10. Seedhe Maut or Kshama?

Sameer and Meher's house was alive with the spirit of Christmas. Twinkling fairy lights adorned every corner, a massive Christmas tree stood proudly in the living room, decked out in red and gold ornaments, and the aroma of cinnamon and freshly baked cookies wafted through the air. The friends had gathered for their annual Christmas Eve party, a tradition that brought their close-knit group together no matter how busy their lives had become.

Veda was by the fireplace, sipping hot cocoa and chatting with Meher, who was fussing over the perfectly arranged snack table. "Veda, you have to try the gingerbread cookies Sameer made. They're actually good this year," Meher teased, earning a playful glare from her husband across the room.

On the other side, Aadvik, who had been dragged here by Sameer despite his protests about "not being a party person," leaned against the kitchen counter, nursing a glass of mulled wine. He was deep in conversation with Vihaan and Darsh, both trying to convince him to join their team for the charades game planned for later.

"Come on, Aadvik," Vihaan coaxed. "Your poker face is legendary. We'll win for sure."

Aadvik smirked. "I think my poker face is better suited for the boardroom, not guessing Christmas movies."

The group eventually migrated to the living room for games. Veda found herself sitting across from Aadvik as the teams divided. Their eyes met briefly, a flicker of unspoken words passing between them. Neither had addressed the elephant in the room-her speech, the media frenzy, and his impromptu trip to Delhi. But the tension wasn't lost on the others.

"Alright, charades time!" Sameer declared, breaking the moment. "Team one, get ready to lose."

The night was filled with laughter as they acted out ridiculous movie titles and classic Christmas stories. At one point, Aadvik, who was notoriously reserved, had to mime How the Grinch Stole Christmas, causing everyone-including Veda-to burst into uncontrollable laughter.

Later, as the clock struck midnight, the group gathered around the tree to exchange gifts. Veda opened a small, elegantly wrapped box to find a delicate snowflake pendant. She looked up, surprised, to see Meher smiling knowingly.

"A little something to remind you to sparkle, no matter what," Meher said, giving her a hug.

As the night wound down, Aadvik found himself on the balcony, gazing at the city lights. Veda joined him, wrapping her shawl tighter against the chilly air.

"Nice party," he said, his voice calm but his eyes searching hers.

"It always is," Veda replied softly, meeting his gaze.

For a moment, the world outside disappeared, and it was just them. Whatever lay ahead-questions, challenges, and maybe even second chances-they both knew it would start with this quiet moment, under the glow of Christmas lights

"Hey, Veda. You good?" he asked cautiously.

She narrowed her eyes at him, her cheeks flushed-not just from the alcohol but from the storm of feelings she had been bottling up. "Good? Oh, I'm great, Aadvik. Just peachy. You know why? Because for once, I don't have to pretend everything is fine."

The room quieted slightly as a few people turned their heads toward the scene. Meher tried to intervene, but Sameer placed a gentle hand on her arm, shaking his head. "Let them talk it out," he whispered.

Aadvik ran a hand through his hair, already feeling the weight of the impending argument. "Veda, I think you've had too much to drink. Let's talk later, okay?"

"No!" she snapped, her voice louder now. "We're talking now. You always want to avoid things, Aadvik. Just like you avoided me. Like you avoided us!"

Aadvik's jaw tightened. "Veda, this isn't the time or place."

"Oh, but it was the time and place when you decided to ignore my messages? When you ghosted me for weeks without an explanation?" Her voice cracked slightly, but her eyes burned with anger.

The room was silent now, the festive mood replaced by awkward tension. Sameer and Meher exchanged concerned glances, while Darsh debated stepping in.

Aadvik sighed, lowering his voice. "I didn't ghost you, Veda. I just... I needed time."

"Time? Time for what? To decide if I was worth it? To figure out if you actually cared?" Veda's voice broke, and for a moment, vulnerability peeked through her anger. "You don't get to do that, Aadvik. You don't get to come into my life, make me feel like I matter, and then walk away without a word."

Aadvik's face softened, guilt washing over him. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I was dealing with a lot, and I thought-"

"You thought what? That I couldn't handle it? That I didn't deserve an explanation?" Veda's voice wavered as tears threatened to fall. "You don't get to make that choice for me."

Aadvik stepped closer, his expression earnest. "I'm sorry, Veda. I screwed up. I know I did. But I didn't know how to handle what I was feeling. It wasn't about you-it was about me."

