Destroying Myself (Myself #3)

3.1. Talk To Me, Love

[ N I S H A ' S    P O V  ]

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said calmly to the storm rising with each second. I had explained him thousands of times, laid bare all the facts I wasn't cheating on him but nothing from his face exposed the truth flowing out of my mouth. "Give me my phone, Harshit."

His sneer didn't dissolve as the grip on my arm increased. It hurt too badly. Say something, Nisha, don't stay silent. "Abhay. Tell me. Why had you gone out with him?"

"He asked me out," My voice was calm, hoping it would calm his anger even though it was valid. Who would like that their girlfriend had another boyfriend? "He called and I had to go."

"Kabir let you go?" He seethed, the anger and annoyance didn't wait to be held down.

"Alina was there." As if it answered everything. He and Alina were teaching partners, and whenever she would be around him, he paid less attention or how I had wriggled out of his grasp and ran out, leaving Alina with him and found both of them in the rain after I came back.

He chuckled darkly. Nobody was at home. Kabir was in his tuitions. Mom was with dad for some work. Maids didn't care who came as long as Harshit was Kabir's friend.

What a perfect plot.

"We need to tell Kabir about us. You can't go out with Abhay." I know. I was aware of it, aware how he had tried to kiss me yesterday and I had participated but something felt wrong and I pushed him off me.

I'm sorry I can't do this.

I closed my eyes for a moment. I was cheating on Harshit or was I cheating on Abhay? What was I even doing to my own life? Too scared of telling my own brother that I had built too many lies around myself, each layer getting thickened as the time passed by.

"Soon. He is not in the good mood after he and Alina fought."

He rolled his eyes, his hard grip uncurling. "He's wasting his time over that stuck up bitch."

"Hey! That's my best friend," I scowled. "Show some respect."

"She has attitude problems." No, she didn't. She just wasn't fond of talking much and everything thought she had attitude problems. She was a silent girl and sometimes her silence was good. She didn't try to pry my secrets, and yet, I called her my best friend.

I was hiding too many things.

And yet, she defended me.

"My phone?" I asked again. As if finally reminded on the device in his hand, he was about to hand it over to me when the notification ranged and his gaze diverted to the screen. "I'm not ch—"

"Why is he apologizing for kissing you?" He snapped. Quickly, I snatched my phone from his. Stupid me. Should have logged out of messenger or turned off the notification. What was I doing? "Nisha, did you kiss him?"

"No." Yes. "He's lying. Emoji's and all."

I'm sorry. I had no idea what I was doing.

A rough hand rested on my cheek, uplifting my head to his. A soft look resided on his face and I almost sighed in relief. He believed my lies, the web of lies I kept on building every single day. "I love you. Abhay doesn't matter."

I curled my lips into a smile. "I love you too."

"I will believe you over his words." I frowned a bit at the track of his talk. "But I have limits. Did you kiss him or not?" His hand traveled down to my jaw, dug his fingers. "Nisha, we're in a relationship. I don't deal with cheaters."