Chapter 54

Niharika sat quietly in the car, staring out the window as the city lights passed by. The silence between her and Mayank felt heavier than it ever had before, and the events from the evening swirled in her mind, creating a storm of confusion and unease. The laughter and easy conversations of the reunion felt so far away now. Her ex-friends' words kept echoing in her head, and despite her best efforts, she couldn't shake the lingering feeling that they have twisted her story.

Mayank, ever observant, glanced at her from time to time, his grip on the steering wheel steady but his mind far from calm. He knew she wasn't alright, and it didn't take a genius to figure out why. He had seen the way she reacted when those girls had surrounded him, and how her face had shifted when they'd spoken about the past.

When they finally pulled up to the apartment building, Niharika didn't make a move to get out. She just sat there, lost in thought, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.

"Hey," Mayank said softly, his voice breaking through her thoughts. "It's okay. You know that, right?"

Niharika nodded slowly, but it was clear that her mind was still far away. She could feel the weight of Mayank's gaze, but she couldn't bring herself to meet it. Not yet.

When they entered the apartment, Niharika went straight to the couch and sat down, not bothering to take off her shoes. Her eyes were fixed on the floor, her heart heavy with the thoughts of what had just happened. She had tried so hard to bury her past, to move forward, but seeing her old friends again had opened a door she wasn't ready to face.

Mayank, sensing that she needed space, went to the kitchen to put their things away. But as he moved about the kitchen, he couldn't ignore the ache in his chest. He knew something had changed in her tonight, something he hadn't seen before. Niharika had always been quiet, reserved, but now... now he saw a fear in her eyes he hadn't expected. The kind of fear that came from years of being hurt, of being misunderstood.

It didn't sit right with him, not one bit.

After a few minutes of silence, Niharika finally stood up, her movements slow and deliberate. She walked toward the hallway, but then, as though something had clicked in her mind, she stopped. She turned around, her voice barely a whisper.

"Mayank..." she started, her eyes flicking to him, but quickly darting away. "I need to tell you something."

Mayank paused, sensing the shift in her demeanor. He took a step toward her, but didn't say anything, letting her words fill the space between them.

Niharika swallowed hard before continuing, her voice shaky. "You've heard the story from those people tonight, right? Well... I want you to know what really happened." She took a deep breath, her eyes meeting his with a determination he hadn't seen before. "The truth."

Mayank didn't move, his heart picking up pace as he silently urged her to go on. She was opening up, and it was the last thing he had expected, but it also meant everything. He nodded, silently signaling for her to speak.

Niharika's voice grew quieter as she continued, almost as if she was afraid to say it out loud. "Ruhan and I... we were best friends. And when he and Sneha started dating, things started to change. He became rude, distant. And I couldn't understand why, but I tried to ignore it. And then, when Rohan got into that fight with someone, I tried to help. I didn't mean for anything to happen the way it did. But Rohan twisted my words and made me out to be the villain." She paused, her throat tightening as the memories flooded back. "And after that... they all turned on me."

Mayank's chest tightened as he listened to her words. The anger he had felt earlier started to bubble up again. But he held it in, letting her speak.

"I didn't have anyone," Niharika continued. "And then Ananya—she... she told Ruhan that I was talking behind his back, and that's when everything just fell apart. I was isolated. They all... they all cut me off. And I didn't know what to do. I couldn't trust anyone after that. I still can't." Her voice trembled as she spoke, and the tears she had been holding back finally escaped, trickling down her cheeks.

Mayank took a step closer, his heart breaking for her. But Niharika didn't look at him. Instead, she just wiped her tears away quickly, her face flushed with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Mayank didn't let her apologize again. He was at her side in an instant, pulling her into his arms. "Don't apologize," he said softly, his voice thick with emotion.

She rested her head against his chest, her body trembling with the weight of everything she had just shared. Mayank's arms tightened around her, as if he could protect her from everything that had ever hurt her.

"I'm so sorry they did this to you," he whispered, his anger growing with every word she spoke. "I'll make sure they regret it. No one, no one should treat you like that."

Niharika didn't hear, too overwhelmed by the flood of emotions coursing through her.

As Niharika stood in his arms, Mayank could feel the tension in her body slowly starting to release, but he also sensed the walls she had built up over the years. His heart ached for her, but he knew that breaking down those walls would take time, patience, and understanding—things he was more than willing to offer.