Veda let out a bitter laugh, wiping her eyes. "That's the thing, Aadvik. It's always about you. Kshama karna. "

With that, she grabbed her coat and stormed out of the house, leaving Aadvik standing there, frozen. The room was thick with silence as everyone exchanged uneasy looks.

Meher sighed and followed Veda outside, while Sameer patted Aadvik on the back. "You better fix this, man. Or you're going to lose her for good."

Aadvik nodded, his face etched with regret, as he stared at the door Veda had just walked through.

-

The city lights blurred through the rain-speckled windshield as Abhinav's car rolled to a stop outside Palak's hotel. The faint hum of the engine was the only sound in the air as he shifted into park.

Palak sat in the passenger seat, her head leaning against the window, her breath fogging up the glass. Her once-perfect makeup was slightly smudged, and her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her dress. She was quiet-too quiet-until she let out a sharp laugh that broke the silence.

"God, I hate this," she muttered, her voice thick from the alcohol still coursing through her veins.

Abhinav glanced at her, his hands still on the steering wheel. "What do you hate now, Palak? The hotel? The rain? Or me?"

She turned her head to look at him, her eyes glossy and burning with frustration. "All of it, Abhinav. This whole... charade. This fake dating circus you've got me performing in. It's pathetic."

Abhinav frowned, his grip on the wheel tightening. "No one's forcing you to do this, Palak. You agreed to it."

"Agreed?" she snapped, sitting up straighter. "Agreed? Yeah, sure, I 'agreed.' Because I didn't have a bloody choice!"

Her voice cracked, and she shoved her hands through her hair, tugging at it in frustration. "Do you know how much I hate this? The fake smiles, the stupid hand-holding, pretending we're some picture-perfect couple? It makes me sick, Abhinav. I'm not built for this bullshit."

Abhinav sighed, his tone firm but measured. "Then why are you still doing it, Palak? You can walk away anytime."

She turned to him, her face a mixture of anger and pain. "You think I can just walk away? From this mess? From you? It's not that simple."

"Why not?" he pressed, his voice dropping, genuinely curious now.

Palak let out a bitter laugh, leaning her head back against the seat. "Because, Abhinav..." She paused, her voice trembling. "Because if I don't... that thing... that thing I'm running from will catch up to me."

"What thing, Palak?" he asked, his voice softening, his gaze searching hers.

She looked away, staring at the rain sliding down the window. "You wouldn't get it. You wouldn't understand. You're... good at this. Good at wearing a mask, playing the part, keeping it all together. But me?" She let out a shaky breath. "I'm just trying to keep my head above water. And this-this fake relationship-is the only thing keeping me from drowning in everything I'm trying to forget."

Abhinav sat in silence, her words sinking in, the weight of her confession heavier than he expected. For once, he didn't have a quick response, no calculated remark to defuse the tension.

Palak laughed again, softer this time, the bitterness giving way to exhaustion. "You know what's funny? I can't even tell if I hate you or if I hate myself more for doing this."

Abhinav finally turned to her, his voice quiet but firm. "Palak, whatever it is... you don't have to do it alone."

She shook her head, giving him a tired smile that didn't reach her eyes. "That's the thing, Abhinav. Some battles... you fight alone. And this? This is mine."

The rain continued to patter against the windshield as the silence stretched between them. Abhinav didn't press further, and Palak didn't say more. It was a moment suspended in quiet understanding, the unspoken truths hanging heavy in the air as she reached for the door handle and stepped out into the cold night of mid December.

-

The room was dimly lit, the soft glow of a table lamp casting long shadows against the walls. Vihaan stood near the window, his hands shoved into his pockets, while Tripti paced back and forth in front of him, her movements sharp and restless. The tension in the air was palpable, thick enough to cut with a knife.

"I can't do this anymore, Vihaan," Tripti said, her voice trembling but resolute. "I hate it. I hate hiding, lying to everyone. It feels... wrong."

Vihaan sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We've talked about this, Tripti. It's not the right time. There's too much at stake."

"Not the right time?" she snapped, turning to face him. Her eyes burned with frustration, her voice rising. "When will it ever be the right time, Vihaan? When we've lied so much we can't even recognize the truth ourselves?"

He turned to her, his expression calm but his tone sharp. "This isn't just about us. You know that. There are expectations, people involved, families-"

"Families?" Tripti interrupted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You mean the same families we're lying to? The same people we're pretending for? How is that fair, Vihaan?"

