CHAPTER: 23 A Heartbreak Revealed
"OMG, she was literally staying at Abhi's place during that time!" Tulasi realised, her innocent heart reeling.
He was pulling these stunts right under my nose! It was like, every time she tried to convince herself, 'Nah, Abhi wouldn't, Abhi wasn't that bad,' something new and heartbreaking would pop up, leaving her soul crushed. 'What is this, Abhi?' she thought, a fresh wave of pain washing over her.
She remembered all those times he'd roll in super late, sometimes even past midnight, or even 1 or 2 AM. There were sounds from his room, but she'd just bury her head, thinking, 'Let's not invade his privacy at this hour. It's his house. Let's not disturb him.'
. "Even last night, he went out, didn't he?" Tulasi asked Shashirekha, her voice trembling. "Do you have videos for last night too?".
Shashirekha put her hand to her head, "OMG, last night too! These just popped up on my Facebook feed, uploaded by some of Abhi's friends. You can't catch 'em all, sweetie. You mean he went out last night too?". Tulasi just wrapped her scarf around her face, covering her face, leaning against the aeroplane window, silent tears streaming down her face.
Meanwhile, Abhi was absolutely fuming, driving back home after dropping Tulasi off. He was beyond vexed with her. Getting holidays was like winning the lottery for someone in his profession, and he hardly ever took them. This long weekend with Tulasi was supposed to be their vibe, and she just ghosted on all their plans. He slammed the door, stepping into his flat, and there they were – Tulasi's dishes, casually chilling on the dining table. His anger flared even more. "Abhi, please eat on time!" her sweet voice echoed in his head. So, he grudgingly grabbed a plate and served himself the food . Nothing tasted right every cell in his body couldn't accept food, every cell every molecule all want her, but he forced himself to eat a few bites, "because Tulasi said so," he thought, like a moody teenager.
It was a no-go. No hunger, no appetite. He tossed the plate into the sink and chucked the rest of the curries into the fridge. Should he game? Watch a movie? Meh, nothing sparked joy. Then, a vision of Tulasi popped into his head, her big, innocent eyes sparkling as she'd ask, "Shall we play games, Abhi?".
He stalked to the balcony, a space where he could still feel her gentle presence, their usual coffee time, where her soft murmurs lingered like a sweet melody in his mind. He grabbed a bottle of rum, poured himself a few pegs, and put on a movie. Even the silver screen couldn't drown out the incessant buzzing in his mind. He couldn't enjoy the drinks, couldn't vibe with the movie. "Screw this," he thought, and called his bros. They were at their usual location, and he was off on his bike, craving a distraction.
His friends were like, "Yo, long time no see, man! Where have you been ghosting?".
Abhi just downed a shot, no words, then motioned for "one more shot" to the bartender. His friends exchanged worried glances as he slammed back two, then three shots. His throat was on fire, but honestly, he kind of dug the pain. "One more," he slurred, but a friend stopped him. The bartender gave him water, and his friend led him to a private room, like, "Come on, let's get you somewhere chill". Inside, more friends. They greeted Abhi, but he wasn't feeling the small talk. His eyes just landed on a girl doing a pole dance.
Her outfit was... daring, to say the least, practically less than a bikini. Everyone was mesmerized, drinks in hand. Abhi's throat burn subsided, only to be replaced by a searing ache in his chest. "One more shot," he muttered to the bartender. He looked around – so many girls dancing, the pole dancer definitely the main event, practically wearing nothing. But to Abhi, they were all just... plain humans. No spark, no thrill, just... nothing. "God damn, she fuc..ed me up," he muttered, unknowingly speaking out loud.
"What, bro? What's up?" his friend asked. Suddenly, another girl approached, gyrating right in front of him, practically falling onto him, eyeing a kiss. Abhi's eyes snapped open, "GET THE F AWAY FROM ME!" he roared, shocking everyone into silence. His friend, seeing how utterly disturbed he was, pulled him outside. Abhi, still fuming, immediately ordered another shot. "What happened, man?" his friend asked, genuinely concerned. "Just leave me alone!" Abhi snapped, even at his closest pal.