Chapter 9
Amyra
I rub my eyes with the back of my hand, but the burning sensation refuses to fade.
Exhaustion seeps into my bones, my throat feels raw, my head throbs with a dull ache, and my back protests from sitting too straight for too long. Yet my mind keeps pushing me to work, anything to keep from overthinking about him.
No matter how hard I try to focus on something else, he lingers in my thoughts. His constant interference only makes it worse. Why doesn’t he take the hint when I’ve made it painfully obvious I want space?
It’s been ten days since I shut myself in my room, trying to preserve what’s left of my sanity by drowning in my groundwork for B shouldn’t she be his priority?
Both the Thakurs and Bajajs were stunned when Reyansh and Aditi announced their relationship.
The last sliver of hope of seeing us together died that day, leaving both families struggling to accept the truth.
My parents congratulated Aditi for her new beginning, but I can still see their disappointment, mourning the dream they once had for Reyansh and me.
As for me, I saw it coming the day Aditi came to me for my approval.
She wanted to make sure I was okay with her decision to date my best friend.
I admired her for that, for valuing my feelings before taking a step forward.
I truly was happy to have her as my sister.
I could never stand in the way of her happiness, so I told her to follow her heart.
The next day, their relationship became official.
Since then, I’ve avoided roaming freely in the mansion, unable to face them while the heartbreak is still raw.
I’ve kept my replies to Reyansh short, ignored his calls not to appear bitter, but to hide the ache I’m still nursing.
He must be confused by my indifference. After all, it’s the first time we’ve been apart like this.
But I need the distance to mend my torn heart, something he’ll never understand. All I want is a little space, but Reyansh isn’t one to give up without answers.
Why can’t I be allowed a moment of peace?
I stop writing in my notebook and move to my bed, eyes closed tight. The faint buzz of my phone beside me breaks the silence. With a weary sigh, I unlock it and open our chat. Another message from him blinks on the screen.
Rey:
Can we meet, Ames? I know you don’t want to see me, but don’t I deserve to know why you’re being distant? Just once, please. Life feels heavier without you. I’m suffocating. Please, Ames.
Fresh tears sting my eyes, sliding down my cheeks before I can stop them. I bite my lip to keep myself from sobbing.
‘Even I feel suffocated without you, Rey. Like I’m drowning.’
Am I being too harsh on him?
Just then, my phone vibrates again, and Sanchi’s name flashes on the screen. I quickly swipe to answer, her soft voice echoing in my ear.
“Amy! How are you doing?”
“I’m just breathing, San. Even that feels hard without him.” Tears slip down again, and I blink rapidly to stop them.
“I understand, Amy. Unrequited love is the cruelest kind of pain. What I don’t get is how Reyansh never developed feelings for you when he’s clearly dying to see and talk to you.”
“What do you mean?” A flicker of curiosity stirs in my chest at the sound of his name.
“He called me today,” she continues. “You know how he’s always been cold to me because of how close we are, but today, he sounded different.
He was pleading, Amy. He kept asking if I knew why you’ve been so distant, worried sick about your mental health.
Even when I told him I didn’t know anything, he just…
kept asking. He’s hurting too, Amy. Not as much as you, but enough to sound completely lost.”
He was hurting too.
That sentence lands like a stone in my chest. I never wanted to be the reason behind his pain, but do I even have the strength to face him now?
“I know, San. I don’t want to hurt him either, but it’s too hard to act normal when my heart’s breaking every second.” My breathing grows shallow, my chest tightening, a habit I’ve developed lately whenever I try not to cry.
“I get it, Amy. I wouldn’t want to face him either if I were you. It takes time to find your balance again. Just…stay strong, okay?” Her voice trembles with concern, and guilt twists inside me, knowing how much I’m making everyone worry.
“Alright, San. I’ll call you later.” I end the call and lie back on my bed, eyes wide open, staring blankly at the ceiling as thoughts crash inside my head.
