Chirag brought his bike to a screeching halt near the hidden pathway that led into the secret hideout. He switched off the ignition and scanned the quiet space, the shadows of leaves trembling in the soft evening wind.
And there she was.
Yashika sat alone on the familiar bench, her head bowed, hair falling over her pale face, eyes locked on the dusty ground.
He walked over and stopped right in front of her.
"So… you must be pretty happy right now, huh?" Chirag's voice was sharp, edged with bitterness. "After creating such a big scene."
Yashika's head snapped up. Her lips parted, her breath catching. "I created a scene? What do you mean by that?"
Chirag glared at her, his brows drawn tightly together. "What the hell is wrong with you, Yashika?"
Yashika blinked, her chin trembling. "What the fuck is wrong with me? What is wrong with you, Chirag?!" Her voice shook as though it was made of glass. Tears gleamed in her eyes, threatening to fall.
Chirag folded his arms, his jaw tight. "I don't care whatever you do. Just go back to the orphanage. Miss Kavita and Milli are worried sick about you."
Yashika shot him a glare. "Leave me alone. I can go by myself."
Chirag let out an exasperated sigh, lowering himself to the bench beside her. "You have to go. If you don't, I'm staying here until you do."
Yashika's eyes flickered with fury. She jerked upright, taking a few steps forward—but her body swayed, and then her knees buckled. She collapsed onto the dirt path.
"Yashika!" Chirag gasped. He lunged forward, kneeling beside her. When he cupped her chin gently to tilt her face up, he froze.
Blood streaked across her nose and lip.
"What the hell happened?!" he demanded, his voice straining between panic and anger.
Yashika jerked her face away from his touch. "Why do you even care?"
Chirag reached for her again, but she smacked his hand aside and tried to push herself to her feet. He grabbed her wrist firmly.
"Wait. Tell me exactly what happened." His voice was low but fierce.
Yashika glared at him, her chest heaving. "We're not even friends anymore. Why should I tell you anything?"
She staggered forward another step—but her legs gave out again. She crumpled, landing hard on her knees, breath rasping.
Chirag dropped to her level, his face inches from hers. "I'm not leaving until you tell me who did this." His voice softened, though steel still lay beneath it.
Yashika blinked rapidly, tears spilling from her eyes as she shouted, "Leavemealone!"
He held her shoulders, refusing to let go. "I'm not leaving, Yashika. Not until you tell me."
Yashika drew in a trembling breath, eyes blazing. "So you really wanna know, huh? Fine. Let me tell you everything."
Yashika drew in a sharp, ragged breath. Her hair clung wetly to her cheeks, and blood still glistened faintly on her lip. She stared at Chirag, eyes brimming with unshed tears.
"Fine. You want to know everything? Here it is." Her voice was trembling, shaking with fury and pain.
Chirag swallowed hard. "Yashika…"
"Kanika was never serious about you, Chirag. She used you. She told me herself. She's got someone else. She… she said she only dated you because you were the most popular guy in school. That's all." Yashika's voice cracked. "She's moving away. She doesn't even care how much she's destroyed you. Or me. Or any of this."
Chirag's eyes widened in disbelief. "What…?"
Yashika kept going, the words pouring out like floodwaters bursting through a dam. "And you… you blame me for everything! For Kanika leaving you. For Milli slapping you. For Raghuveer uncle being mad at you. For what Arnav Bhaiya said. You pushed me away like I was nothing! And do you even know what that did to me?! Chirag, I almost…"
She pressed a shaking hand over her mouth, her eyes swimmingwith tears.
"And now… you're standing here acting like you're the only one hurt. Ihateyou for this. I hate how much I still…" Her voice broke completely, dissolving into sobs.
Chirag stared at her, stunned, his mouth half-open, rain beginning to patter against his shoulders.
Yashika wiped at her eyes furiously, trying to steady her breath. She forced her voice into a cold monotone. "Okay. You're done listening. I'm leaving now. Goodbye."
She turned and staggered away, her steps unsteady.
"Yashika, wait—" Chirag called, reaching for her arm.
"Leave my hand! Leave me alone. Get lost!" She shrieked, trying to pull free.
But the moment she tugged back, her balance gave way. She collapsed onto her knees, the rain now falling in sheets around them.
"Yashika!" Chirag shouted, dropping beside her. He caught her face gently between his palms, his own eyes glistening with moisture—not just from the rain. "I'm sorry…" His voice was barely a whisper, hoarse and choked. "I'm so, so sorry…"
Yashika turned her face away, refusing to look at him.
Chirag's hands trembled as he pulled her into a tight embrace, holding her as if afraid she might vanish into the storm. The rain pounded over them, soaking their clothes, beating down in relentless torrents.
He finally pulled back, only to find Yashika's eyes sliding shut. Her head lolled against his chest.
"Yashika?! Hey! Yashika!"
Panic shot through him like ice water. He brushed wet hair off her forehead, feeling her growing limp in his arms. Without wasting another second, he shrugged off his jacket and wrapped it around her small frame. Then he scooped her into his arms, stumbling through the rain back toward his bike.
He strapped her carefully in front of him, shielding her as best he could from the downpour, and kicked the bike to life.
The ride to the orphanage blurred past him, the streets glistening under streetlights, tires hissing through puddles.
When he pulled up at the gates, Milli and Miss Kavita came rushing out, eyes wide with terror as they saw Yashika slumped against Chirag's chest.
