Beneath The Storm (Completed)

Chapter 34: Fragments of Understanding

The sun hung low in the winter sky, casting a muted glow over the café.

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods wafted in the air, but Inaara could barely notice.

She sat at the corner table with Tanvi and Navya, her fingers nervously tracing the rim of her coffee cup.

Her eyes, puffy and red from the previous night's tears, were downcast as she began recounting the events of the disastrous party.

Navya, seated to her right, listened in stunned silence, her grip on the chair tightening.

As Inaara's words unfolded-the wardrobe malfunction, the humiliation, and Atharv's rage-Navya's face flushed with anger.

By the time Inaara finished, Navya shot up from her chair, her voice sharp and trembling with fury.

"I swear to God, Inni, I'll break his jaw! How dare he treat you like this?!" she exclaimed, pacing beside the table.

Her hands clenched into fists as if she were preparing to charge into a battlefield.

"You called him, and he ignored you? Then had the audacity to humiliate you afterward? I'm not letting this go!"

Tanvi, always the calm mediator, reached out to gently pull Navya back into her chair.

"Navya, sit down. Losing your temper won't solve anything."

Navya huffed and plopped back down, crossing her arms tightly over her chest, her glare fixed on nothing in particular.

Tanvi turned to Inaara, her tone softer but firm.

"Inni, this is unacceptable. Atharv crossed a line. Let me talk to Sunny. He has a right to know what's going on."

Inaara's head snapped up, her face pale. "No, Di. Please," she said, her voice trembling.

Her hands clasped Tanvi's arm as if pleading. "Not Bhai. Don't tell him."

Tanvi looked taken aback.

"Why, Inni? He's your brother. If he finds out later that I knew but didn't tell him, he'll never forgive me."

Tears welled up in Inaara's eyes, her breath hitching.

"Because you know how he is, Di," she whispered, her voice breaking.

"The moment he hears this, he'll lose control. He'll confront Atharv, and it'll escalate. Both families will get involved, and it'll become a mess. I... I can't let that happen."

Navya leaned forward, her expression hard.

"And what about you, Inni? Are you just going to keep quiet? Pretend nothing happened?"

Inaara swallowed hard, glancing at Navya.

"It's not about pretending," she said, her voice soft but steady.

"It's about handling it in a way that doesn't destroy everything."

Navya's irritation was palpable. She threw up her hands.