Broken promises

Ch-06

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It had been a year since Kirti lost her best friend, Prithvi. Time hadn’t healed the wound; instead, it left it aching beneath the surface. Today, during her lunch break at coaching, her friend Aadi came by to meet her, offering a temporary escape from her thoughts.

With thirty minutes free, they decided to take a walk and grab cold coffee from the nearby café. As they strolled through the streets, talking about random things, Aadi’s expression turned hesitant, as if burdened by something he needed to share.

"Kirti... I wasn’t sure how to tell you this, but I’ve heard something that shocked me. I know you would never do such a thing, but... did you ever say that Prithvi had wrong intentions about Anviksha?" He asked cautiously, his words heavy.

Kirti froze, her breath catching. "What? Are you out of your mind, Aadi? Why would I ever say something like that? Yes, we aren’t on good terms anymore, but I would never do anything so vile," she responded, her voice sharp with disbelief and anger.

"I know, Kirti. I believe you. But Prithvi’s been telling people otherwise... He’s claiming you made these accusations against him. And it doesn’t stop there... he’s been spreading rumors about you, calling you a playgirl, a gold digger... even worse things." Aadi’s voice trailed off, his discomfort clear.

Kirti’s heart sank. Her hands trembled as tears welled up in her eyes. "D... did Prithvi really say all of this? Is he spreading such disgusting lies about me?" Her voice cracked under the weight of betrayal.

Aadi looked down, unable to meet her gaze. "Yes, Kirti. He’s been defaming you to everyone."

The tears that had been held back for so long began to flow freely. She felt the sting of betrayal deepen—this wasn’t just about Prithvi’s ignorance anymore. He had taken things to a level she never imagined. How could he think so little of her? If he had doubts, why hadn’t he just confronted her?

"How could you do this to me, Prithvi? I trusted you," Kirti whispered through her tears, her voice trembling with heartbreak.

Flashback Ends

Kirti’s fury boiled over as she stared at Prithvi, her voice shaking but fierce. "This is who you really are, Prithvi. You don’t have the guts to face me, so you stab me in the back instead. You twist stories and ruin people’s lives behind their backs, because you’re too much of a coward to deal with things upfront!"

Her voice rose to a shout, her pain pouring out through every word. Tears streamed down her face, but her anger was louder. In a fit of rage, she grabbed his arm and shoved him out of her classroom.

Turning, she stormed over to Prash, the so-called friend who had stood by and let it all happen. Without hesitation, she slapped him hard across the face.

"What the hell, Kirti?!" Prash started to yell, but Kirti cut him off, her voice a mix of pain and defiance.

"You called yourself a friend? If people like you are what friends look like, who needs enemies? You’ve all betrayed me. First Prithvi, now you. You’re nothing but cowards who hide behind lies and deceit!" Her voice broke, but her fury kept her strong.

Devika, who had been watching, stepped forward and gently took Kirti’s hand, pulling her away. But before they left, Kirti turned back one last time.

"Remember this," she said, her voice calm but steely. "Even if you don’t do good for others, at least never do something evil. You know why? Because the good may fade, but the pain you cause will follow you for the rest of your life. The cries, the suffering you’ve inflicted on someone will haunt you forever."

She turned to Prash, her voice soft but full of accusation. "Your biggest mistake was knowing the truth and still choosing to make my life harder. You chose cruelty when you could’ve done better."

With that, Kirti walked out of the classroom, holding her head high, though her heart ached with the weight of the betrayal she had endured.

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