Serious in Love ✔

16- "That's brutal love to its finest."

“No, it's you being a drama queen to your finest,” I commented. Love was painful, I agree, but not everyone goes through the excruciating pain he was talking about. It depends on what their life had to offer. Just as he signaled himself to leave, I remembered something. Something I should have asked long back.

“Are you Arora?”

“Yeah, Rithik Arora.” He raised one brow, skeptically. “How did you know?”

'Maybe there's one surname I won't mind.'

'Mrs Natasha Arora.'

I almost tittered at that. Maybe there was a tiny hope left for him (provided he was a decent person). Maybe. “It's not much but this might cheer you up.” And thus I recited him, exactly what Natasha told me. A huge grin blew up his face after I finished. Just how whipped was he.

He gave a rather harsh pat on my back, making me welp. “That cheered me up big time. Thanks, bro. What else did she mention about me?”

We ended up chatting a bit more (don't ask me how and it was mostly him doing the talking). He seemed a lot more normal than before, just heartbroken. The pain was crystal clear in his eyes whenever he mentioned Natasha or talked about their past relationship. Soon after, he waved goodbye and left. I let out a sigh, feeling lighter. Man, that was something. He came in like a hurricane and left like one, too.

~

Natasha was on leave the upcoming Monday which I presumed was to bid Rithik goodbye. In the days that followed after, Natasha and I didn't exchange a word, despite sharing the same table during lunch. Irfan wouldn't stop pestering either but I didn't had a concrete answer as to why we were avoiding each other.

However, Natasha was far from herself. She would stay aloof most of the time, working relentlessly till the end of her shift. She wouldn't eat much during lunch. It frustrated me to the point where I broke the silence between us, telling her to finish her plate. And although she forgot to finish her fill but strangely, she didn't forget to drag a smoke after work on her way to the station. I didn't want to admit but she was starting to worry me.

Turns out I wasn't the only one.

“What's the meaning of this, Irfan?” I questioned the situation I was put in. I was in the front seat with Irfan driving his car while Natasha was seated at the back. I didn't know she was here until I got inside his car. I craned my head behind to glance at her. She sat crossed legged, furiously tapping away on her mobile. I knew that from the constant clicking sounds, emanating from her device. If she'd had been her normal self, she would have demanded Irfan to know where he was taking us. Honestly, she was creeping me out.

“Oi, speak up before I gag your mouth for good.”

The only response I got was a deadpan look in the eye before she started fumbling with her mobile again.

“Either I'll snatch her mobile or slap her,” I spoke out loud enough for her to hear. I clenched my jaw. Irfan raised a hand in protest then placed it on his chest, silently telling me that he understood me and that he'll do something. When the car got away from the signal, he spoke.

“Didn't know that Rithik guy had that much impact on you. It's like you loved him. I thought you were better than that, Natasha.”

Both of us whirled our heads to him. I was staring at him in mock surprise but Natasha had already situated herself at the space between two front seats. “Where did you hear that from? Where?! You!” she turned to me with her killer eyes. I quickly shook my head to save myself. “Fuck that wuss. I'm gonna roast her tonight.”