Chapter 4

Just as Anya was about to start the car, two familiar voices rang out from behind.

"STOP! STOP, GUYS!"

*ROOH's POV*

I glanced at the side mirror, my heart pounding as I recognized the voices. It was Rahul and Vihaan. My chest tightened, and for a second, I felt like I couldn't breathe. Seeing his face again... it felt like the ground had shifted beneath me.

Anya noticed the shift in my expression immediately. Without a word, she understood what was running through my mind. Calmly, she pressed down on the accelerator, easing the car forward, pretending we hadn't heard them. We drove away in silence, leaving the past in the rearview mirror. Neither of us talked about it.

"Ruhi, where do you want to go? Today's your day, so it's all up to you," Anya said, flashing me a warm smile.

I tried to shake off the lingering thoughts of him, but they clung to me. "I don't know, girl. Anywhere you choose, I'll follow," I replied, my voice distant.

Sensing my distraction, Anya suggested, "How about we hit the mall? Do some shopping, grab some food after? How does that sound?"

A small smile tugged at my lips. "That sounds perfect," I said.

RAHUL'S POV:

What was wrong with these girls? Didn't they hear us? Confusion clouded my mind as I watched them drive away, completely oblivious to our voices.

"Maybe they didn't hear us," Vihaan said softly.

"Maybe... or maybe not," I muttered. Deep down, I knew they had heard us, but I couldn't understand why they didn't stop the car. Still, I brushed it off, not wanting to overthink it.

"Come on, let's take our car and head to the mall, Rahul. I need to do some shopping," Vihaan suggested.

As he spoke, I was about to call Inu, my phone already in hand. But I dropped the idea and decided to go with Vihaan instead.

ROOH'S POV:

"You told me we were going shopping. So, why are we headed to this park?" I asked Anu, surprised, as she steered the car toward the nearest park. Her response was nothing but silence.

"Come on, Ruhi, let's go grab some ice cream," Anya said cheerfully, breaking the quiet, though I was still confused. Reluctantly, I got out of the car and settled on a bench while Anu went to buy us ice cream.

Even as I sat there, my mind was elsewhere-drenched in thoughts of Rahul. His words echoed in my head: "Inu, you're my best friend... my bestest friend."The memory brought a warmth to my heart, yet a lingering ache followed.

"Rooh! Come sit over here!" Anu's voice snapped me back to reality. She was waving me over to another bench.

"Here you go, girl, your favorite-chocolate flavor," she said with a grin. I was already licking the ice cream before she even finished her sentence.

"Thanks, kiddo," I said, smiling, though my mind was still a whirl of emotions..

"I've done a little digging into your love life," Anu said suddenly, her voice slicing through the quiet, catching me completely off guard.

I blinked, startled. "What?"

She leaned closer, her eyes gleaming with the thrill of sharing a secret. "It's about Rahul. He had a crush on Shreya when she first transferred to our school. You know, the new girl with the designer clothes and perfect hair? Maybe it was that, or just her whole vibe, but he was really into her. He even proposed to her after a few months."

I raised an eyebrow. "And she turned him down?"

Anu nodded.

"but still, how could she reject someone like Rahul?" I asked with full of confusion.

Anu let out a laugh, low and cynical. "Ruhi, you're still thinking love matters to everyone. But for Shreya? It's all about money. She's only interested in people with deep pockets. And the thing is, almost no one knows Rahul is rich. He keeps it low-key. So to Shreya, he wasn't worth her time."

"Wait, really?" I asked, incredulous.

"Yeah, she told someone in our class that she actually liked him-thought he was super hot, the kind of guy every girl would want-but she assumed he wasn't rich enough for her. So, she said no."

I shook my head, trying to wrap my mind around it. "Well, I'm not saying this because I have feelings for him or anything," I said, feeling the need to clarify, "but honestly, that rejection might've been the best thing to happen to him. Better to avoid girls like her, ones who only care about money."

Anu's grin grew wider, and she leaned in closer, dropping her voice as if about to spill the real tea. "Oh, but here's the kicker. He's over her now. Sure, he had a crush, but after she kept ignoring him and then practically insulting him over not being 'rich enough,' he started to lose interest. I don't think he has feelings for her anymore."

Relief washed over me, like a weight I didn't even realize I was carrying had suddenly lifted. "Good for him," I said softly, my mind wandering. Maybe, just maybe, everything was falling into place for a fresh start..

"But Anu, I can't just go and propose to him now... I need time," I murmured, my voice barely audible as I leaned my head against Anya's shoulder. "I truly wish him the best. Whether it's me or Shreya, whoever he chooses... I just want him to be happy. That's all."

We stayed like that for a while, letting the silence between us speak louder than words. After about thirty minutes, we decided to head to the mall, hoping to distract ourselves with the noise and bustle of people.

We wandered aimlessly through the stores when a voice called out, cutting through the crowd like a knife.

