OUR OBSESSIONS - FATE of LOVE

Chapter 7

DHRUV

The next day, I found myself in the kitchen, reaching for a bottle of juice when I overheard my mom speaking with Aunt Manisha.

Intrigued, I edged closer, barely breathing, wanting to hear every word.

"Esha went out to live on her own," her mom said, her voice tinged with worry.

My heart skipped a beat at that thought.

"Why did she do that? Couldn't she just commute from home to work?" Dad's voice held a trace of confusion, but the quiet worry beneath his words caught my attention.

"Esha wants to be independent," my mom replied, her voice thick with concern. "She left a note saying she doesn't want the rumours at her office about being a gold-digger. She promised to contact us every day and told us not to worry."

I felt a sudden, sharp pang in my chest-a bitter mixture of guilt and frustration.

I didn't want to hear any more.

The details seemed too heavy, too personal as if I wasn't entitled to them. Grabbing the juice, I hurried out the door, the swirling vortex of thoughts in my mind growing tighter, more suffocating with each step.

*How could I be so foolish?* The questions raced through my mind. *Why didn't she tell me she was leaving? Why wasn't I enough to keep her here?*

"Dhruv, we're here," Bhavesh's voice cut through the storm in my head.

I blinked, looking up to realize we had arrived at the underground parking of my company. He opened the door for me, and I stepped out, automatically heading for the private elevator.

As the elevator ascended, I felt the weight of everything pressing down on me.

Bhavesh was more than a driver to me-he was a trusted friend, a personal secretary, someone who understood the need for space without prying into the places I wasn't ready to share.

"Bhavesh," I said, voice rough, "check in on Esha for me. But don't let her know you're keeping an eye on her."

"Understood, Dhruv," he replied without hesitation, the calm in his voice a steady anchor to my spiralling thoughts.

2 days later, I asked him for an update. "She's staying at a dorm near Shilpata," Bhavesh reported, his voice casual, though the details seemed to land like stones in my gut.

"She goes to work and comes back after her shifts. But there's something else. A guy named Jay Surya Chouhan at her office the son of Arjun and Niharika Surya Chouhan, future CEO of the company where she works."

The mention of another man caused a flash of heat to course through me. Anger. Uncertainty. A deep, twisting knot in my stomach.

"Does Esha know about him?" My voice came out sharp, far sharper than I had intended.

"I don't think she knows yet," Bhavesh answered, unaware of the storm churning inside me.

I took a slow breath, trying to steady myself. "Alright, when's our next meeting?"

"We're meeting a new client in five minutes," Bhavesh replied.

"Is everything set?" I asked.

"All set. We've got this project in the bag," he said, confidence ringing in his words.

"Good. Let's go."

The meeting went well positively, even-but my mind never truly left the thoughts of Esha, the image of her eyes, the space she left behind.

Days slipped by, and Bhavesh informed me that Esha hadn't visited home even once. In the same breath, I realized I hadn't seen my parents in some time either.

Just yesterday, my mom had called, her voice tinged with longing, her words echoing in my mind. *She misses me. They both do.* She wanted me to visit, but the thought of it made my chest tighten with uncertainty.

The next morning, before work, I stopped by my parents' house.

Aaryan greeted me with his usual exuberance, a burst of warmth in the otherwise cold atmosphere of my thoughts.

"Can't you ask sister-in-law to visit? I miss her so much!" he exclaimed after some time, a faint smile in his voice.

The words stung, yet they felt strangely comforting. The term "sister-in-law" slipped from his lips, and I smiled despite myself.

It was strange, how a mere mention of Esha could stir up a warmth in my chest. But then the confusion returned, sharp and disorienting. *What do I really feel about her?*

"Brother!" Aaryan shook me from my reverie. "Will you ask her to come see me?"

"I'll try," I said, though the words tasted hollow in my mouth. Would she even want to see me after everything?

The memory of that night was anger in her eyes, the hurt haunted me like a ghost I couldn't escape.

I finished breakfast quickly, excusing myself with a hasty mention of an important meeting.

But as I walked out the door, the weight of that night clung to me.

The pain, the guilt, the unanswered questions all sat heavy in my chest, an aching reminder of what had been lost, and of the walls I'd built between us.

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