In a blink of an eye, all the colors of life disappeared from my life. This was not how the night was supposed to go. This was supposed to be the happiest night of our lives, not the worst. I sat on my bed in the dark, finally letting the tears flow down my cheek.

The three years of us being together and this is the trust you have on me? You didn’t ever bother to ask me. You didn’t even look at me. Was our love not enough for you to trust me? You had to doubt me? Why? Is it that easy? It was you who once told me not to trust what eyes see. Then why didn’t you now?

The night passed away as I cursed myself for coming up with that idea in the first place. I asked questions to God that went unanswered. I cried and cried thinking if this was all the trust and love he had for me. He had not even given me a chance to explain what had happened.

I walked in the fire-escape, knowing he’d be there and he didn’t even look back to see who it was. He just knew. He muttered, “Go away.” His tone was distant and cold.

“No! Talk to me!” I demanded.

“We have nothing to talk about.”

“Yes we do! Listen to me.”

“No! You listen to me. You had no right to play around my heart and then cheat on me. I loved you with all my heart and what did you give me? Three years, Kriya! We were together for three years and just in a split of a second, you’re with someone else? How could you? And now you have the guts to tell me to listen to you? Hell no, I won’t. We’re done. You hear? You and me? It was all fake.”

He left banging the door behind me. I watched him leave again. And again, I could do nothing about it. Just like last night, he left and I simply stood there – too stunned to react, to stop him. I eventually sat on the stairs, not able to hold myself up any more. Seconds later, Swayam came out from under the stairs. I looked up surprised. But the look on his face told me that he had heard it all.

I ran up to him and hugged him tight. Being a brother to me, he caressed my hair and simply consoled me. I held on to his shirt and cried. He made me look at him and held my face up holding my cheeks.

He wiped the tears away and asked softly, “Tell me what happened?”

We sat down on the stairs and I told him how we planned to fake a fight in front of Sharon to make her realize that the way she keeps on fighting with you all the time isn’t right, and everything that followed afterwards.

“He thinks I cheated on him. But how could I? I love him!” I finished with a sob. Swayam hugged me and tried to calm me again.

“Don’t worry. He’ll realize he’s wrong. I’ll tell him. Just stop crying…” He assured me.

I pulled away instantly. “No. you won’t tell him anything. If he wanted to listen, he would have given me a chance. He didn’t even look at me. What’s the point of telling him when he has no trust in me? If I had seen him that way with some other girl, I probably would have reacted the same way. But I would have trusted him to tell me what happened. I would have asked him. I wouldn’t have just left. He didn’t even bother. These three year relationship… the trust made through the years… they mean nothing now. Nothing!”

“Kriya! Listen to me…” He called out but too late. I had gotten on my feet and wiping my tears away, I had gotten out of the fire exit and into the locker room.

I cursed myself for falling in love. That was her heart though. The heart that doesn’t listen to anyone. It just keeps flowing like a river. Even if it stops beating, it keeps flowing on the other side. I pressed my ears shut, hoping all the questions forming around me would go away. Hoping the pain would go away. It wasn’t that easy though. I couldn’t handle it all at all. I decided I had to go away.

Lucky or not, it was the last week and in a week, we’d be graduating. Going to college wasn’t important anymore. The day of the graduation, I told Swayam when he caught me leaving, “I’m leaving. Promise me to never come after me. Don’t try looking for me. I made a mistake by coming here, by opening up my heart. I shouldn’t have. If you want, you can tell Rey what really happened. But after I leave. Swayam….”

I trailed off. I knew was asking for a lot from him. I was asking him to hide the truth from his best friend, and the girl he loved. Still, he promised me with a heavy heart. That, I would always be indebted to.

I asked, “Haven’t you done enough?”

“I heard you were back. All I wanted was to come and say sorry. A week later, Swayam had found me at the same club and told me about the harm I’d done. Really, I had no idea that one action from me would ruin so many lives. I just wanted to apologize. I know it’s nothing compared to my doing, but still… It’d make me feel better once I say it. And it does make me feel better…”

I stepped up a step and asked again, “Is that all?”