"Oh my god—Yashika!" Milli cried, her voice cracking.
Miss Kavita clasped her hands over her mouth. "Beta, what happened?!"
Chirag barely managed to speak. "She fainted… She… she's bleeding…"
Milli and Miss Kavita quickly took Yashika from Chirag, guiding her inside, their clothes getting drenched in the rain.
Milli glanced back at Chirag, fury blazing in her eyes. "You should be happy now. Because of you, that little girl is lying in there, crying and depressed and sick."
Chirag opened his mouth, but Milli cut him off, trembling with rage. "I didn't want to say this… but you've completely lost it, Chirag. You don't deserve Yashika. Get lost. And don't you ever show your face to me or Yashika again."
Chirag dropped his gaze to the wet ground, the rain mingling with the tears slipping silently down his face.
Milli spun away and followed Miss Kavita inside, leaving Chirag standing there alone, drenched, shivering, and utterly shattered.
The rain had stopped, but the sky remained dark, clouds still rumbling like echoes of all the chaos swirling inside Chirag's chest.
He stood outside the orphanage gates for several minutes, unmoving, rainwater dripping from his hair onto the ground. His fingers tightened around the handle of his bike. Then, with a sudden, sharp breath, he kicked the bike to life and sped off—not toward home, but toward a familiar mansion.
When he screeched to a halt outside Kanika's house, the guards at the gate looked startled. Chirag snapped, voice low but firm:
"Call Kanika. Right now."
The guards exchanged glances. One of them hesitated, then disappeared inside.
Moments later, Kanika emerged. She was wearing a pale pink dress, her hair falling in perfect waves over her shoulders, a soft smirk curving her lips.
"Oh, Chirag, what are you doing here?" she asked lightly. "I already told you, there's nothing more to talk about between us."
Chirag's jaw clenched. "I'm not here to talk about that."
Kanika raised a brow. "Then what is it?"
He stared at her for a beat, breathing hard. "Kanika, you don't have to act anymore. You can drop the drama. Just tell me the truth to my face."
Kanika's smile sharpened into something cold. "What acting, Chirag?"
Chirag's voice grew colder, his words punching out one after the other. "Why did you punch Yashika?"
Kanika let out a laugh, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Oh. So that little brat went crying to you, did she? Fine. Yes, I hit her. And guess what? I'd do it again."
Before Chirag could answer, a tall boy stepped out from behind Kanika. Kanika immediately looped her arm around his.
"Meet my boyfriend. Actually—my future husband." She smiled sweetly up at the boy, then looked back at Chirag with narrowed eyes. "I was never serious about you. I dated you for fame. You were the most popular guy in school, and that's it. I'm leaving town soon anyway. So… bye-bye."
Chirag stared at her, his chest rising and falling. A bitter laugh escaped his throat. "I should've known. A spoiled brat stays a spoiled brat."
Kanika's eyes flashed. "You—"
But Chirag cut her off, voice steady but edged with pain. "You know what, Kanika? You've made me realize something important. I was only ever… attracted to you. But the one I truly loved… was Yashika. So thank you—for making me finally see that. I hope your life turns out the way you deserve."
Kanika's face twisted with rage, but before she could speak, Chirag turned on his heel and walked away.
Behind him, Kanika spun toward her boyfriend, snapping, "What the hell are you staring at? Don't give me that look!"
"What did I even do?!" the boy protested, but their bickering faded as Chirag reached his bike.
He straddled it, exhaled shakily, and rode off into the night.
At home, Chirag entered the house quietly. Raghuveer uncle was pacing in the living room, looking tense.
"Chirag! Where have you been? Do you know what time it is? And Yashika—was she with you?"
Chirag removed his helmet, his hair still damp. His voice was tired, drained. "Yes, Papa. After you called me, I went looking for her. I… found her. She was with me. I dropped her back to the orphanage. She… was caught up in the rain as well."
Raghuveer uncle's eyes widened. "Rain? Oh God… Is she okay? Nothing happened to her… right?"
Chirag hesitated. His voice dropped, softer. "She's… kind of fine. I think."
Raghuveer uncle let out a long, relieved sigh. "Thank God."
"Papa… I'm tired. I'm going to my room." Chirag said, already turning away.
He closed his bedroom door behind him and sat on the edge of his bed, staring blankly at the floor.
For a few minutes, he just sat there in silence. Then suddenly, a sob tore free from his throat. He fell forward, burying his face into the pillow, his shoulders shaking.
The events of the past days—Kanika's betrayal, Yashika's bruised face, Millie's furious words—crashed over him like a tidal wave.
"I'm so sorry…" he whispered into the pillow, voice breaking as tears streamed down his cheeks.
He cried and cried, his muffled screams lost in the darkness of his room, until finally exhaustion claimed him and sleep pulled him under.
__________
Hey there🩷
You must be reading my story if you are seeing this message. So, how did you find it? Is it up to the mark? Did you enjoy it? Are you liking it? I want to know so please leave a comment. Then I haven't recieved a single vote or comment or review and it hurts, ngl. So I hope if you are reading it you can at least do that much favour to me, I would be happier than ever.
Then my life is not going quiet well and there has been certain issues so I am not able to write frequently but I try my best.
So that's it, if you liked my story or even if it brought a small smile on your face please do let me know.
And thank you for reading it. ❣️
Love you all.✨🩵
Stay happy and healthy and enjoy reading.