YOURS FOREVER

The Bitter Truth

CHAPTER-11

"Mallika, you alright?" Deepali asked for the hundredth time. "Do you need something?"

Mallika sighed and looked at her tiredly, "Yes Deepali, I'm fine. Just get some rest" she stressed.

"Are you sure?" Deepali frowned. She smiled a little.

"Yes, no need to wallow in self pity with me while I mourn about my ex-crush forgetting my biggest life turn."

Deepali raised her eyebrows at the sarcasm. "You were here when I needed you after...my father, now it's time for me to help you."

She remembered how Deepali's father had died in a brutal accident and she refused to come out of her room for days, it was Mallika who helped her get through it for about a year.

"You know it's not something you have to pay me back for." said Mallika. Deepali looked at her best friend.

"I'm not paying you back. He betrayed me too you know." Deepali said, her eyes darkening.

****

That day, when school was over Mallika was still debating in her head weather or not she should go. She believed that Sara was a liar and a cheat but she had succeeded in peaking Mallika's curiosity.

So she walked towards the cafeteria from the back door precisely to make Sara think she wasn't there. She heard two people talking in loud voices.

"What?" she heard Sara gasp. "Why would you say that?"

"Oh, please!" said the other voice exclaimed. "She is one hundred percent of a loser."

A voice that sounded vividly like her best friend...Her mind was dizzy and refusing to co-operate. She heard more painful insults.

"Mallika--" he scoffed. "She doesn't even know the first thing about dancing!"

But Sumedh always said that she was brilliant at dance.

"She still thinks that I'm he best friend, as if that could ever happen!"

Sumedh always said they would be best friends forever..what was happening?!

She heard Sara say, "Oh that's true! She is a sore picture in front of us!"

Sumedh and Sara were......together. She knew it from the start.

"And her friend Deepali!" Sumedh said with disgust.

"More like her lap dog! Did you see what the fatherless moron she is?!" Sara snorted.

Mallika gasped. Deepali was always nice to Sumedh..like the mom of the group. She wanted to storm there and beat that Sara senseless. And maybe kill Sumedh.

She closed her eyes as she heard more insults and also Sumedh and Sara laughing in the background, while Mallika slumped behind the backdoor and finally let the tears stream down her face.

****

"Dau I honestly don't have a idea what they are talking about!" Sumedh said pacing around in his room while Dau was chilling on the bed eating some of the samosa's that Sumi's mother made.

"Wellibelivedeepaliandmallikayouknowaboutsara" said Dau while chewing food in in mouth. Seeing Sumedh glaring at him he quickly swallowed it and sat up straight.

"I believe Mallika and Deepali, it seemed serious and you and Sara, she's such a cheat." Basant said seriously.

Sumedh looked at him and pouted, "What you met her 3 days ago and you're already choosing her over your best friend?"

"It isn't about best friend or choosing sides, Sumi." Basant said. "It's about how much do you treasure her friendship."

"I don't know what wrong!" said Sumedh putting his head in his hands. He suddenly looked at Dau and smiled.

"Why don't you ask Deepali what's wrong?" he suggested. Dau looked at him, horrified by the idea.

"GOD NO! She's gonna kill me! Did you see her slapping Sara, just because she mentioned there past?!"

"Oh come on. she fancies you!" Sumedh urged. Basant shook his head no but Sumedh kept bugging him on and on.

  After a while Dau ran out of the room with the plate of Samosa's to escape Sumedh's badgering.

"HEY! COME BACK!" Sumedh screamed and ran to chase him

****

"Confront him, Mallika are you sure?!" Deepali aske feeling sad. Mallika sighed as she took out her umbrella. 

"Yes, Deepali, it's time I get over it.?" Mallika said and looked down. Is it the right idea?

"I don't know." Deepali hummed like she had read her mind. "You must tell him, if he truly doesn't remember, it isn't his fault, nor it is yours"

"Yeah." Mallika said feeling like crying.

"Good Luck." Her friend whispered hugging her.

Mallika bid her friend a goodbye and walked up to the door to see Sumedh. She sucked in a sharp breath. Her nerves got the best and she attempted to close the door at his very pretty face.[sorry for ruining the serious mood]

"Wait!" he said. Mallika turned around and stalked at him in the rain. He didn't have an umbrella and was soaking wet.

"Tell me." was all he said. Mallika looked at him incredulously, she wanted to scream at him. But she took a calm breath.

"8 years ago,22nd July, afternoon, You had a very pleasant meeting with Sara Mehta about me." Mallika said in a fake happy voice.

Sumedh paled. "You heard."

She gave a humourless laugh. "That's what you have to say?! Also these meetings continued for about a week, until I gave up the thought that my formerly best friend, was mistaken."

Sumedh came to his senses. "Mallika, it isn't like that, Sara came to me and wanted me to--"

He never got to finish because Mallika raised her hand to stop it. "I don't want an explanation, Sumedh. I always thought that it was some kind of misunderstanding that it happened. But it still hurt. Why do you think I forgave you so easily? I just wanted my partner and friend to be back. But I think that even you know that."

Mallika's voice wasn't angry. It was hurt and disappointment.

That just made it a thousand times worse.

"We can never be fixed." she continued. "It's not impossible. Nothing is, and it isn't even the fact that you and Sara were..together.." she choked out.

"You knew that too?" he whispered. Mallika nodded.

"I waited for you to tell me. You never did. It meant you didn't trust me enough, to tell me that you fell for my nemesis. It was cowardly."

It was quiet for a long time before Sumedh finally broke it.

"Now what?"

Mallika looked at him sadly. "Well, you finally have Sara.--'

"Mallika I don't want Sara--"

"Our relationship...would be Platonic. God knows why I ever wanted it to be more. It could never happen, it's the bitter truth."

Sumedh's eyes widened. "You mean--"

"Well, I guess I've said enough." Mallika said, wiping a stray tear off her face. "Bye, Sumedh."

"Mallika I--" 

But he never got to finish. Mallika turned away and walked back towards her house. Sumedh was still standing in the rain. Mallika was right. But was wrong about one thing.

"--love you"

AHH

This was......painful to write. Was it a huge misunderstanding?? Was it a conspired plan by Sara or was somebody else involved??

Be Back Soon!