" I'm sor-"
"DON'T, JUST DON'T SAY IT. YOU DO NOT EVEN DESERVE TO SAY IT AFTER WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO ME! I BEGGED YOU, SCREAMED AND PLEAD, BUT YOU DIDN'T HEED MY WORDS. THEN WHY SHOULD I!"
I yelled with tears streaming down my face when witnessing m...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Bhai... is it true?"
That voice. I froze.
I turned slowly toward the source and saw her.
Sharmila
At the entrance, eyes wide in disbelief, lips trembling.
My heart dropped.
No... they weren't supposed to be back yet. They were supposed to return later...much later. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. I thought I could keep it buried. I thought I could leave quietly once all this ended. I didn't want her to know. I didn't want her to carry this weight.
But now, she was here. And she had heard everything.
I took a step back, startled, while Suhail immediately shouted, "Get out! All of you, leave!" His voice boomed through the hall, causing the maids and guards to scatter like leaves in a storm. Silence followed. Heavy, uncomfortable silence.
Sharmila looked at him again, her voice cracking. "Bhai... is it true?"
Suhail took a step towards her, hesitant, but she quickly wheeled back, distancing herself. Her gaze... it wasn't the same. There was no warmth. Just fear... and betrayal.
His shoulders dropped. I couldn't see his face from behind, but I could tell, he wasn't ready for this. He was afraid. Not of what she might do, but of how she now saw him.
Sharmila then slowly turned her wheelchair toward me, rolling forward until she stopped right in front of me.
"Did he...?" she asked again, her voice small.
I swallowed hard. I didn't know how to respond. My eyes darted away. "Sharmila, let's not talk about thi-"
"No," she interrupted, and before I could pull away, she reached out and placed my hand on her head.
"Say it. I'm asking you. Tell me the truth."
My lips trembled. My body felt numb. I could feel my heart pounding, echoing in my ears. I didn't want to say it. I didn't want to break her. But her eyes... they were pleading.
So I nodded. Just once.
And that was enough.
Her hand dropped from mine like it had touched fire.
She looked down, then away, then slowly turned toward Suhail who was still standing, silent, unmoving.
"You..." her voice cracked. "You did this? You hurt her? My friend? The one who welcomed me, stayed with me, comforted me through every storm... You?"
Suhail took a small step forward, unsure, but Sharmila flinched and yelled, "Don't come near me!"
He froze mid-step, his lips slightly parted like he wanted to say something but the words didn't come.
