invisible string ✓

thirty one

• ADVIKA •

Yet, I couldn't help but yell and wail as I heard the song's outro.

“Standing by and waiting at your back door
All this time, how could you not know, baby?
You belong with me, you belong with me

You belong with me
Have you ever thought just maybe
You belong with me?
You belong with me.”

The back of my mind had noticed the sound of someone— possibly Aarvi— closing the door at the living room as white noise was developing into my ears so loud that I couldn't hear myself crying.

I saw Aarvi entering the room with her so wide while she sat next to me and asked, “All okay?”

“No, Aarvi. I lost my peace,” I was wailing already as I placed my head on her shoulder, thus dampening her red shirt's sleeve, while noticing that Spotify chose to play Watermelon Sugar by Harry Styles— the song he sang for me on my birthday out of more than 100 million songs on the app.

I was right. I knew that I was going to lose my peace out of the guilt of not giving him a proper goodbye kiss. Fuck them, I didn't even give him say goodbye to him. I left him high and dry and came to my world. He must have expected me to give him my last hug. Even Maahi had hinted a goodbye in their last meeting. But, me? I left him in the middle of our last argument. He must be hating me for this.

He should hate me; not only for this but for all that I did to him.

Just then, I heard my mobile ping faintly. Aarvi walked up to my mobile, paused the song, and informed me, “Aadya Chatterjee had sent you a text.”

“Read.” All I could manage was a mere whisper of that simple four-letter-word.

“Hello, Miss Bansal! Glad to hear that from you— sorry for your loss, by the way. And… I'm touched by the way you express your concern towards the characters of my world. Hence, I'm sharing my plans with you.

1. Mehak is not dead yet. She will come back to Ved. And, her baby is safe as well.
2. Ishaan will rebuild his house. Sources of money? A huge amount of money from the lottery, some money borrowed from his friends, and some in his savings account.
3. Nobody killed Mrs Ahuja. She had a cardiac arrest while walking on the lawn that night.
4. I'll ensure the police apologise to Ishaan for all the chaos that had happened.
5. Also, I'll ensure Ishaan will apologise to Ved (who will survive as well) for telling the truth about your world (I know I was being selfish; but this is also a plan to restore orderliness in my world).

Feel free to ask your queries. But otherwise, I hope this is our last text conversation. And again, thank you so much for allowing me to create! Your sacrifice will be remembered forever. Thank you!” Looking back at me, who sat puzzled about how to react to this text, Aarvi asked, “Shall I stay outside?”

“Are you free now?” I whispered, my tone croaky due to crying incessantly while she nodded a subtle yes. Receiving her response, I patted on the place next to me, gesturing at her to sit next to me. She sat as I asked to do so while I lied on her lap and let out my silent tears until my eyes dried up and I went into blackness in which I had wished to be dead.

***

THREE MONTHS LATER…

Aarvi took me to the couch forcefully, made me sit on it, went to the kitchen only to come back with a plate of aloo paratha and curd. Sitting closely next to me, she tore a piece of paratha, dipped it into the curd puddle, and placed it near my mouth, commanding, “Eat,” while I nodded a no. Turning herself to face me, she raised her voice, “You didn't eat food or drink water for two days. Do you fucking get that? You'll die, bitch!”