ᴇx-ʙᴏʏʀꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅ, ɴᴇxᴛ ʜᴜꜱʙᴀɴᴅ

Chapter 40

Yuvaan

I watched her walking a little ahead of me - in my jacket. It was a sight for sore eyes. I loved seeing her in my jacket - I still do.
"Nishtha." I said, "take right."
She turned around and saw herself going in the wrong direction, "Oh... my bad."
"Why are you so lost?" I asked her.
"What? No. I'm not." She said, looking lost.
"You're not even seeing where you're going."
"I'm fine, Yuvaan." She glared.
Those angry eyes.
Oh God.
Yuvaan, stop.
"We're here." I said, "Come." I led the way and we entered the restaurant where Samar and Manasi were sitting and waiting for us.
"Hey!" Samar said, raising his hand up.
"Hey!" I replied and we walked to them, "How are you all?"
"We're good! How are you?" Nishtha said sitting down.
We settled and got into a bunch of conversations regarding our university life, life after that - which was not too great to talk about - but we had to come up with a proper lie which suits.
"Who all wants drinks?" Samar asked.
"I'll take one." Manasi said, "You guys?"
"I'll have some." I said.
"Nishtha?" Manasi asked, "You?"
She hesitated, "Uh... no I'm good."
"Why? Take some." I asked her.
"No. I'm... I'm fine." She said, looking away.
Strange.
They looked at me for an answer, I gave them a reassuring smile saying 'it's fine'. They got their answer and Samar went to get drinks.
I joined him, "Samar, hold up! I'll come!"

We went and got the drinks and came back to the table. After one round, Samar said, "You girls enjoy, Yuvaan and I are gonna go have some male bonding." He said and grabbed my arm. I chuckled and nodded.
I looked at Nishtha, patted her arm slowly and then walked away with Yuvaan.

We sat at the bar, waiting for the drinks.
"So... how's married life treating you?" He asked me, "heaven or hell?"
I chuckled, "Heaven.... I guess."
"She's your college sweetheart, that does make it a little more heaven than hell."
"Why? Was yours arranged?" I asked him.
"Yep, arranged."
"How was that?"
"It.... I won't lie, I can't now that I have vodka in me," he said chuckling and I laughed too, "but it was a long test. It's like putting yourself with a new person entirely and then you have to learn and just grow with that person."
"But, I see you guys, it's going pretty good."
"It's good now, after 10 years and 2 kids. It took a lot of time to get there."
"How told are Siya and Manav?"
"Siya is 6 and Manav is 3." He said.
"They're pretty young, and I mean Siya was born 4 years later, you guys managed it."
"The first year of the marriage was a huge test, a lot of fighting, arguing, I don't know..." he said as he drank, I patted his shoulder, "the second year got easier, we understood each other a bit more.... The third year was bliss, it was surreal and then the result of that bliss was Siya, in our 4th year!"
I loved the smile on his face when talking about his daughter. I wanted that.
"That's really nice. You made it work." I said, "I think that's what is important, right?"
"What about you guys?" He asked, "Is marrying your college lover any different?"
I froze. How do I say this?
"Umm... it... it's good."
"Why the hesitation?" He asked.
"I don't know... I just..." I couldn't hold it in, I guess the drink was getting to me as well, "There is a lot of back story to this marriage."
"Do you wanna talk about it?" He asked.
I looked at him and sighed, "We... we have been together since the second semester of her first year, we were THE couple of our university, our families love each other, I had dinner at her house like 3 times a week, the other 3 times she's with us.... It was insane. It was amazing."
"But?" Samar asked.
"Bua came back from the US, with her family friend, and then... we found out through Bua that Nishtha was blackmailing my sister, Vamika, for money."
"What?!"
"Yeah... Bua brought it into the open, there were pictures of Vamika giving money to Nishtha, and there were pictures of Nishtha meeting this local gambler and...." I felt myself tearing up, "and it was all out there, with evidence."
"Oh. That's... that's rough." Samar said, pouring me a drink, "so then?"
"We broke up. Of course. Nishtha was at my place when it got out and I... I was really angry and I... just told her to get out."
"You were able to do that to someone you love?"
"I don't know, at that point, it was just anger. I couldn't see anything else, I don't know."
"I'm sorry Bhai." He said, and I took a drink, "If you don't me asking, how are you married then?"
"Because, we... we met again after 4 years and somehow our families act like nothing has changed, and there was something that had happened with Baba's franchise which kind of required us to get married. So, we did."
"You two seem pretty in love."
"That's an act. It was all an act for when we met you guys. Nothing is real."
"No," he chuckled, "Yuvaan. You can fake things for us but you can't fake what's in your eyes. You may act all distant to her, but your eyes clearly show that if she were to walk away right now, you wouldn't think for a second before running behind her."
I sighed, looking down, "She messed up my family Samar. This marriage is obligatory."
"Look, I agree I don't know everything, but what I do know is that if my ex girlfriend had done that, I would have hated her in any case. No possible could have made me change my mind and I wouldn't definitely agree to marry her - I would let her deal with it."
"I did it for her Aai Baba, not for her."
"You call her parents Aai Baba, doesn't that speak things to you? If this marriage is obligatory, then why is your jacket on her? If she's cold that's her issue, right?"
I looked at her, who was sitting and having a conversation with Manasi. I saw her eyes meet mine and then she instantly looked away.
I chuckled.
"Yeah... I don't know." I said, looking down.
"Look, all I'd say is, if you put a hand on your heart and think that she is responsible for everything then why do you do all this for her? Just be cordial, less than that. Why doesn't your hate show when you talk about it? But, if you have even just 1% of a doubt, then go and find out about it, because trust me, you'll regret it. You really will regret it."
I looked at him, and then took a drink.
"You'll regret losing a girl like that, because she really loves you. I saw the way she looked at you, and I know you really love her too."
I felt my eyes watering.
I can't feel this.
"Come. Let's go back." He said, and I nodded.
"Hey, before we go...." I said, "can we keep this between us? I don't know what Nishtha told Manasi and I don't want to cause things."
"Don't worry." He said.

