A Journey to Trust and Heal

44- Naina

Few months have passed by and now we all have become besties. We four now are a close knit group while Rudra is my best friend. They all have managed to create a special place for them in my heart.

I hangout with Rudra almost everyday but he seldom joins our group outings as at that time he gives his attention to his other friends. Because of Rudra's constant nagging, I have tried to make more friends. Well now I am on friendly terms with all his friends but the connection I share with the Trio and Rudra is something else.

Today our mid term exams finished and to celebrate it we were all going out. Not some cool destination or anything as we all like and enjoy different things which the rest of the group hates so we decided to have a simple ice cream treat because who doesn't like Ice cream.

Rudra is joining us for ice cream but later he is going on a road trip with his guy friends.

                             ~~~•~~~

After berating each others choice of ice cream flavor and claiming our own is the best, we finally managed to order(we had to or the owner was seconds away from throwing us out😂).

When our orders were ready, we just took them and left the ice cream parlour, not bothering to sit inside for eating as the owner kept glaring at us.

We were all laughing, roaming aimlessly while talking about random stupid things when I spotted someone who had the ability to destroy my sister's married life.

"Naina", I mumbled under my breath, shocked to see her in this town.

I had said her name in a low voice but my friends managed to hear me.

"Oh yeah! Naina. It's been so long. I don't even remember the last time, I met her. Let's go and greet her", Jiya said moving forward but I pulled her back.

"No no no, we aren't meeting her. Just clear one thing for me- does she live in this town?", I asked as I had never seen Naina in all these months I have been in this town.

Rudra answered my query, "Yeah, she and her husband lives here only but they rarely come out of their house as her husband hates the sympathy and pity he receives from people because he is handicapped".

"Oh", I said not knowing how to respond.

"Woah! Wait a minute. You didn't knew Naina lived in this town but you are aware of who she is. Do you know her from somewhere else?", Maitri asked furrowing her eyebrows.

"She is Raghav's ex-girlfriend. Broke up with him by sending a text message", I replied dejectedly.

I was really scared seeing her here. What if she comes back? What will happen to my sister?

No no Sia, don't be stupid. Raghav loves Tanya and Rudra just informed that Naina is married too.

Shanaya's voice broke me out of my thoughts.

"So we hate her, right?", she asked.

"Uh! What?", I asked in confusion.

"Well, you are our friend. Any enemy of yours is our enemy as well", she replied making me smile.

"Let's just change our direction", Jiya suggested.

We all nodded and were to just turn around when Naina called out, "Sia? Is that you?".

I groaned mentally but I had no choice to turn around.

"Hii guys, how are you all?", Naina asked the others.

They just mumbled something in reply and motioned me to leave with them.

"Umm...why are you all behaving like this? You have always greeted us kindly then what happened today?", her husband asked looking at us with hurt and confusion.

"Well we didn't knew that your wife was a heartbreaker", Maitri said bluntly, never being the person to beat around the bush.

I had expected several reactions from her upon hearing Maitri's blunt reply but laughing wasn't one of them.

She stopped laughing, giving me a small smile, she said, "Looks like you don't know the current situation. Last time when Raghav was here with his wife, I had met him and he knows the real reason behind the break up and we have come to the mutual understanding".

"So should we hate her or not?", Shanaya asked dumbly.

"No we don't", Maitri responded while hitting Shanaya's head lightly.

I turned towards Naina and her husband and apologized, "Umm...I am really sorry. I was just angry at the fact that you left Raghav heartbroken. I didn't knew that you two had sorted everything out".

"It's fine dear. I understand your worry. After all he is your brother-in-law", she said dropping a bomb on everybody.

"Brother-in-law", all four of them chorused in shock.