Roommate (ASHAANGI)

thirty seven

Akshay wanted to stand up to his mom, but no matter what he says, she’s stubborn and won’t budge—there’s no way she’s letting him stay alone with Saesha. Just when he thought all the misunderstandings were cleared up and he could finally spend some quality time with his woman.

Bam!

Life decides to throw another curveball his way.

Saesha looks at him, her face a mix of hesitation and frustration. She’s upset, and it’s clear why his mom’s flat-out refused to let them stay together after the whole fake-dating stunt they pulled. The regret and annoyance are written all over her expression.

"Amma, it wasn’t his—" Saesha starts to defend him, but she’s quickly cut off by a raised hand, signalling her to stop. Her words die in her throat as she clamps her lips shut, her frustration visible. He can’t help but ache to reach out, cup her face, and tell her not to stress over any of this.

"Sai, I know you’re going to defend him, you always do. But this? This isn’t okay. What you two pulled isn’t okay," his mother says, her voice sharp but tinged with disappointment. "He’s my son, and I… I never thought he’d toy with a girl’s feelings like this."

Her words hit harder than he expected, flooding him with regret over the whole fake-dating mess they dragged his family into. But the thing is, he wasn’t playing with Saesha’s feelings,not for a second. Everything he felt for her, from the very start, was real. Listening to his mom paint him like this, like someone he knows he’s not, feels all kinds of wrong.

"Ma, I never played—"

"I don’t want to hear it," his mother snaps, cutting him off mid-sentence. "You’re staying with your sister, and I’ll take care of Sai." Her tone leaves no room for argument, making it clear she’s not about to listen to a word he says.

The dismissal stings, and the frustration bubbling in his chest threatens to spill over, but he bites it back.

He shoots a look at Saesha, and she locks eyes with him, her gaze practically screaming how sorry she is. But he quickly shakes his head, silently telling her, This isn’t on you. Don’t blame yourself.

No words needed. That quick back-and-forth between them said it all.

-------------

After the argument with his mother, Akshay found out she had arranged for Saesha’s discharge from the hospital. Carefully, his mother took Saesha to the house Akshay had bought, the one he’d planned for them to move into together. But now, instead of him, it was his mother helping her settle in.

Saesha sat in the room, her back pressed against the headboard, the weight of the empty space around her pressing down. She already missed Akshay,missed him so much it ached. She wanted to tell him to call him and let him know just how much she needed him right now.

Her eyes drifted to the freshly made glass of pomegranate juice on the side table, placed there by his mother not long ago. Normally, she’d appreciate the gesture, but right now? She had no appetite for it. She adored his mother, really, but her heart was somewhere else, with him. She didn’t want to be apart from Akshay, not now, not like this.

His mother kept checking on her every now and then, her care undeniable, but all Saesha could think about was how wrong it felt to be in this house without him.