Forgotten Fires

Chapter 12

Reyan

As soon as Kavya's lips touched mine, I was about to react when I noticed a shadow at the door. My heart skipped a beat. It was Aarini. The thought of her seeing me kiss Kavya made a knot form in my stomach. I pushed Kavya away gently and walked toward the door. When I opened it, there she was—Aarini, standing there with a look in her eyes that I couldn't quite place. It was something hurtful, something I didn’t expect. Was she hurt seeing us?

But why would she feel that way? Why would she be unhappy? As I tried to make sense of it, I noticed Ayaan standing behind her. A sudden thought hit me—was there something going on between them? The idea stirred something inside me—anger, jealousy. I wasn’t sure what it was, but the thought of it made me uncomfortable.

Kavya appeared behind me, holding my hand, her voice dripping with mockery. “Aarini, don’t you know? When couples are alone in their room, you shouldn’t peek,” she said with a smirk.

I wanted to shut her up. Her words were ridiculous. I never even wanted to kiss her like that. Yes, she is my girlfriend, but it doesn't’t feel right. I am not the kind of person who would feel sorry for anyone. If I don't feel it, then I don't feel it—that's it.

I was about to speak, but Aarini cut me off. “If you two are doing something, you should at least shut your door. My room is right next to yours. So it’s obvious I would pass through yours,” she said, her tone sharp with frustration. With that, she turned and walked away, heading straight to her room.

As Aarini slammed the door to her room, I grabbed Kavya’s hand and pulled her inside. My anger flared. “What was that?” I demanded.

“What?” she shot back, her eyes narrowed in frustration. “The kiss? Everything?”

I clenched my fists, trying to control the rush of emotions. “What’s wrong with that?” she asked defiantly.

“We’re in a relationship, and you didn’t even touch me. It was supposed to be our first kiss, and you ruined it!” she shouted.

“Get lost,” I snapped, my voice cold. “I don’t care about first kisses or any of that nonsense. If you ever do something like that to me without my permission again, I don’t even know what I’ll do.”

Without another word, I turned and left the room.

I didn’t know what to think anymore. I couldn’t see her the way I saw Aarini. I used to like Kavya, but now there was nothing left between us. I had made that clear the first day of office, but she didn’t seem to care. She kept sticking to me like gum, not understanding when I drew the line.

Sure, I’d talked to her nicely a few times—out of respect for the last five years—but that didn’t mean I would let her push boundaries. She couldn’t just do whatever she wanted and expect me to accept it.

Some people would say, “That’s wrong. You shouldn’t treat Kavya like that. You were in a relationship for five years.”

But fuck that. I’m not a good person. I can’t just be with someone for their happiness, pretending everything is fine when it’s not. I can’t force myself into a relationship that doesn’t feel right anymore.

Aarini

When I saw Reyan and Kavya kissing, something inside me just snapped. I couldn't hold back my emotions, and in a rush of anger, I stormed to my room and slammed the door behind me. I know, I know—they're a couple, boyfriend and girlfriend. They have every right to be together. But I just couldn’t bear to see it. It hurt in a way I can't explain. But what could I do? I had no choice but to suffer in silence.