Chapter - 1
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Shivanya ~
"Shivanya, we've been best friends forever, and I need to talk to you about something important. Please, just listen." Taran, my best friend for as long as I can remember, had insisted we meet for lunch. He sounded serious, almost desperate, and my heart raced with anticipation.
Was he finally going to confess his feelings? Maybe even propose? I didn't need to think twice; my answer would be a resounding yes. I'd been in love with him for nearly eight years, but I never had the courage to tell him. The past two years had been awkward between us, filled with nervous smiles and hesitant conversations. Perhaps today would change everything. I only wished I had worn something better than this dull office outfit!
Shivanya's Look ~
I smiled nervously as I sipped my cold coffee, trying to hide my excitement. Taran rubbed the back of his neck, a telltale sign of his nerves. Who was I kidding? I was just as nervous, feeling emotions I never thought possible.
"Just tell me, Taran. What's going on?" I prompted, giving him an encouraging nod.
"I never wanted to hide this from you, Shivanya, but I didn't know how to tell you without risking our friendship. I was terrified of losing you." He looked genuinely guilty.
"Since when have you ever hesitated to tell me anything? We've always talked about everything. Just spill it," I urged him to say what he wanted to.
"Radhika and I have been seeing each other for a while now, and we want to get married," he said, each word a blow to my chest.
I blinked, unable to process his words. "Taran, you know I hate jokes about Radhika. She's my sister," I said, trying to laugh it off, but the look on his face stopped me.
"This isn't a joke, Shivanya. We love each other, and we want to spend our lives together." His voice was calm, certain, and it shattered me.
" I know it is a lot to take in Shivanya but yes, we do love each other and I care about her. I want to spend the rest of my life with her and she wishes for the same." This time, he said those words with such contention and I felt something inside me, shattering.
""You... both?" I whispered, the words barely escaping my lips. My throat constricted, bile rising as my stomach churned violently. The world spun around me, and I felt as if I were drowning.
"Yes, and we love you too. We didn't know how to tell you," Taran's voice seemed distant, his words a cruel echo that only intensified the agony clawing at my heart. Every syllable was a dagger, twisting deeper into my chest.
"I... I need a minute," I managed to choke out before bolting from the table. My vision blurred with unshed tears, and my legs felt like they might give way beneath me at any moment. I stumbled into the restroom, the door slamming behind me, and I leaned heavily against the sink. The cold porcelain was a stark contrast to the burning chaos inside me.
I turned on the faucet, splashing water on my face, but the shock did little to quell the rising tide of panic. My reflection in the mirror was a haunted visage, eyes wide with despair and lips trembling uncontrollably.
"Calm down, Shivanya, calm down," I whispered, my voice breaking. The words were hollow, offering no comfort, no relief. I slid to the floor, my knees unable to support the weight of my grief. The cold tiles bit into my skin, but I barely noticed, too consumed by the storm raging within me.
"My sister and my best friend," I muttered through sobs, tears cascading down my cheeks. The betrayal of unawareness felt like a physical wound, raw and searing. "The man I am in love with and my sister."
The enormity of the situation crashed over me like a tidal wave. How could they? My heart felt like it was being ripped apart, torn.
Shivanya, are you okay? Please come out. I'm worried," Taran's voice came through the door, dripping with concern. But his words only intensified the inferno of my anguish, turning it into a searing, unbearable heat.
I bit down hard on my lip, the metallic taste of blood mingling with the salt of my tears. I couldn't break down here, not now. I had to pull myself together, had to face him, had to face them both. Slowly, painfully, I pushed myself up from the cold, unforgiving floor, gripping the sink like a lifeline. Each breath was a battle, my chest heaving as I forced the sobs back down, even as my heart splintered further with every beat.
With trembling hands, I wiped away the smudged kohl from beneath my eyes, each stroke a desperate attempt to erase the evidence of my heartbreak. I straightened my clothes, trying to don a facade of strength. I had to be strong. I had to pretend I could handle this—for them, if not for myself.
I opened the door, and there he was, Taran, his face etched with worry and guilt. The sight of him was almost too much to bear. I couldn't meet his eyes, couldn't let him see the depths of my pain. "I need to get back to work. I'll talk to Radhika when I get home," I said, my voice a hollow shell, devoid of the warmth and love it once held.
"Alright, I understand," he replied softly, the anguish in his voice a mirror to my own.
I walked away, each step feeling like I was wading through quicksand, every movement an insurmountable effort. My vision blurred with tears, but I refused to let them fall. Not here. Not now. I had to keep moving, had to keep going, even as my world crumbled around me.
Inside, a storm raged, tearing me apart piece by piece. Taran's words echoed in my mind, a cruel reminder of the future I'd never have. The man I loved was lost to me, and my sister had no idea of the torment she'd unwillingly caused.
I reached the office, barely aware of my surroundings. My colleagues moved around me in a blur, their voices distant and muffled. I made a beeline for the break room, gulping down water in a futile attempt to drown the fire inside.