"Hello, girls."

I froze. That voice. I knew it in an instant-Rahul. My heart skipped a beat, and I turned slowly to face him, my nerves on edge. Rahul stood there with Vihaan beside him, and suddenly, my legs felt weak. I reached for Anya's hand, gripping it tightly as if it could somehow anchor me.

Vihaan was the first to speak. "When did you two become so cruel, driving away without stopping for us?"

"What are you talking about?" Anya replied smoothly, playing innocent. I marveled at her acting skills, her voice calm and unbothered.

"Anu, don't act so innocent. It doesn't suit you," Vihaan retorted, his eyes narrowing. "We know you saw us. You drove off on purpose."

I glanced at Rahul, hoping to see his usual warm expression, but he remained silent, his eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made my stomach churn. There was no kindness in his gaze this time-just something sharp, like anger simmering beneath the surface.

"You were behind us? Really?" Anya continued, keeping up the charade. "We didn't hear you. Ruhi, did you?"

"No..." I stammered, barely able to get the word out. My pulse was racing, my heart pounding in my chest.

Rahul's voice was cold and calculating as he spoke, "We never said we called out from behind. So, how did you know we were there?"

My breath caught in my throat. He had caught us. I stood frozen, unable to think of a response. Neither Anya nor I said a word.

Vihaan opened his mouth to press us further, but Rahul cut him off. "Let's go, Vicky. These girls aren't going to admit it."

Without another word, they turned and walked away. Anya and I stood there, stunned, watching them leave, unsure of what to do or say. We didn't even try to stop them.

"I think they're mad," Anya finally said, breaking the awkward silence.

"Yeah... me too," I replied, still shaken.

We brushed it off after that, trying to enjoy some shopping and food. But even as I dropped Anya home and drove back alone, my mind kept circling back to Rahul-his cold stare, the way he walked away without another word. I wanted him in my life so badly, but now... I wasn't sure if that was even possible.

As I stepped through the front door, Mumma greeted me with her usual warmth. "You're back, baccha. How was your day?"

"It was good, Mumma," I replied, forcing a smile. My mind was miles away, tangled in thoughts of Rahul.

"Anu's gone home, right? And Ruhi, go upstairs. Rahul's here-his laptop's not working, so he's using yours."

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. Rahul? Upstairs? Using my laptop?! Panic surged through me. There was a folder-*"My Love."* It was full of pictures of us, moments I had secretly cherished. And worse-*my diary.* My heart raced. If he found that... if he read it...

"Mumma, I'll be right back!" I shouted, sprinting up the stairs as fast as I could. My mind raced even faster. How could I have forgotten to set a password after resetting my laptop? I could feel my breath quickening with every step, dread pooling in my stomach.

I burst into my room, my heart pounding in my ears. And there he was.

Rahul. Sitting at my desk. Reading my diary.

The world seemed to stop. He turned slowly as the sound of the door hit him, his expression hard and unreadable. My legs trembled beneath me as he stood, the diary still in his hands. He began walking toward me, every step making my heart race faster.

I backed up instinctively, my body pressing against the cold wall. I couldn't breathe.

"What's this?" he asked, his voice low but full of accusation. He held up the diary, his eyes never leaving mine.

I couldn't speak. My throat felt tight, my mind spinning in panic and humiliation.

"Inu," his voice was sharper now, "I'm asking you. What is this?" He threw the diary to the floor, the pages scattering. The sight of it lying there, discarded like it meant nothing, broke something inside me. That diary held everything-my heart, my feelings, my secret love for him.

"How dare you throw that!" I snapped, my voice breaking with the weight of my emotions.

"How dare you love me, Miss Rooh Inayat Sharma?" His tone was laced with sarcasm, using my full name like a weapon. Hearing him say it like that,so coldly,felt like a knife to the chest.

Tears welled up in my eyes, spilling over before I could stop them. "I... I'm so-rry, Raa..." I stammered, my voice barely audible through the lump in my throat.

"You were my best friend, Inu. My *best friend.* I gave you my time, my care-everything to make you feel comfortable. But only as a friend. You misunderstood everything," he said, his voice full of bitterness.

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my voice steady. "You can't blame someone for falling in love. Maybe it was my mistake to love you, but loving someone isn't a crime, Rahul."

He shook his head, his expression growing colder. "You broke my trust, Rooh. As a friend."

With that, he turned and stormed out, slamming the door behind him, leaving me standing there, alone with my shattered heart and the scattered pages of my diary.

1920+ 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴🎀(ᴩʟᴢ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʟᴇᴛ ᴛʜɪꜱ ʜᴀʀᴅᴡᴏʀᴋ ɢᴏ ᴅᴏᴡɴ😭)

𝗚𝘂𝘆𝘀, 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆, 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼💕

𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴🩷

Love,

𝐓𝐚𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐡❤️