THE IMPERFECT PERFECTIONS

•Δ40~ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟

      ☆ .♡‧₊˚ ☆ .♡ ‧₊ ♡‧₊ ☆ .♡ ☆ .♡‧₊˚ ☆ .♡

"Oh, Taniya, you here?”

“Kyu, ye aapka store hai?” Isha quipped, instantly recognizing Niharika. She remembered seeing her when she met Taniya at the restaurant.

Back then, Taniya explained her dislike for Niharika and Isha being the loyal best friend she was automatically decided to dislike her too.

After all, it was an unspoken rule–if your best friend has beef with someone so do you.

“Nahi,” Niharika replied with a tight smile.

“Oh, toh aap yahan salesgirl hongi,” Isha said, her tone dripping with innocence.

Niharika’s face flushed with indignation. “Excuse me?”

“Excused,” Isha replied sweetly, turning back to Taniya. “In dono bags mein kaunsa lu? Ek kaam karti hoon dono le leti hoon.” She shrugged, answering her own question before Niharika could react.

“You can’t talk to me like that,” Niharika said, stepping closer and placing a hand on Isha’s shoulder to turn her around.

Isha brushed off her hand like it was a speck of dust. “Why? Tumhe insani zubaan samajh nahi aati kya? Kikikiki—that’s the language you understand, na? Apes se evolve hone mein thoda late ho gayi ho shayad,” she added, her focus still on the bags.

Niharika’s jaw dropped. “Do you know who I am?”

“Why? Tumhe khud yaad nahi kya? Yaadash chali gayi hai ya mummy-papa ne bataya hi nahi?” Isha shot back without missing a beat.

“Tumse baat karna hi fazool hai,” Niharika muttered, her voice trembling with frustration.

“Haan toh time bacha lo, thoda padh lo. IAS bano, desh ko sambhalo. Kyun mujhse baat karke time waste kar rahi ho?” Isha retorted, finally glancing at her with an exaggerated sigh.

Taniya, who had been trying her best to stay composed, finally let out a small laugh but quickly covered it with a cough.

She had no intention of stopping Isha; in fact, she was thoroughly enjoying the show.

Niharika straightened herself, trying to regain some composure. “Leave it,” she said, now addressing Taniya directly. “You tell me, how are you?”

Taniya’s smile was polite. “I’m good. How are you?”

“I’m great!” Niharika said, her tone overly cheerful. Her gaze drifted to the bag Taniya was holding. “Oh, this bag is beautiful. You know, Aditya once bought me a similar bag for my birthday. He has such an eye for detail, doesn’t he?”

Taniya’s smile didn’t waver. “He does. That’s why he married me.”

Isha smirked, clearly impressed by the clapback.

Niharika’s smile faltered but didn’t disappear. “Of course. I wonder how much he must miss our friendship. Some connections are just... irreplaceable.”

Taniya’s jaw tightened but before she could respond, Isha stepped in with a wide, sugary smile. “Irreplaceable? Oh, sweetie, Aditya replaced you the moment Taniya walked into his life. Let’s not rewrite history here.”

Taniya giggled at the statement, adding, “But hey, it’s nice you’re holding onto your version of the story. Everyone needs a hobby.”

Isha tilted her head, her expression serious.

“By the way, this ‘friendship’ you’re talking about… does Aditya even know about it, or is this just a figment of your very active imagination?”