Layers of Us

Chapter 6: Fragmented Souls

As Tripura prepared to leave, she exchanged warm goodbyes with the Malhotras, hugging Sangeeta, Rajveer, and finally Palash, who held her a bit longer than necessary, beaming as he said, "Take care, Tipsy!"

As she walked to her car, she spotted Vikram and Ram by the driveway. She approached Vikram, giving him a friendly side hug.

Tripura: "Bye, Vikram. Drive safe." She smiled, glancing briefly at Ram without a word, her expression unreadable.

Vikram (smiling warmly): "Bye, Bhabhi! Take care! Are you sure you don’t need a lift?”

Tripura: "Thanks, Vikram, but I can manage. Don’t worry."

She gave him a small smile and nodded before getting into her car.

Ram, standing silently beside Vikram, watched her leave. A faint hope lingered in his gaze as if expecting her to turn, to acknowledge him even slightly. But without a second glance, Tripura simply drove off, leaving him standing there, hollow and wordless.

As Tripura’s car disappeared into the distance, a wave of loneliness hit Ram, leaving him feeling stranded and undesired. It hurt more than he thought possible.

In the car on the way back, Ram was unusually quiet, staring blankly out the window as the nightscape passed by. Vikram noticed his friend’s silent turmoil but decided to wait for Ram to open up.

In his mind, Ram couldn’t stop replaying the night, Tripura’s easy laughter with Palash and Vikram, her grace, the way she had kept her distance from him so deliberately. Why was her indifference stinging him so much? Why did he care that she didn’t even look at him before she left?

"Because she’s the one", whispered a voice deep within him. "The one your heart had unknowingly been seeking all along".

Ram shifted uncomfortably in his seat, wrestling with the realization that Tripura was no longer just a forgotten name or obligation. She had somehow taken root in his heart.

He was discovering her strength, her beauty, her kindness — and now, her indifference was cutting him deeper than he wanted to admit. He looked out of the window, feeling utterly lost, his thoughts swirling into confusion and regret.

A single tear slipped down his cheek, catching him off - guard. He quickly brushed it away, embarrassed to feel so vulnerable.

Yet, sitting there, he could no longer ignore the growing void within him. For the first time, he felt like he just wanted to cry, to release the pent-up emotions that had been eating at him since the truth about their marriage was revealed.

Vikram glanced over, catching the glimmer of sadness in Ram’s eyes.

Vikram (gently): "Kya soch raha hai, Ram?"

Ram hesitated, then shook his head, still looking out the window.

Ram (murmuring): "Bas… pata nahi, Vikram. Kuch toh hai. I feel… like something precious slipped through my fingers before I even knew I had it."

Vikram gave a small, understanding nod, sensing the weight of Ram’s words but respecting his silence.

As they continued driving through the quiet night, Ram felt a strange ache settle into his chest, an ache that refused to fade, an ache that held a name — Tripura.

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Tripura entered her hotel, and was greeted warmly by her team in the lobby. They were laughing and reminiscing about their night out. She smiled at them, her face lighting up as she asked, “So, how was the night out? Did you all have fun?”