The Silent Betrayal

22. Unspoken Desires

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3000+ words

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As the flight landed in Mumbai, the entire D3 team–Rey, Swayam, Sharon, and the rest of the team—couldn't stop smiling. They had just returned from winning an international dance competition, something they had dreamed of for so long. But there was something on Rey’s mind, a thought that kept gnawing at him since he boarded the plane back home: Taani.

Rey couldn’t help but wonder how she was doing. He hadn’t spoken to her in a long time, and after last time they had met, things had gone terribly wrong. Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he needed to see her, to know if she was okay.

Swayam, too, was a little on edge. He was overjoyed about the team’s victory, but his thoughts kept drifting to Taani.

The ride to St. Louis College was filled with laughter and chatter as the gang reminisced about their victory, but Rey was unusually quiet. Sharon noticed this and nudged Swayam, gesturing toward Rey. "Kya hua isko? Aaj jeet ka din hai, aur yeh itna lost kyun hai?"

[What happened to him? Today is the day of victory, and why he is so lost?]

Swayam gave her a small shrug, but even he knew the answer. "Taani,"he muttered under his breath.

As they approached the college gate, the entire team went silent. In front of them was a grand welcome setup—banners, flowers, and a giant "Welcome Back, Champions!" sign stretched across the entrance. Students were lined up along the gate, cheering for them, clapping and whistling.

"Wow, yeh sab kisne arrange kiya?"—Vishakha asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

[Wow, Who arranged all this?]

Rey was equally stunned but found himself immediately scanning the crowd, hoping to catch a glimpse of Taani.  “Did Taani did all this?” he thought to himself, his heart beating faster. But as much as he looked, she was nowhere to be seen.

"This welcome arrangements... kya usne sach mein yeh sab kiya hoga?" Rey thought, still unable to shake the doubt. The last time they spoke, things had ended on such a bad note. It was hard for him to believe that she would be a part of something that celebrated him.

[would she have really done all this.]

The rest of the gang looked equally surprised. Vicky spoke up, "Dude, GS ka kaam hota hai yeh sab welcome arrange karna, aur college ki GS toh Taani hai, right? But seriously, lagta nahi woh aisa kuch karegi."

[Dude, it is the job of the GS to arrange all these welcomes...and the GS of the college is Taani re, right? But seriously, it doesn't seem like she would do such a thing.]

Vishakha nodded, "Sach mein. After whatever happened between her and Rey... why would she do this?"

[Really]

Swayam overheard the conversation, his own heart conflicted. "Taani ne yeh sab arrange kiya? Aur agar kiya hai toh kyun? Kya usne sab bhula diya hai?"

[Taani arranged all this? And if it is done then why? Has she forgotten everything?]

He wasn’t sure what to think, but part of him wanted to believe that maybe his sister had moved on, that maybe she was trying to be professional about everything.