"It's not about fair," he said, his voice low but firm. "It's about doing what's necessary."

Tripti let out a bitter laugh, crossing her arms over her chest. "Necessary? For whom? For you? For your image? God, Vihaan, do you even care about how this makes me feel? About how I'm constantly looking over my shoulder, wondering when the truth will explode in our faces?"

His jaw tightened, his gaze hardening. "Don't make it sound like I don't care. You think this is easy for me? You think I don't want to tell everyone and just... be done with it? But life doesn't work like that, Tripti. Not for people like us."

"People like us?" she repeated, her voice cracking. "What does that even mean, Vihaan? People who are too scared to take control of their own lives?"

He stepped closer to her, his voice dropping. "It means people who have responsibilities, reputations, and families to protect. It's not just about us. It never was."

Tripti shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. "I can't keep doing this, Vihaan. I can't keep pretending everything is fine when it's tearing me apart inside. I hate hiding. I hate feeling like some dirty secret."

Vihaan's face softened for a moment, a flicker of guilt crossing his features. "You're not a secret, Tripti. You're... everything. But if we're not careful, we'll lose everything."

She looked at him, her expression a mix of pain and anger. "Maybe we already have," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

The silence that followed was deafening. Vihaan looked away, his shoulders tense, while Tripti wiped a tear from her cheek, her breaths uneven.

After what felt like an eternity, she spoke again, her voice steadier but filled with resolve. "You need to figure out what you want, Vihaan. Because I can't keep waiting for a version of us that may never exist."

With that, she turned and walked toward the door, leaving Vihaan standing by the window, his reflection in the glass looking as shattered as the moment they were in.

-

The streets of Delhi stretched endlessly under the orange glow of the streetlights, the quiet hum of Darsh's car cutting through the stillness of the late hour. Swastika was slouched in the passenger seat, her bangles jingling softly as she clumsily adjusted the edge of her dupatta, barely awake but still buzzing with the energy of the house party.

"Darsh," she mumbled, her voice thick with the aftereffects of too many drinks. "Take me to Seedhe Maut's concert, na?"

Darsh raised an eyebrow, glancing at her briefly before returning his eyes to the road. "Bhai, tu serious hai? Midnight ke baad Seedhe Maut? Yeh koi time hai?" he chuckled, shaking his head.

"Don't bhai me!" Swastika slurred, pointing a wobbly finger at him. "Seedhe Maut is... poetry, ya! Dilli ki kahani sunate hain woh. I feel alive when I hear them."

Darsh smirked, amused by her drunken rambling. "Haan, aur abhi tu Seedhe Maut sunne ke chakkar mein puri galiyon ka chakkar lagwa legi. Kaunse concert hai ab?"

"Darsh, tujhe samajh nahi aata!" she said, dramatically throwing her head back against the seat. Her kajal-smudged eyes gleamed as she gazed out the window, the neon signs blurring past. "Woh jo kehte hain, na... Dilli waalon ki feeling. Mujhe woh chahiye abhi."

"Yeh feeling subah tak ghar par mil jayegi," Darsh teased. "Aunty uncle kya bolenge jab tu Seedhe Maut ki 'feeling' ke naam pe bhaag gayi?"

Swastika let out an exaggerated sigh, her bangles clinking as she pressed her palms together in mock pleading. "Bas ek baar, Darsh. Jahan bhi ho, unko dhoondh lete hain. Chal, Nayi Sadak chalte hain. Ya phir Khan Market? Kahin toh vibe mil jayegi."

Darsh couldn't help but laugh, her antics far more entertaining than the empty roads. "Tu poori Dilli ka map banake laayi hai, kya? Arre madam, concert nahi hoga ab. Par ek kaam karte hain..."

"Haan?" Swastika sat up, her eyes bright with hope.

"Main tujhe ghar drop kar deta hoon, aur kal Seedhe Maut ki playlist chalake dono chai peene chalte hain. Full vibes," he said, grinning.

Swastika pouted like a kid denied a toy, but her lips curled into a reluctant smile. "Teek hai," she muttered, slumping back. "Par yaad rakh, next time Seedhe Maut ke liye main tujhe utha ke le jaungi. Promise."

"Promise," Darsh replied, chuckling as he took the turn toward her house. The car hummed along, the faint beats of hip-hop playing softly on the stereo, blending into the quiet chaos of a Delhi night.

Aesthetics

•••

How was the chapter?

Your fav momentss? And make sure to tell me who's yall fav ship yet! <3🤭