The Dance Of Destiny

𝐨𝐧𝐞 : 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭

Parth felt genuinely happy as he saw the signs of relief on Abhi's face. "Great!"

Abhi's eyes shifted to a white envelope, discarded in a corner of Parth's table.

He extended his hand and picked up the envelope. He sighed, noticing that the envelope was still unopened. He was sure Parth must have not read the email as well.

"Parth...," Abhi began to speak but was interrupted.

"No, Abhi! I'm too busy. I really don't have time for all this," Parth said, picking up a file from the table to look at it.

"I understand you have a lot on your plate, but it's just a matter of one day," Abhi's voice was gentle, his attempt to convince Parth evident. "Every single time, you dismiss the invitation just like this. Practically everyone attends, except you. People keep inquiring about your absence. I'm genuinely puzzled by your behaviour. I don't understand why you treat anything connected to this as if it's a plague."

Parth sighed, saying, "I don't treat you like a plague. You are connected to it too."

Abhi huffed in irritation, retorting, "Whatever! So you won't go, then?"

Parth responded with determination, "No, I'm sorry, but I just don't want to go."

Abhi knew Parth like the back of his hand. He was aware that Parth was concealing a deep secret, something he had never disclosed, something related to the topic they had just been discussing.

However, neither Parth had ever confided in Abhi, nor had Abhi ever inquired about it.

Parth, closing his laptop, said, "Come on, let's have lunch."

The duo went to a restaurant owned by Parth's company, located just in front of his office. After placing their orders, they began conversing.

And then, as luck would have it, Abhi's words took an unexpected turn. He leaned forward, his voice hushed with excitement, "You won't believe who I ran into in Delhi."

Parth, without displaying much interest and casually taking a sip of his drink, asked, "Who?"

Abhi responded, "Sharvi. Sharvi Kashyap. You remember her, right?"

As the name reverberated in Parth's mind, his heart skipped a beat.

It was that name!

The name he had buried deep within his memories, the name he hadn't heard in years.

Parth's demeanor shifted.

It was a mix of nostalgia, longing, and perhaps a hint of sadness.

His voice trembled as he inquired, "Sharvi?

His mind was instantly flooded with memories of her.

Abhi instantly replied, "Yeah! Don't tell me you've forgotten her. She used to sit in front of us at school. You both attended the same tuition classes. And you guys were pretty close. Short hair, thick glasses - she was a nice singer, always humming tunes and sketching peculiar patterns."

Seeing Parth lost in thoughts, Abhi drummed his fingers on the table and called out, "Parth."

Parth's trance was broken upon hearing Abhi's voice.