Fates

Part 94- Comfort, Stories, And Feelings

Prachi knocked on Riya's bedroom door, entering when she got no response, only to see that the room was empty.

"Riu, are you in there?" Prachi asked knocking on the bathroom door, only to find it empty too, now beginning to worry.

"What are you doing out here, and that too without a sweater? It's very cold at night." Prachi said protectively, breathing a sigh of relief as she opened the sliding door that led to the outside balcony in Riya's room.

"Certainly not drinking whiskey in secret while hiding from you, of course." Riya said jokingly, but with a heavy voice, facing away from Prachi, holding on to the balcony's railing, looking at the city that was shining bright even at night because of street lights.

"You better not be." Prachi said sternly, but with her forehead creasing in confusion, knowing that something was wrong even before looking at Riya.

"You're crying." Prachi said alarmed, as she stood next to Riya, now able to see her face.

"What happened? Did someone say something? Are you hurt?" Prachi asked worriedly, grabbing both of Riya's arms, now face to face with her.

"Calm down Pikachu. It's just allergies." Riya said with a teary chuckle, trying to wipe away the tears that kept on falling.

"Even Mumma says it's just allergies, but it's never just allergies. What happened Riya?" Prachi asked worriedly, with misty eyes as if she could feel Riya's pain.

"Don't ask me that... please... I wouldn't even know how to explain it." Riya said desperately, abruptly hugging Prachi, worrying her more, but still, Prachi hugged her back, gently rubbing her back to calm her down, Riya's tears now falling on Prachi's shoulder, where Riya's head was resting now.

"I was right, you should've worn a sweater, you're freezing." Prachi said to change the subject, as she laid a kiss on Riya's forehead, but she wasn't wrong though, Riya was freezing.

"See that's why I need in my life Pikachu, to stop me from making stupid decisions." Riya said jokingly, as she separated from Prachi, her tears finally lessening.

"Yeah, sometimes I wonder how you survived for so many years without me, you're completely hopeless without me." Prachi said jokingly wiping away Riya's tears, as she pulled Riya back inside her room, knowing that right now wasn't the right time to question Riya.

"I wonder the same thing." Riya said jokingly, looking towards the balcony as Prachi pulled her back inside, with a pained look in her eyes, thinking back to how she got here in the first place.

Riya was trying to pop the balloon with the knife, but every time the knife would come close to the balloon, Riya's hand would stop, not being able to do what she wanted to.

"Why can't I do this?" Riya asked herself with an aggravated sigh, defeatedly letting go of the knife, it clattering to the floor, looking at the balloon in her hand, wondering what to do with it.

She got up from the floor, determinedly walking towards the outside balcony of her room, balloon still in hand, and just standing outside, looking at the balloon for a while, with unfallen tears pricking her eyes.

"It was all a lie." Riya said in a mere whisper, letting go of the heart-shaped balloon, as more tears fell from her eyes.

But what Riya did not know was that the wind carried the balloon away, flying far, but only to fall in front of the feet of someone else, having reached its destination.

******
"Wait, seriously?" Shahana asked with a chuckle as she was sitting on one of the chairs in the kitchen because even though she had wanted to help, Purab and Alia didn't let her.