Sadly, he nodded and understanding that he wasn’t going to be forgiven any time soon, he turned to leave and shut the main door behind him. There was no way I was going to forgive him. Not for anything in the world. He was right of one thing tough. He had ruined multiple lives with one ‘mistake’. Swayam and Sharon looked at each other with uneasiness. Finding the situation all silent was the awkward thing.

It was Rey’s cell ringing that interrupted the silence. “Yeah, I’ll be there in a few.” He answered and then turned to me, “I have to go. Are you coming now or later?”

“Later.” I replied, almost a hoarse whisper. I had been silent for a long time and was badly in need of water. My throat had turned dry. He pressed his lips together and with a glance at Swayam and Sharon, he left.

Atleast, this time, he wasn’t leaving me.

Swayam kept one hand on Sharon’s shoulder, silently motioning to her that he’s leaving. She nodded and looked at me. I looked back and said, “It’s not your fault.” I then left the room as well. I felt like I just had to say it. If I knew Sharon the way I thought I did, then I also knew that Sharon would blame herself for everything that happened, which isn’t right.

[Sharon’s POV]

Was this all my doing? I was too stubborn to accept what I felt towards Swayam. Had it led to the havoc in Kriya and Rey’s relationship? Their life? I was the reason both of them had been suffering these many years. How could I hurt those closest to me? How could I be so selfish?

I walked to a distance from the lake in the back of the house. I knew I’d find Kriya there and sure enough, she was there. I saw her figure in the distance as I walked up to her and sat down next to her. “Kriya, you sure you’re fine?” I asked with concern.

Kriya turned to look at me and put on a convincing face. “Never better.” I gave her a look, and she sighed, being serious. “I’m fine Sharon. Don’t worry about me. The past is past. It’s always been there and nothing that happens now can change it. You have nothing to feel guilty about.”

“But I do!” I countered. I then sighed to calm down and after few seconds, continued, “It’s not about me or Swayam or us anymore. It’s about you. It’s about what you went through.”

“Like I said, I’m fine and no change. See.” She put on a bright smile, in spite of the suffering she had.

“You will be the same as before?” I asked, not able to grasp the thought. How can anyone respond so calmly after anything like this? I looked for a hint on her face. None. I only found a smiling Kriya gazing back at me.

Kriya stayed silent for a second. Then, she picked up a stone close by. Playing with it, she asked, “See how calm the lake is?” I was confused but nodded a yes to the question. “I was like that once. Calm… minding my own business, stretching out of my way to reach my dreams. I wanted to do something. I wanted to show my passion to the world. I wanted to make a difference.” She threw the stone in the lake. “And what happens when I throw this is?” The stone skipped a couple times before settling at the bottom. As an effect, the water rippled in circles.

I listened quietly till then and asked the second Kriya paused, “If you wait long enough, the water will calm down.”

Kriya smiled and replied, “Yes, the water will quiet down. But the stone is still in there. It doesn’t belong there. Still. It’s there. It wasn’t needed. But it did come. From the surface, it may give the impression that things have calmed down. The stone is still there though. Neither I nor you or anybody can do anything to change that. The lake’s course has forever been changed. It’s the same with me. I will never be the same again. The pain will never go away, just like the stone. It will move away, go to the bottom, deep down, but I can’t stop it if it ever does come up again.” She got up saying, “Now I’ll see you at night.”

She patted my shoulder before turning to leave.

I sat there thinking of the mystery she just revealed to her. The whole past was in front of her. Her feelings, her pain, her suffering, everything. Her silence had spoken it all to her. She revealed it all to me and only thing I could do was listen to it all. I wished she would have done something.

If not for me, that stone would have never gone inside. The stone… the whole problem… which in this case was me. If only I had told Swayam about my feelings, Kriya wouldn’t have felt the need to make me realize. None of this would have happened then. As much as Kriya told me that it wasn’t her fault, my heart wouldn’t allow me to accept that. I did feel guilty.

