𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓

𝟑𝟎. 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩

AUTHOR'S POV:

"Dhruv, how is Alia? You haven't brought her to meet me yet?" his mother inquired out of the blue, as they were seated at the dinner table.

"Will bring her soon, Maa. And she must be fine," Dhruv replied, his mind drifting to how much he missed seeing her, holding her.

"Wait...what? She must be?" his mother asked, confusion evident in her tone.

"Sab thik na tum dono ke beech mein?" she continued; her concern palpable.

[Everything is fine between you both, right?]

"She... She is fine," he stuttered. "Haan, Maa, sab thik hai," he lies.

[Yes, Mom, everything is fine.]

But how could it be?

There's a hurdle between them named Natasha, determined to uncover the girl in the post, threatening to sabotage his relationship.

Until he finds a permanent solution, he has chosen to keep his distance from Alia, leaving her understandably upset. He knows that he should be honest with her, but revealing the truth would only heighten her worry and anxiety.

"No, Maa, kuch bhi thik nahi hai," He thought in his mind.

[No, Mom, nothing's is fine.]

He sank deeper into his chair, his appetite gone as his mother's concerned inquiry echoed in his mind. He toyed with his food, the taste bland and uninviting compared to the turmoil within him.

Once dinner was over and he emerged out of his bathroom, he saw his phone flashing with numerous missed calls from her. Despite the urge to call back, he resisted, knowing he couldn't answer her inevitable flood of questions.

As he moved towards his closet, the phone blinked again. Retrieving it, he found a text from Alia.

Hey Mr, Grumpy,

I received the flowers and the letter. It was sweet, sort of, but... I wished it was you standing at my door, not Sameer. Have you grown tired of me? You've been ignoring me, and it hurts. I miss you... a lot.

If he hadn't already been feeling miserable, this text from her certainly did the trick. It's like the final blow that breaks down the walls he had been trying to build. And now, the flood of emotions rushes in, overwhelming him.

He couldn't continue to ignore Alia's pain, couldn't stand idly by as their relationship crumbled under the weight of secrets and lies.

He needed to do something, anything, to show her that she was still light in his life.

Here, after sending the text to Dhruv, Alia stood on her balcony gazing at the moonlit sky, its soft glow reminiscent of the night she'd never forget. She remembered how he had made that evening so beautiful, full of promises for their future together.

But now, as she recalled those cherished moments, a wave of bittersweet longing washed over her, and she found herself yearning for his presence more than ever.

Suddenly, her phone blinked, and she received the most unexpected message when she checked. It was from Dhruv.

Her heart fluttered with anticipation as she opened it, hoping for some reassurance, some sign that he still cared. But as she read, disappointment and confusion settled into her.

It was an advertisement for a baking workshop.

ALIA'S POV:

Did I dream of it? I did.