|the naive rebel|
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xliii | i can't see her in pain
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word count- 1958

The response to the previous chapter was so overwhelming, I hadn't expected it, honestly. But thank you so much! ❤️

Question for the update:

✨ Movies or Books?

If we talk about adaptions then books. But, I love watching movies as well.

This chapter is the calm before the storm. :-)

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I N A A Y A T
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FRIDAY EARLY MORNING

Mishti had cried herself to sleep, I rest her head on the pillow and cover her with the duvet. Switching off the light, I take the room's key and leave the room, allowing to fall in silent darkness.

My heart feels heavy and head hurts as I climb down the stairs, every thought in my mind runs in the form of a loop. Her cries, her broken face, her defeated eyes. I feel overburdened and overwhelmed with the new angle in our story.

Was my life going way too smoothly, that He had to plan this awful twist in it?

I reach the ground floor, I walk so slowly and deeply engrossed. Everything around me seems moving in slow motion. Slow-motion, to make me feel every ounce of hurt and pain that my best friend is going through in her life.

I saunter towards the seating area where I can see Nikhil pacing from one corner to another. He was the first one who found about Garima when she had fainted in the cafeteria. Krish was present there too, his concern for an unconscious Garima had spoken volumes.

"She slept," I announce my presence, he halts once he looks at me. His eyes feel heavy, drowsy yet soft. His forehead creased with the tension and fear budding inside him.

"How's she?" He inquires. The night feels so young but I feel so frazzled. There is silence around me, but I can still hear Mishti's throaty whimpers.

When I tell him that she isn't doing well, he sits down on the white bench with a slump. His shoulder sags, his eyes trained on the fresh green grass which glints because of the moonlight.

I close my eyes, tired and exhausted and scared and fucking petrified. Seeing, Mishti weep in her sorrows had managed to scare me, to terrify me and to break me.

Over these months, I had developed a very different bond with Mishti, while others were just my friends...Mishti had managed to seep inside the wall I had built around me. She became a companion with whom I shared my problems, peals of laughter and memories. I am lying to her about my identity and my purpose but never had I lied about anything else.

She had helped me study even when I acted ignorant towards my studies, neglected my duties but she never failed to help me.

She is my best friend, and I certainly can't see her in pain.

"Aayat." Ishaan's voice breaks the chain of my thoughts as I open my eyes, turning around to spot Ishaan, Sameer and Garima. Ishaan walks towards me casually, standing next to me. Our shoulders brush, as he blinks his eyes softly at me, ensuring me that he is there. Therefor me.

Nikhil grunts as he faces Garima and starts moving towards her in anger and vexation. I stop him holding his wrist, tugging him to stay back. He turns to look at me, nose flared and gritting his jaw.

"Don't." My voice is low but commanding. He pauses for a moment, thinking about my word and then nods his head unwillingly, as he stands back. Sameer shrugs his head in sheet disappointment, and he takes his position next to Nikhil.

The crescent moon shines over us, as we stand in the shape of a crescent, too- while Garima stands in front of us, alone.

The friend in me is itching to ask her about her health, about how she is feeling right now, but what she had done is so wrong. Extremely wrong. She, of all the people, should have at least thought before cheating on Mishti (her cousin) with Mishti's fiancé.

"Why the fuck did you do this!" Nikhil roars, his fingers fisted and knuckles almost white.

Garima flinches, her body shakes and her hands' shiver. Her eyes not meeting ours, as she gulps before she opens her mouth but closes it soon after. Nothing spews out of her mouth, a blend of guilt and panic painting her face.

"You know what. I don't care. I am leaving, but." Nikhil pauses and walks towards Garima. Pointing his forefinger at her face, "You are not going to be forgiven." Nikhil sounds so angry. His words dripping with insolence and crudeness.

He stomps away growling some gibberish swear words. A fresh tear leaves Garima's eyes, she bites her lips stopping the sob that is threatening to leave her mouth.

"I'll go too," Sameer announces and leaves the garden area. The chirping of crickets and the faint cooing of birds resonate around. The darkness fades a little, allowing the sky to lighten a bit. The blackness softens into an obscure bluish-white.

"A...Aayat." Her voice trembles. I look at her, my face morphing a poker look.

"I am sorry." Her apology's so muzzy and vague. I look at Ishaan, my mind in a terrorising dilemma.

"She has already completed her first trimester," Ishaan tells me. Three months?

