Us.

Sorrow Behind Smiles.

"Nice Ghar." Armaan tried to joke, but failed miserably.
Pritha gave him a smile and told him where his room was. He took his and Diya's luggage to that room.

"You guys get comfortable here. I have to go and pick Kashyap up from the airport. I had promised him." she told Diya.

"Why did you come home from the airport then?"

"Because our flight landed at 6p.m. and his flight would land at 2a.m. What would I have done for eight hours? Plus, domestic and international airports are different."

"Yeah. Okay. You leave now. I really want to meet this Kabir Kashyap of yours."

"Such desperation for my fiancé, huh?" she raised her eyebrow.

Diya chuckled.

Pritha left for the airport.

***

Pritha rushed into Kabir's arms and he lifted her up. She laughed. They went towards the car.

"I love it when you come and pick me up from the airport." he said, kissing her on her cheek.

She smiled. "My friends are waiting for you."

"And I for them."

They drove back, stopping once at Burger King to grab a snack.

Kabir was an average looking guy. Tan skin, dark brown eyes, clean shaven and black-haired.
They had met when Kabir had asked Pritha to fight his company's case saying "My lawyers aren't as good as you. I need you."
Soon, they began meeting off-hours. Even after the case was won, they'd meet once or twice a week.
"Finally met someone as witty as me." Pritha said.
In a year's time, they found each other in a live-in relationship, satisfying all needs of one another. Living happily.

"Here we are. Back home." Pritha parked the car.

Kabir quickly got off and called the watchman to take the luggage to their house, he turned to Pritha, "I'll just go over to the Clubhouse and let everyone know I'm back."

"Why don't you just say that you want to smoke? How many times do I have to tell you that smoking is fucking injurious to health!"

"See, that's exactly why I don't tell you directly. You go back home, you must be tired too. I'll be back in ten minutes. Promise, only one cigarette. Then nothing for a month. I swear!"

Pritha nodded firmly and left him with his life-taking addiction, the only thing she didn't like about him.

***

Back home, Pritha found Diya enjoying some beer with a guy who definitely wasn't Armaan.

Wow, someone managed to get this girl to drink! If not Armaan then who could it be?

"Oh, hey! You back! Where's your fiancé?" Diya kept her beer mug down, realizing that Pritha might have not appreciated the fact that she drank with someone else but not her best friend.

"He's at the Clubhouse. Where's Armaan?"

"Armaan went for a drive. He took your other car. I hope you don't mind. Chuck that! Look who's here!"

The guy turned around and flashed a smile, but Pritha could see the sorrow hidden behind this smile. She wanted to hug him, hold him tight to never let him go, tell him everything which had happened in the past five years but she couldn't.
A tear escaped her eye. Then another. She fell on her knees, not knowing what to do, she felt crying was the safest.

"Don't cry. I understand why would've made such a big decision." said the guy, not moving, showing no emotions.

"Then I don't want you to." she wiped her tears and stood up.