"Woah, Shivanya, slow down. Chinese food can really make you thirsty, huh?" Niyati's voice pierced through my haze, and I forced a smile. She knew I was out with Taran and usually when we go out, it is Chinese like usual.
"Yeah, it does," I lied, my voice trembling.
"By the way, word is that the boss is impressed with your recent cases. A promotion might be in your future," she teased, but her words barely registered.
My phone buzzed, a lifeline offering escape. It was Radhika, and the sight of her name on my screen brought a fresh wave of tears. I couldn't face her, not yet. Not without breaking down and that's why I refused to take that lifeline of escape.
I excused myself and took refuge in the restroom yet again, trying to gather my thoughts. They deserve to be happy, I told myself. Even if it means my own heart breaks.
Taran was never mine. He belongs to Radhika, and they deserve their happiness. They deserve their chance, and I'll give it to them, no matter the cost and that is how I gathered the courage to answer her call this time.
"Hey Radhika. Are you okay, my doll? I'm a little busy right now. Can we talk once I get home?" I asked her as she said hello, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to sound normal.
How could I be mad at her? She lost our parents at such an early age, and all we had was each other. You could ask for my life, and I would give it to her without hesitation. But never, in my wildest dreams, did I think Taran's heart belonged to her. Something I had foolishly assumed belonged to me.
"Di, I know Taran talked to you..." she began, her voice tentative and apologetic. The sound of her speaking his name twisted the knife in my heart further.
"Radhika, I promise we'll talk once I'm back home. I need to leave for court right now. It's really urgent, my doll," I interrupted, forcing a smile even though she couldn't see it. I wiped my tear-streaked cheeks and inhaled deeply, trying to steady myself.
"Okay, Di. See you," she said softly. We exchanged goodbyes, and as I hung up.
Taran hurt me and everything I had inside me. My Radhika killed a part of me. She did it.
"How did you even think that Taran would fall in love with someone like you, Shivanya? You're not the kind they fall in love with. You're the kind they're intimidated by. Taran was... is your best friend. He never thought of you as more than that," I whispered harshly to myself, needing to hear the brutal truth to steel myself for what lay ahead. Wiping my tears away, I took a deep breath and made my way back to my cubicle, just as the intercom buzzed.
"Shivanya, Disha here. Mr. Raichand wants you to assist him in a case, considering your recent portfolios. He feels you'd be the best pick among the brains in the firm. You are to sit in a conference tomorrow at 10 AM on the 18th floor," she said, her tone professional and brisk.
"Thank you, Disha. I am grateful Mr. Raichand thinks I can be of any help," I replied, my gratitude mostly perfunctory. The truth was, I was too shattered to feel much of anything at the moment.
Mr. Vihaan Raichand was the best lawyer in the country. In twelve years, he had risen like a wildfire, commanding attention effortlessly. I had only met him once during my interview, and even then, he hadn't spoken a word to me. He just stared at me, his face as straight as an arrow, making me feel like he loathed me for some inexplicable reason.
My brief escape into thoughts about my boss was interrupted by a ping from my phone. It was a message from Taran, asking if I had reached the office safely. I typed a brief "yes" and sent it. Just like that, the hollow burning sensation in my chest intensified as I scrolled through our past chats, rereading them.
How had I missed the signs? Taran had always asked about Radhika, always seemed concerned about her well-being. Maybe he had been dropping hints all along, and I was too blind, too hopeful, to see them.
"How much of a fool have I been?" I whispered to myself, dropping the phone on my desk and hurrying to the restroom, locking myself inside for what felt like the hundredth time today.
Radhika and Taran—the only two people who mattered most to me—were the ones who ended up breaking my heart. Radhika had just turned twenty-two last month, and since I was in Delhi for work, I had asked Taran to take her out for a nice lunch. They could have told me then, or at any point, but they chose not to.
How well had I hidden my emotions that Taran couldn't even sense my love for him? Or perhaps, he could never imagine being with someone like me.
"Stop it, Shivanya. Stop being so selfish. Those two love each other. They will be happy together," my conscience chided, trying to pull me out of my spiral.
"And what about me? Don't I deserve some happiness too? A happiness I thought I'd find with Taran?" I argued back with my own thoughts, my voice breaking as I tried not to sob.
"Taran was never yours, never truly. He belongs to Radhika. You have no right, Shivanya. Absolutely none. They deserve their chance to be happy," my rational side insisted, its logic painfully clear.
"They do, they do deserve that. A chance at happiness. No matter how much it hurts, it's up to me to give it to them. My sister could never find someone as good as Taran. He has a heart of gold, just like hers. If they want to be together, they shall be together. I'll make sure of it, no strings attached."
Radhika and Taran would marry if that's what they wanted, and I would ensure it, even if it meant that pain was the last emotion I ever felt.
So guys, this is the first chapter. Did you all like it? Please drop your comments and help me improve. Thank you for reading this.
THIS IS NOT EDITED.
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