Reyansh looked away, jaw clenched, trying to hold himself together. The pain was raw, but beneath it—rage. Controlled, but dangerous.
"He was my roommate in college," Reyansh said at last. "Rudra. The guy everyone liked. The one who made jokes, helped people, looked harmless. But behind that fake smile… he was watching. Waiting."
I stayed silent. I knew this wasn't the moment to interrupt.
"I introduced him to Saanvi," Reyansh continued bitterly. "That was my first mistake. I thought—I trusted him. He saw how much I loved her. And that's exactly why he wanted to destroy it."
"How?" I asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.
He let out a bitter laugh. "It started small. He'd say things like, 'You know, Reyansh flirts a lot when you're not around.' Or, 'He told me he still thinks about his ex sometimes.' And Saanvi… she's logical, she's sharp. But even the smartest minds crumble when the heart's involved."
He rubbed his eyes roughly. "He was always around her—messaging her, pretending to 'protect' her from me. Then, one day, she stopped answering my calls. No explanations. Just… silence."
I stared at him, stunned.
"I went to see her in her hometown," Reyansh said, his voice steady but heavy. "It had been a while… I just wanted to feel like we were okay again. Like we could fix what was breaking."
He paused, his hands clasped together tightly.
"But while I was there… her phone kept lighting up. Over and over. It was him—Prakash. Every message made her uneasy, like she was hiding something… or scared."
I didn't interrupt.
"And then… during dinner, she said she wanted me to meet him," he continued, voice tightening. "Him. The same guy I'd had doubts about. The one whose name I had grown to resent, even without knowing the full story."
He looked away, jaw clenched.
"I still asked if he wanted anything to eat when he showed up. Can you believe that? I was boiling inside, but for her… I stayed silent."
I could feel the weight of that moment—biting your tongue for someone you love, even when your instincts are screaming.
"Afterwards, we walked towards the metro," Reyansh said, his tone now colder. "And that's when he casually said something that struck me."
"What?" I asked.
"He said, 'You know, we went to a second show the other day, near her place.'"
A pause.
"He knew exactly where she lived. That wasn't just a passing comment. That was deliberate. And the worst part? It wasn't a lie. But it wasn't the full truth either. Just enough to mess with me."
Reyansh took a deep breath, trying to hold in the storm building inside.
"He was playing a game. Not just with her... but with both of us."
There was a pause. It felt like the air itself had gone still.
"And Saanvi?" I whispered.
He said quietly. "Looking like someone who had just been told I was the villain of her story."
"Did you ask her what she believed?"
"I didn't need to," he replied. "Her eyes said it all. She didn't even ask for my side."
There was nothing left to say. Reyansh wasn't just heartbroken—he was betrayed by the two people he trusted the most.
"He separated her from me successfully whom I loved the most," he added, almost to himself. "Just to watch me burn."
I looked at Reyansh—his world was shattered, but the fire in his eyes hadn't gone out. This wasn't over. Not for him.