Just A Friend?

Chapter Nine

Ramya's heart felt like it had been plunged into icy water, her world tilting on its axis as she stared at her daughter in disbelief. "What?" Her voice trembled with a mix of shock and fear. "You... you love Prabhas?"

Sweety nodded, her eyes brimming with unshed tears, her silence an acknowledgment of the truth that had been festering within her for so long. Before she could fully process the gravity of what she had just admitted, Ramya's hand came down sharply across her cheek. The slap echoed through the room, a resounding crack that made the walls of their home feel as though they were closing in.

For a moment, everything seemed to freeze in time. Sweety stood there, stunned, her cheek stinging from the sudden blow. Her heart ached, but she didn't utter a word in her defense. She knew this was coming—she had always known her mother's fears, and now, here she was, living out the very nightmare Ramya had tried so hard to protect her from.

"How many times have I warned you? How many sleepless nights have I spent worrying about this? And now... now look what's happened!" Ramya's voice was thick with anguish, each word dripping with the weight of years of concern. Tears streamed down her face, her emotions spilling over in a torrent that she could no longer control. "You kept trying to convince me that it was just friendship, but now you need me to convince you otherwise, don't you?"

Sweety's tears fell harder, her sobs wracking her body as the reality of her mother's words sank in. Ramya's fury, however, was short-lived. As the echoes of her anger faded, she realized the last thing her daughter needed right now was a reprimand. What Sweety needed was comfort—a sanctuary to shield her from the storm raging in her heart.

In an instant, Ramya's anger melted away, replaced by a profound sadness as she took in the sight of her broken daughter. "You're twenty-one, Sweety. You're not a child anymore. You're no longer in your teens; you're a young woman now. And at this age, it's so easy to confuse friendship with something more, especially with someone like Prabhas. That's why I've always told you to keep your distance, to guard your heart." Her voice, though still stern, was now laced with sorrow. "And now... now look where we are."

Sweety's cries only grew louder, her tears flowing like rivers down her cheeks. Ramya's heart shattered into a thousand pieces at the sight. What had she done? Her daughter didn't need her anger—she needed her love, her understanding, her strength. Realizing this, Ramya immediately pulled Sweety into her arms, holding her close, as though trying to physically shield her from the pain that had consumed her.

"Whatever's happened, it's in the past now," Ramya whispered, her voice soft and soothing as she gently stroked Sweety's hair. "Please, my love, don't let this define you. You have so much life ahead of you, so much to look forward to. This pain... it will pass, I promise."

But Sweety shook her head vehemently, her sobs intensifying. "No, Ma! I'm useless! I'm a failure as a daughter, as a friend... as everything!" Her voice was full of despair, the rawness of her self-loathing breaking Ramya's heart all over again. "I'm the worst daughter ever!"

"Shh, no, my darling," Ramya whispered, pressing a kiss to Sweety's forehead, her own tears mingling with her daughter's. "Who told you that? You're the best daughter in the world. My precious Sweety. You are everything to me."

But Sweety's sorrow was too deep, too consuming. "I wasn't even a good friend to him, Ma. He only ever saw me as a friend, but I—" Her voice broke, and she sobbed even harder, "I was the fool who developed feelings for him! I was the one who let my heart betray me!"

Ramya's chest tightened as she listened to her daughter's anguish. She guided Sweety to the couch, gently easing her down so she could sit beside her. Taking a deep breath, Ramya wiped the tears from Sweety's cheeks, her hands trembling as she did so. "Tell me everything, Sweety," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Tell me exactly what happened."