik" she said softly, her voice strained from the emotional rollercoaster of the past few days.

"Sara, I’ve been trying to reach you for so loeh ng" Kartik’s voice carried a mix of frustration and concern.