• Part 65 •

Mayukh POV:

The last 3 days have been a rollercoaster. I got to celebrate her birthday and now everything that I found out about Shruti, everything has been so messy.

I can't believe that I let Riya did this as well.

Why am I not surprised?

After sorting things with Shruti, I let her know that I'll take her to Mom and Dad tomorrow so that all the allegations against her would be cleared. It's not fair on her.

So, as the "tomorrow" came, I got dressed in simple shirt and jeans and came downstairs to my car after doing my bathroom business and showering. I texted Shruti that I'll pick her up and I reached her house.

"Hi." She said, entering the car.

"Good Morning." I said, "How are you?"

"I'm good." She said.

We drove to my house, while talking about uni, work, everything. It felt normal, not like it was before but how it felt before we got together. We reached my house and I parked. Then, I got down and she got down as well.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

"Just a little nervous." She chuckled.

"I understand and I'm sorry."

"Don't worry." She said, and we knocked.

Mom opened the door and her face changed into confusion when she saw Shruti standing next to me, "What is going on?"

"Mom, can we come in?" I asked her.

"Of... Ofc course... Yes." She said and guided us inside, "Come sit."

We sat down and Mom Dad, Gautam Bhai and Jhanvi came downstairs. I looked at them and then looked at Shruti, who was looking scared, "I know you all must be confused as to why I have brought her here."

"Yes." Gautam Bhai said.

"I found out stuff which I should have found out before, something which changes everything between us and everything that's happened."

"And that is?" Mom said.

I narrated everything to them, starting from the things she said and did to everything that Riya did to her, I narrated everything to them and ended it with an apology which I owed her, in front of everyone. Everyone stood there, shocked and confused about the new findings.

"We're so sorry, Shruti beta. I know I haven't been so involved in this and I don't really know anything but, I'm sorry. Mayukh, and everyone should apologize to you as well and—"

"They did Aunty. It's all good." Shruti smiled.

Everyone apologized to her and then I saw Mom get a few snacks for Shruti and they all got in conversation. I was happy that Shruti got the chance to get her name cleared out.

I sat there, my mind still focused on everything, but I noticed myself sitting there and missing my mishbo. She's somehow always in my thoughts, it's insane. I texted her.

M: Mishbo, I'm missing you.

I waited for her reply, while talking to everyone at home and kept scouting on my phone.

"Mayukh!" Mom said and I looked up, "drop her home, if you're free."

"Yes, of course." I said and we got up.

"It was really nice that you were able to bring her here and you stopped by. I'm so glad. Wen needed this and I'm sure that all us Roy's are going to take the Gupta matter seriously." Mom said in anger, "They've caused so many people I lost of harm."

"She has." Shruti said, "But it's all good. Thank you for having me, Aunty."

"You're most welcome." Mom said and smiled.

I smiled and we headed out, then I got in the car and she sat beside me and I started driving, "So, this was good? Right?"

"It really was." She said, "Thank you."

"No. I should be thanking you for giving me the chance to make things better. I think if I were in your place, I wouldn't want to talk to you or fix things with you anymore, so I'm really glad and really appreciate that you let me fix things."

She smiled, "You're welcome I guess, but I needed this chance, before I head back."

"Head back?"

"Yes!" She said, "I'm going back to the US, in two months."

"Oh really? How come?"

"My masters. I'm going to University of Chicago to study MS in Film Direction, I'm also working on my short film."

"Wow! That's amazing."

"Yep. What about you?" She asked me.

"Well," I said, "I've started applying for masters in the US, MS in Financial Management, with a MBA."

"Damn! Where?"

"I've applied to a few universities, UC Berkeley, Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, Yale, NYU, now I'm waiting to hear back from them."

"You'll get in. You've always been smart."

"I hope so." I chuckled.

We got down next to her house, which was very close to the university, and she suddenly asked me, "So....What about her?"

"Her?" I asked.

"You know who I'm talking about. Nikita."

I smiled hearing her name, "what about her?"

"Wow, that smile hearing her name. You never smiled this much hearing my name."

That was awkward.

"I... well..." I tried to speak.

"Relax." She said, chuckling, "I'm not offended nor am I expecting to get back."

"How come?" I said.

"How come what?" she asked.

"How come you don't want me back? I mean, not to sound narcissistic or anything, but I mean, like—"

"How come my feelings for you died?" She chuckled, and I nodded, "Well, they didn't initially. I felt really upset and weird, but then I realized that I can't do anything. It's time to move on. So, I engrossed myself in work and studies in the US, and eventually it got better, and... I met someone."

"Oooo! Who?" I asked her.

"This one guy, from my class, I worked with him for my final year film as well, and then I came back here and we've been texting."

"Is he coming to Chicago with you?"

"He is." She said, smiling, "I'm glad he is."

"I'm glad too."

We stood in silence for a few minutes and then she finally spoke, "Well, I... I better go now, but thank you again for everything, for giving me a chance to explain myself before I go. I guess.... This is it then."

"Yeah." I said, "Thank you again, for letting me redeem myself."

She came closer and I quickly gave her a hug and we let go, then she looked at me, "by the way, don't blow your shot with Nikita."

I chuckled, "I won't."

"I'm serious!" She said, "She did her best to fix things between us but she was very scared from the inside. Very."

"What was she scared of?"

She crossed her arms, "What do you think?"

I looked at her and then realized and sighed. I then chuckled, admiring her naivety, "She's like a baby."

"You know, 2 years ago I'd be really upset that you were able to speak so fondly about someone and that your eyes lit up at her name, but now, I'm really happy for you Mayukh." She smiled.

"Thank you Shruti." I said

"Why isn't she your girlfriend yet?"

"It's a long story, but to cut it short, I hadn't been good to her initially, so I didn't want to ask her to be my girlfriend directly. I wanted her to be okay with me and then I'll ask her."

"Well, is she?"

"I think so." I said, "I hope so."

"Don't let this go, don't wait. If she wants to say no then she'll say it, but the way she talks about you, she won't say no. She really won't. Don't waste your time thinking about the what ifs, and focus on the future."

"Well, seems like your sense of advice hasn't gone down." I chuckled.

She chuckled too.

"I won't let her go." I said, more to myself.

"I'm sure you won't." She said.

We stayed in silence for 2 minutes and then I spoke, "Well, I... I'll go now."

"Yeah." She said, "Thanks again."

I gave her a hug and then she left and I sat back in my car, smiling at the day's turnout. Once I got my to my house, I went to my room and checked my phone.

No messages from her.

What's wrong?

"Mayukh, you free?" Gautam Bhai said as he entered.

"Yeah bro. Tell?"

"It was nice what you did today, to get her name cleaned, but I wanted to ask, what does that mean now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you and her getting back or?"

"No no! Not happening. I've moved on and so has she. She has someone and so do I."

"Well, you aren't asking that person out."

"I will, I don't know why I was waiting, but I will ask her. I don't want to wait anymore."

"Don't wait," Bhai said, "whatever happened to you happened for the best. You and her were good but you never smiled and spoke about the way you speak about Nikita. It's always been only her for you."

"It has. It's always been here."

———————————————————————