07-11-2025, 07:04 PM
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The waiter arrived to take their order, and Ravi tried to steady his voice, fighting to maintain control. “I’ll have the grilled fish for both of us,” he said, hoping the familiar dish would somehow break the tension, provide some small semblance of normalcy. “And lemon iced tea. It’s refreshing.” His voice faltered on the last word, and he quickly looked away, his stomach twisting.
Priya Didi’s eyes flickered briefly to him, but her lips remained pressed tight, the line of restraint never wavering. She nodded, just barely, before turning her gaze back to the menu, as if the decision was an impersonal task, a way to keep herself distant, shielded from him.
A long silence stretched between them, thick with things unsaid. Ravi could hear the faint beat of his own heart, the tightness in his chest, but nothing more. He was here with her, so close, yet still worlds apart.
He longed to reach out, to say something, anything, that would breach the gulf she had placed between them. But nothing felt right. The silence spoke louder than any words ever could.
Then, after what felt like an eternity, Priya Didi spoke, her voice soft but laced with an unmistakable edge.
“Ravi,” she said, her gaze meeting his directly, sharp and unyielding. “I don’t know what you expect from me. I can’t just forget what you did. I can’t pretend I didn’t know… everything. The betrayal, the hurt you caused.”
The words struck him like a blow to the chest, each one landing with painful precision. His breath caught in his throat, and he looked down at his hands, unable to escape the truth of her words.
They were necessary, but they were a piercing reminder of everything he had lost. His shame was overwhelming.
“I don’t expect you to forget,” Ravi said, his voice barely above a whisper, but firm with sincerity. He could feel the weight of her scrutiny, her eyes searching his every word, as if hoping for something more, something hidden behind his confession.
He wanted to give it to her. He wanted to show her everything he had felt, the regret, the guilt, the brokenness, but all he had was his truth. “I can’t expect you to forgive me, not yet. Not ever, unless I truly prove to you that I’m sorry. But… I’m here, Didi. I’m still here.”
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