Chapter 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.”
Guilt swept through Sabrina, and she opened her mouth to make up for what she’d said.
But Aisha reached over and gently squeezed her hand.
“It’s okay. I know how difficult my mother can be.
But to be honest, she didn’t sound smug when I spoke to her.
She sounded upset that you and Ahaan weren’t talking.
She told me she’s been trying to convince him to speak to you again. ”
“She has?” Sabrina was stunned.
“She has,” Aisha answered. “I was surprised myself. She hardly ever calls me. But lately, she’s been phoning more often. She even sounded worried about you… said you haven’t been eating well.”
Sabrina stared at her, caught off guard by the sudden change in her mother-in-law’s behavior. She didn’t understand it, and was a bit suspicious about it too.
“Anyway,” Aisha continued. “It’s nearly six. Don’t you have that other catering event to go to?”
She already had another event scheduled for the same day when Keya had called, asking if she could organize her son’s birthday party.
When Sabrina had explained her calendar clash, Keya had been adamant and insisted that she organize everything and be there for as long as she could before she went to the other event.
Keya was more than happy to work with Sabrina’s team after she left.
It was kind of her to be so accommodating.
“Yes. I should really get going,” Sabrina said. “I’m just happy that Ahaan’s made up with me now. Will you drop him home after the party, Aisha?”
“Of course,” Aisha said. “Are you all set for Singapore?”
“Not really…” Sabrina sighed. “I have two big events to cater in the coming days before I leave.”
“I’m sure you will do a fab job.”
“But hey, you haven’t told us a thing about Singapore yet?!” Diya threw her a mischievous look. “Did you meet anyone interesting there?”
Sabrina’s eyes widened. “I… I… Of course not.”
Aisha and Diya exchanged a glance.
“She’s met someone…” Diya declared. “Her cheeks are red. What is going on, Sabrina?”
Aisha tilted her head to study Sabrina. “Is everything alright with you? You don’t look well.”
“I’m fine.”
Aisha opened her mouth to say more, but then her gaze shifted from Sabrina to up ahead. She followed Aisha’s line of sight to see Aditya standing in a close circle with Rithwik, Keya, and Raashi.
Aisha squinted. “What’s happening there? Why do they all look so serious?”
Diya turned to look at where Aisha was indicating. “Hmm, they don’t look too happy.”
Sabrina’s heart fluttered. Rithwik’s gaze lifted suddenly and locked onto hers. Even from across the distance, she could see the flare of anger in his eyes. It startled her. Rithwik had always been kind to her, protective even. But now he was glaring at her, his expression hard, unforgiving.
Her stomach dropped. Aditya had told them. She should have expected it. His friends weren’t fools. They had seen him with Ahaan, and then with her. She couldn’t blame him for confiding in them, not after the way she had shattered him.
Her breath caught when she noticed the way Raashi was staring at her too, her expression tight with disapproval, and her mouth set in a hard line.
The only one who didn’t look openly angry with her was Keya.
Her gaze was calm, assessing, as though she was trying to read all her secrets.
Then Keya turned. Smiling, she stepped forward, taking Aditya by the arm and leading him toward the center of the lawn where the cake was being wheeled in.
Raashi whispered something to Rithwik before she, too, followed Keya and Aditya.
Then she saw Rithwik turn, his gaze hard as he lifted a hand to beckon Aisha over.
Sabrina’s stomach dropped. She knew exactly what that conversation was going to be about.
In front of her, Aisha frowned. “I’ll go see what that’s about. Let’s meet soon, okay?”
“I have to go too,” Diya said. “VJ is calling me. But I want to know everything from both of you. Meet soon.”
Taking Raisa from Sabrina’s arms, Aisha headed over to her husband, and Diya went to hers.
Panic hit Sabrina like a wave, rushing hot and cold through her veins.
It clawed at her chest and made her skin prickle.
All the people present here were Aditya’s friends.
And now… Now they’d all judge her. They’d forever see her as the woman who ruthlessly broke their friend’s heart.
Would Aisha also feel the same? Diya? God, she’d made an utter mess of her life.
She needed to leave. She knew how tight this group of people was. She couldn’t wait around and be the subject of hushed conversations and condemning eyes.
Her pulse thundering, she spun around and hurried to Ahaan, who was tossing a ball with a few other kids. She forced a smile that felt brittle.
“Sweetheart, I need to go. Aisha will bring you home later, okay?”
He nodded distractedly, still caught up in his game. Very quickly, she exited the lawns, her steps heavy with dread.
She didn’t stop until she was out of the party, her heart pounding.
Her hands trembled as she unlocked her car and climbed inside.
She was paying the price for her past mistakes.
Thanks to her past, she could never have a future with Aditya.
She’d lost him… and possibly all the people she’d considered her friends.