How do I stop this suffering? How do I make it seem like I’m fine and still reconcile with him? I claim to love him, but am I not the reason for his misery?
He broke my heart, and I became the reason for his misery. What a cruel paradox! A sudden knock startles me. My pulse spikes, fear crawling up my throat at the thought that it might be Reyansh. The knocking grows louder, and I take hesitant steps toward the door.
Peeking through the peephole, relief washes over me. It’s Dad.
“Dad! Please, come in.” I open the door quickly, stepping aside to let him in. He walks to the middle of the room, his gaze steady on mine. I gesture for him to sit on the bed while I remain standing.
“Had dinner, princess?”
“Not yet, Dad. I’ll eat shortly.”
“Come, sit beside me, princess.” I obey without a word, settling beside him. He reaches out, gently running his fingers through my hair, and for a moment, the ache inside me softens.
“I can see your emotional turmoil, princess,” Dad says softly. “I see how you’re skipping meals and drifting like a shadow through the mansion. I know you’re hurting, and I can tell you’re trying to move on but struggling to.” He pauses, his voice shaking. “But you know what…”
I lift my head silently, waiting for him to go on.
“Your mom and I haven’t known peace either.
First, our dream of seeing you and Reyansh together was shattered, and then, watching you break apart only deepened our pain.
The day you were born, we promised to give you the best life we could.
But here we are, unable to give you the man you loved.
” A sob slips out before I can stop it, and I collapse into his arms, crying quietly against his shoulder.
“We’re so sorry for our little princess,” he whispers, stroking my hair.
“But at the same time, we’re proud. Proud that you didn’t chase him when Surya Uncle gave you the chance to confess.
Proud that you chose to protect your sister’s happiness instead of your own. You’ve always made us proud, Amyra.”
His words unravel the knots inside me, and the heaviness I’ve been holding in for days melts into tears I can no longer contain.
“Please don’t cry, princess. Your mom’s already weeping every day, watching you suffer. She barely has the strength to console you anymore.” That sentence halts my sobs. I pull back, startled.
“Mom…?”
“How could we be okay seeing our daughter in pain?” he says gently. “It hurts, but we’ve realized we have no choice but to accept reality and move forward with hope. This is just a phase, princess. Maybe something better is waiting for you.”
“I’m trying, Dad…” I whisper.
“I know,” he says, nodding. “And there’s also no reason to blame Reyansh.
We might’ve held onto a childhood promise, but we can’t control hearts or feelings.
We can’t decide who Reyansh should love or why he doesn't see you that way. Some things are simply beyond our control. I just hope you understand that soon and that we get our old Amyra back.”
His words hit like a quiet revelation, freezing me in place.
“We’re waiting to have dinner with you, come soon,” he adds, pressing a kiss to my forehead before leaving the room.
As the door clicks shut, his words echo in my mind—
“And there’s also no reason to blame Reyansh.”
“We can’t decide who Reyansh should love or why he doesn’t see you that way.”
“Some things are simply beyond our control.”
I mumble them aloud as the truth finally settles in. How did I miss it all this time? Reyansh doesn’t love me; he never did. To him, I’m just his best friend, the one who’s been avoiding him without explanation.
From his side, it must feel confusing, a sudden distance with no fight, no reason, no closure.
While I was drowning in heartbreak, he was probably struggling to understand why I pushed him away…even as he began a new relationship. Oh God. While I mourned my unrequited love, he must’ve been anxious, blaming himself for something he never did.
That’s unfair.
He doesn’t even know I ever loved him.
Dad was right. I need to accept reality instead of letting it destroy the sanity of everyone I care about, especially my parents. It’s time to steady myself, to bring back the old me. I grab my phone, type a message, and hit send before doubt creeps in.
Amyra:
Let’s meet tomorrow.
It isn’t his fault that he doesn’t love me. And if I truly love him, then I need to support him, with all the grace my heart can offer, even if that tears me apart inside.