| Tied By Destiny |

𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝟷𝟼

Outskirts of Shimla

Arjun's POV

"You left college? Seriously?" My jaw had dropped completely at her words. I mean, which family would allow their child to drop college and get married? 

"I didn't. I was made to," She responded, drawing circles on the wooden floor with her forefinger, "And marrying Rishi Chaturvedi, son of the business tycoon Rishabh Chaturvedi was practically uncle's sole motive." 

I suddenly felt anger bubble up through my veins. What kind of family she has? Seriously? For a moment, I forgot every history I had with Reet but wanted to punch the daylights out of his uncle for God's sake! 

Is he completely mad? 

"And you didn't protest before?" Surprise dripped from my tone in bewilderment.

"Protest...?" She let out a sigh sarcastically, looking away and shaking her head, "If protest worked I wouldn't have been in this state, Arjun. I had practically everything yet was...empty." She drummed her fingers on her stomach, looking straight up.

"Where are you planning to go, I mean-from here?" 

"Mumbai." She glanced at me again, "My Grandma has a friend there. She told she is trustworthy enough to help me out." 

"Oh...." I softly sighed, not knowing what to feel exactly. Really? Reet was going through this all this while? And she freaking was made to tolerate this nonsensical behavior? I gulp formed in my throat which I swallowed down, gaping above, "And then?"

"Hoping to join a college..." 

"Hmm..." I breathed in, crossing my brows. Inspite of everything that had soured stuffs between us, I certainly didn't want her to suffer this way. Never. She never deserved this. Her words the previous night began to make sense to me after all this while......and perhaps everything I did to her for the past twenty four hours. 

I felt my palms suddenly go sweaty at the guilt that formulated again. 

Should I....... like apologize to her or something? 

Honestly, I have never-never ever apologized to Reet ever in my life. Ever. There were no scenarios of apologies and thanks between us-because it never occurred only. We both argued, fought and got back at each other. She never apologized for starting a fight with that day on the school playground and neither did I, even when we crossed paths.

We had only teased and argued and sassed at each other rashly. Her ballsy attitude and my ego; never went together at the first place. 

Of course, we were bloody immature that time....we both had our respective egos high upon the pedestal. And when we grew up a bit, our insults turned more personal. There were plenty. 

Honestly, a few of our later fights were ugly. Ugly. 

The running behind each other was just the time when we had started off being enemies. Later it wasn't. It was damn ugly at one point of time. 

Everything subsided after she left, initially I was very happy she did. 

There wasn't an ounce of sadness within me, till everything nuanced down a bit. And I still felt....I could've just been a bit good to her, atleast on the last day.

Her leaving without turning her back, left an empty impression within me which couldn't be filled. 

I didn't expect to collide with her any day soon, but now that she did-she seems to changing every sort of perception I had about her since childhood. Much more because we had now grown up and such a huge gap had spanned between us. 

We still were arguing at each other, been mad at each other but not to that extent we have been in our school back days. It was still decent, much decent than six years ago. 

At one point of time, I practically hated her. A lot. 

Man, even the teachers had to sometimes ask our guardians to just sort the matter out. I remember Baba saying about it to me, but I did not give an ear to.

"For whom? That girl who practically gets everything laid at her feet at one go?"  I was way too prejudiced. 

Did I really hate her....even after these years? 

I don't know....I really don't. 

***********

A/N

Things neutralizing from Arjun's POV I see 😌😌😌

Waise ek bat batau...abtak Arjun pe crush kis kis ko aa chuka hai? 🤣🤣

Signing off for today!

Nushkie