I considered myself the worst friend to Rey and the worst sister one could have been. I laid my head back in frustration. Anger towards myself. It all began with me. I realized another thing. The reason why Kriya didn’t tell me. I then started scolding myself, “See! This is exactly why she didn’t tell you! She knew you would feel guilty if you found out.”

“Oh Kriya! You’ve suffered a lot. All because of me. Stupid me! Like you said, I can’t do anything to change the past, but I can and will change your future.” I continued with a glitter of happiness. “I will give you back all that you have lost. All the four years… I know that will be hard to give back. But I can give back what is in my power. The power is in my hands and I will use the stone to throw it again. But in a positive way now. This stone will now make your life instead of ruining it. Just you wait and watch.”

I picked up a small pebble and grinned to myself. 

Kriya, my darling sister, you told me a story. Now let me do the honors. Haven’t you heard of the crow and the pebble? The thirsty crow was so intelligent that he threw as many pebbles as he could to bring the water to the top. I will do the same. Throw so many pebbles your way that you and Rey will have to meet again and again. Despite your wish, you will have to.

“I will fix everything. This is a promise from one sister to another.”

Neha asked, “Sharon! What are you looking for? If you tell me, I can at least help instead of just standing here you know!”

We were in Kriya’s room for the last 10 minutes. Luckily, Kriya was in rehearsals, and I knew I had plenty of time to snoop around. She wouldn’t be returning any time soon. I was going through whatever I could find in sight. I stopped to turn to her. “I’m looking for…” I trailed off making a realization. “Of course! Her laptop! So silly of me.” I now knew what I was looking for.

So did Neha. But she had no idea why I was looking for Kriya’s laptop. “What are you doing?” She asked feeling irritated at being ignored.

“Oh Neha. Quiet for now. I’ll tell you later.”

Opening the laptop, I did some searching and ten minutes later, shut it close with a satisfying smile on her face. Neha was sitting cross legged on the table, fuming and pouting, when I looked up. I moved my head back seeing her in that state. And then, I realized why Neha was like that.

I went to her and spoke in a teasing voice, “Remember how we always suspected Rey and Kriya to be a couple?” Neha beamed and nodded as I continued, “Well, we were right. They do love each other. But something went wrong. That’s why Kriya had left without telling anyone. I’m going to bring the love back in her life and you’re going to help me, right?”

Neha immediately jumped down the table. “You have to ask? I sure will help. She may be your sister, but she was my friend first. But that doesn’t explain what you were doing with her laptop…”

“Oh, I used that to send an email to Sonia asking her to call me and told her who I am. Over the last four years, Kriya has changed a lot whether we like it or not and Sonia will be the only one to help us right now.”

***

[Kriya’s POV]

I entered the rehearsal room, and was instantly surrounded by my new friends. There goes my plan of trying to talk to Rey.

Speaking of who, he clasped his hands, getting our attention. “Alright guys, listen up. You guys are in top forty now, but over the next three days, individual interviews will be taken. They will be shot, and you also have to prepare your own solo. The public will then decide who joins the top twenty-five and enters the competition officially.”

“Twenty of you that are in my group, I have prepared a schedule when you can have time in the rehearsal room. If you need any changes made to them, let me know today itself. Things get a whole lot serious now, so I suggest everyone focus on their own solo rather than others. Stealing others ideas will not be tolerated. Each of you have been emailed the rules and regulation. Go through them, and act accordingly. As your instructor for the solo, feel free to ask for help. I will help, given that I see you are truly working for this, not just relying on me to help you with everything. I shall see you later.”

He turned to leave, and then briefly turned. “Oh, and start packing. If you don’t get in top twenty-five, you’ll be returning home. If you do get in, you will still have to pack as we move from this camp to the sets.”

He left, and just few seconds later, I received a text message.

I’m waiting outside. –Rey.

 ***

A/N: New update schedule has been posted on my profile. This book will be updated every Thursday & Sunday from now on, starting next week. I also got a job... so I cut it down to two updates per week.. Since I'm not sure how hectic things will be (=

AND we reached 100 votes!! Thank you so much! Each and every one of you reading & voting! It means so much to me <3

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~Araina.