Page 84 of Right Where I Belong
Aditya smiled. He was blessed to have such wonderful friends. Now, only if he were as blessed when it came to matters of the heart.
29
Sabrina’s heart felt like it was splintering into pieces all over again as she watched Aditya across the distance. She pressed a hand against her chest, but it did nothing to ease the ache there. Her gaze drifted to Ahaan, who was laughing as he played musical chairs with a group of children. The sight should have warmed her, but instead it sharpened the guilt gnawing inside her. Her selfishness had made him sad. She hadn’t realized the depth of his feelings for Aditya. She hadn’t realized how much he missed him, and she hadn’t been able to shield him from pain either.
After the fiasco of the cricket match, Ahaan had been so mad at her. For the first time in her life, he’d refused to talk to her. She’d put it down to growing up woes, and that he’d come around. Only now she understood that his silence had also hidden a deeper pain.
God, she was an idiot. She’d known that her relationship with Aditya had been doomed from the very beginning, but she’d still let herself fall for him. She’d given in to his temptation, not realizing how much her son would be affected in the process.
And Ahaan—God, seeing the way he’d hugged Aditya, the way he’d clung to him, it hurt so hard she could barely breathe. Aditya would have been perfect for him. For her, even.
But her past… She could never expose Aditya to that. She had to keep him safe. So, she’d chosen the only path that made sense—cutting ties off before the darkness she carried could touch him. And in doing so, she had managed to break all three of their hearts.
Her eyes found Aditya again. He was standing close in conversation with Keya, Raashi, and Rithwik. Her chest clenched in pain, longing, regret, and love. So much love. God, she loved him so much, and she missed him. He was right. She hadn’t been sleeping well, eating even less. But she had done what was best for him, and now she had to learn to live with it and the heartbreak she’d caused all of them.
“There you are.”
She looked to the side to see Diya and her husband approaching her with their son, Ranvir. Spotting her, the boy ran to her. She leaned down and gave him a quick kiss before meeting her friends. Both Diya and VJ greeted her with a hug. She smiled at them. There was a quiet strength to VJ. He used to be in the police force at one time, and till date, his eyes held a sharp, watchful focus.
Ranvir tugged on his hand, pointing at the balloons, and smiling VJ led him away.
“You haven’t met me once since you got back,” Diya lamented. “What have you been up to that you are so busy?”
“Just the usual,” Sabrina replied. “Home, Ahaan, office, repeat.”
“And every once in a while, you need to break that routine and come catch up with your friends,” Diya replied.
“I agree,” Aisha said, nearing them, her daughter Raisa clasped at her hip. “I’ve been trying to get in touch with you for days. You’re always too busy.”
The truth was that Sabrina had been in no state of mind to talk to her friends. She’d been too heartbroken about Aditya and had immersed herself in her work, doing anything that could keep her busy and away from constantly pining over him.
Mouthing a sorry to Aisha, Sabrina leaned forward and took Raisa from her, kissing her cheek. “Hi, my precious baby girl. How are you?”
Sabrina frowned, noticing the little girl’s tear-stained face. “Have you been crying?”
Raisa hugged Sabrina, tears dripping down her cheeks as she pointed to something behind, babbling in baby talk.
“Why is she crying?” Sabrina asked Aisha. “What does she want?”
“She wants to go by herself on the bouncy castle like her brother, and she doesn’t understand that she’s too little. Hence, the tears.”
“Ranvir starts howling when he doesn’t get his way,” Diya grimaced. “I’d prefer this silent tantrum to that.”
Sabrina laughed. “Ahaan also doesn’t talk to me when he’s angry, and he’s eleven.”
“Oh, yeah,” Aisha said. “I heard about that from Mom. She told me Ahaan and you had a fight.”
After their last confrontation, her mother-in-law had barely spoken to her. But once Ahaan turned sullen and stopped talking to Sabrina, she had warmed up again. It all felt too convenient. Ahaan was spending more time with his grandmother and was communicating with Sabrina through her.
Sabrina’s teeth clenched. With Aditya gone, what had been the point of that whole argument with her mother-in-law? None at all. She must be thrilled Aditya wasn’t visiting anymore.
“I’m sure she must be happy about it,” Sabrina said, her voice edged with annoyance. “It’s not like she ever appreciates anything I do. I’m sure she’s gloating over Ahaan not talking to me.”
Aisha’s eyes widened in shock.
Diya’s eyebrows shot up. “Who are you and what have you done to my friend Sabrina? She never talks about Aunty Radha like this.”
Aisha nodded. “I agree. This is the first time I’ve heard you speak unkindly about my mother. She must have crossed a pretty big line for you to say that.”