When Niharika pulled back slightly, she glanced up at him, her eyes red from crying, her face still flushed. She looked away quickly, almost as if she were ashamed of showing him this side of herself. Mayank gently cupped her face, tilting her head up so she would meet his gaze.

"Hey," he said softly, his thumb brushing away a stray tear from her cheek. "You don't have to be scared. I'm not going anywhere."

Niharika didn't respond, but she nodded slightly, the vulnerability in her eyes making his chest tighten.

"I know you're scared," Mayank said, his voice soft but steady. "But you don't need to carry this burden anymore, Niharika."

Niharika swallowed hard, trying to ignore the knot forming in her throat. She wanted to believe him, wanted to trust him with everything she had. But the past had taught her to protect herself, to keep her heart guarded. She had been hurt before, and she wasn't sure she could handle the possibility of being hurt again.

"I... I didn't want you to think I was weak," she said quietly, her voice shaky. "I didn't want you to see me like this."

Mayank's eyes softened as he gently lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him. "You're not weak, Niharika. Far from it. What you've been through, what you've survived... it takes more strength than most people could ever imagine."

She could feel the sincerity in his words, and for the first time in a long while, she let herself believe in them. She let herself believe in him.

"I didn't know who to trust anymore," she whispered. "But I am starting to trust you, Mayank."

The admission took Mayank by surprise, but it was exactly what he needed to hear. He smiled, though it was laced with the anger he still felt toward those who had wronged her.

"I won't let anyone hurt you again," he vowed, his voice firm.

Niharika's breath caught in her throat at the intensity of his words, but she quickly pushed the thought away. She couldn't think too much about it. It was too much, too soon. Instead, she pulled away from him, feeling suddenly self-conscious.

"I think I should... go to my room," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Mayank didn't argue. He simply nodded, his hand lingering on her arm for a moment before letting her go. As she turned to walk toward her room, he felt a pang of uncertainty, a small part of him wondering if he had pushed her too far too quickly.

As Niharika walked down the hallway to her room, Mayank stood still in the living room, his thoughts racing. What Ruhan and the others had done to her wasn't something he could ignore. He had heard enough tonight to know that the past was far from over for Niharika, but he had no intention of letting it continue to haunt her.

He grabbed his phone from the table and dialed Arjun's number, his friend who worked at Microsoft. As soon as the call connected, Mayank didn't waste any time.

"Arjun," he said, his voice tight with determination. "I need to know everything you can find out about Ruhan."

There was a brief pause on the other end before Arjun responded. "Ruhan? What's going on?"

"I'll explain later. Just find out everything you can. I need to know who they are, where they're working, and anything else you can find," Mayank said, his voice firm.

"Alright, I'll see what I can dig up. But why all of a sudden?"

Mayank's grip on the phone tightened, his jaw clenched. "I'll explain when we meet. "

Arjun let out a low whistle. "Got it. I'll get back to you soon."

Mayank ended the call, his mind already working through the possibilities. He couldn't let Niharika continue to carry the weight of her past on her shoulders. He wouldn't allow it. And as for Ruhan and his friends—he was going to make sure they paid for what they had done.

Niharika's room was quiet when she entered, the only sound being the soft hum of the air conditioning. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it for a moment, trying to collect herself. Her heart was still racing, her thoughts still scattered.

She sat on the edge of the bed, her mind replaying the conversation she had just had with Mayank. Part of her wanted to push everything away, to bury it deep where it couldn't hurt her anymore. But another part of her—the part that had spent so long hiding—was beginning to wonder if she could let someone in. If she could let Mayank in.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. She didn't need to ask who it was. Mayank.

"Can I come in?" he asked through the door.

Niharika hesitated for a moment, but then nodded, wiping her eyes quickly before calling out, "Yeah."

Mayank stepped inside, his gaze softening as he saw her sitting on the bed. He walked over and stood in front of her, his expression unreadable for a moment.

"You okay?" he asked gently.

Niharika nodded, offering him a small smile. "Yeah. Just... a lot to process."

Mayank didn't say anything else at first. Instead, he sat down next to her, his presence comforting, grounding. He didn't try to force her to talk; he simply let her be.

And for the first time in a long time, Niharika felt like she wasn't alone.

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