"It just happened. We just felt something between us. I had stopped it..but I found that I am pregnant. I was so scared, I just didn't know what to do. I didn't tell him. I couldn't. He is engaged to Mishti..but he found out. Please forgive me?"

Her words are brittle and decrepit. I feel a sudden pique seething within me. I had decided that I wouldn't talk to her, not even to blame her or to shout at her. Somethings are better if left ignored, I am a third person and I didn't want to mingle in Garima's business. But after hearing her explanation, I feel twisted.

I plod towards Garima, trying to form coherent words.

"See, I don't want to know why you did it, how it happened. But, what I care for is that it for sure didn't just happen, as you said. You can not cheat on your cousin, just casually. You knew what you were getting yourself into when you decided to start a relationship with Krish. You knew what you were doing is wrong the very moment you decided to sleep with him. Also, for once let's just forget you cheated on your cousin. Garima, you are merely 19. You should have at least thought about your self? You have your entire education and life pending ahead of you. Sex education isn't just a fun topic, we had gone through in our schools. A little precaution?" I sigh remembering the important matter.

"And in the end, it's your life and your decisions but this decision has hurt my best friend, a fucking lot. I can't forgive you for this. I don't want to discuss this topic anymore, but I guess you should go and tell your parents and grandmother about this before they come to know it from someone else." I take a deep breathe before I leave the garden area and move towards my hostel building. I can hear Ishaan's footsteps following behind me and before I enter the building, I turn around.

"Her baby is fine. She was being careless about her diet, that is why she has fainted today. I had spoken to Krish as well. He is willing to take the responsibly of the child." Ishaan explains and I feel a little relieved. At least the child is not going to suffer.

"I'll go up. Mishti needs me."

"Hey, everything will be alright. Take care, and don't overstress. She'll be fine soon." He tries reasoning but I know that it'll probably take her days to get okay. He softly brushes his knuckles against my cheeks and faintly smiles at me. I force a small smile on my face and leave the place after muttering a small yes.

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A WEEK LATER
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"How's she doing?" Ishaan asks me while he hands me my glass of cold coffee. I smile at him as he takes a seat next to me on the sofa.

I am at his flat today, we were heading towards the headquarters but then we received a call telling us to come after an hour.

"She isn't doing very well but she is getting better. I still don't know how suddenly everything just toppled. Everything was good, the boat was sailing smoothly, this sea storm wrecked it, us completely. Whenever I see her faking her smile, it breaks my heart. How was she hiding all her pain inside her? Last Friday's night still haunts me, I hope she can move on from this pain. I hope she faces nothing wrong henceforth in her life. I wish she is... I hope everything gets better for good."

"Inaayat, we couldn't have stopped this from happening. I think it was better that Mishti came to know about Garima and Krish, knowing them they would have never disclosed it to her. The only reason this matter got exposed is that this pregnancy popped up. They could have continued their affair behind Mishti's back even after they got married. It's better that the truth came out sooner, but yes the way it did happen was wrong. It happened like a punching blow. And, I wish it happened in a better way." Ishaan tells me.

Mishti hadn't attended college this entire week, she wanted to be alone so that she can heal. She was feeling better but she still was hurt. She was getting better but her heart is way too cracked.

I hadn't left her side the entire week, only today when she has gone to her parent's house I had decided to focus back on tomorrow's event. I had no idea how I will handle that man, but I need the truth out.

Garima had faced a serious backlash from her parents but she had decided to not abort her child, and her parents had no other option than to agree. Krish and Garima are going to get married soon, and therefore Garima had moved to Mumbai for the time being.

Sameer and Nikhil are hell worried for Mishti but no amount of care, affection can heal her, at this moment. All she needs is to heal herself. To know that she isn't alone, to make herself gain back her lost confidence. She needs to know and understand that she isn't the one at fault. Only time can heal and fill the cracks and voids in her heart.

"Do you want to go tomorrow? We can cancel it. If you want to be with Mishti." Ishaan proposes and I narrow my eyes at him. Over the week, he had tried to convince me to not go for the mission tomorrow and every time he had asked, he received the same answer.

"I am not cancelling or backing out. We are going to find the leader tomorrow. We need to punish the person behind these murders."

And, I know that we need to wrap this case as soon as possible, I cannot lie to Mishti or Nikhil anymore. The guilty person needs to be punished to provide justice to all those weeping parents and the departed souls.

We are going to find the person, soon.

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Next chapter is going to be so fun to write. It'll be out on 14th ;-)

Till then,
don't forget to vote and comment and share.

Take care!

Until the next update,
keep dodging the bullets,
ऊ.