We went back to the group, I fixed myself, and then we sat down. I was too zoned out to talk anymore. Samar's words were in my head. It's not like I haven't heard that before - Rohan and my entire family tell me this everyday, but today it somehow felt different. If a stranger picked it up, does it mean there's still something there?
Am I missing something?
If a random person can pick up Nishtha, her personality and her behaviour, should I have done it too?
Is there a reason this drink happened? For me to get an idea of things?
I don't know.
"Alright well, we'll get going now. The kids are up late and we don't wanna overwhelm my brother and his wife now!" Manasi laughed.
"Of course." Nishtha said.
We all got up, "It was really nice meeting you all again, let's stay in touch. We stay in Mumbai as well, so we can definitely meet up again!"
"Of course, Manasi!" Nishtha said.
"Of course." I said, still lost.
Nishtha looked at me and then looked back and kept talking, "Let us know when you reach home and how are the kids, okay?"
"Of course. We will, you too!" We walked out of the restaurant.

Once they went their own way, I looked at her.
"Wait." I said, stopping her.
"Yeah?" She asked.
"I need a drink." I said and went back in.
She followed me hastily and sat with me as I poured myself a drink and drank silently, "I... I don't think you should drink this much." She said.
I looked at her, "Why do you care?"
"Oh... no... I..." she looked down, "I'm sorry. I just thought that... we have to walk."
"I'll be fine, Nishtha. I'm okay."
"I know... I just—"
"You don't need to worry." I said, drinking.
"You're right. I.. I don't have any rights to. I get it. I'm sorry." She said, looking down.
I felt my heart sting.
That is not what I meant.
We sat in silence as I drank.
She isn't stopping me. I was getting annoyed.
The Nishtha I knew wouldn't let me drink.
Here, she isn't even stopping me from it.
Stop me, Nishtha.
I groaned in anger, "Let's go."
I got up and walked out, with her next to me.

We walked home silently and I could feel the alcohol acting up. Nishtha locked the door and I sat on the couch, trying to sober up.
She saw me and instantly came near, "Are you fine?!" She said, looking at me.
I looked at her and slowly, my hand caressed her face, "Why Nishtha? Why did you... why did you do that? Everything was.... Everything was perfect... why did you get involved with that guy? What were you thinking? Why don't you tell me?!" I said, losing my consciousness.
I saw her with tears in her eyes, "I... I tried to... but—"
"But what?! Why wouldn't I listen to you?!"
"I... I can't...I'm sorry."
My anger rose and I held her arm, "you... you can't because you are guilty."
"Please trust me..." she said between tears, "I... I'm really not."
"How can I trust you?! I saw what I saw."
"I... I know but..."
I got up, and so did she. I wasn't able to walk straight and I almost tripped when she caught me, "Please... please sit." She said.
"Get off me Nishtha, before I do something I regret." I said, between anger.
"Yuvaan... I'm sorry... please let me help you."
"GET OFF NISHTHA." I yelled and caught her arm tightly to yoink her away. I grabbed her and then pushed her away, and stormed into the room, shutting the door tightly.

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