Author's POV:

It's been a week since Shubman and Sara started to hangout. Abhishek had to leave for his hometown due to some personal issues. Everytime Niharika tried talking to Shubman he would found excuses to not meet her. By now she was feeling like a cliffhanger situation, not knowing what's coming next. She decided on calling her bestie Abhishek.

Niharika: Hey Abhay!

Abhishek: Hey nia! Kaisi hai!

Niharika: main achi hun tum batao!

Abhishek: Main bhi ekdum mast!

Niharika: Abhishek tu janta hai kya Shubman ko kya hua hai!? It seems as if he's trying to avoid me!

Abhishek: Aisa nhi hai Nia woh vice captain tha na toh shayad bcci ko zyada expectations hongi usse aur isliye busy hoga woh! Tu tension na le main kal Mumbai ja raha hun use samjhata hun main!

Niharika: Abhay use kuch mat bolna usne mujhe bola tha he wouldn't be able to give me so much attention! Shayad main hi overreact kar rahi hun!

She cut the call, and on this side Abhishek was feeling bad for his best friend knowing how much of a considerate and loyal person she is and what's coming next for her. It's not as if he didn't notice the spark between Shubman and Sara which he once noticed between Shubman and Niharika, but this time it was different it wasn't as pure as last time. This time a hint of lust and expectation were visible. 

One evening Niharika came back from college and was scrolling through her instagram when she found a post stating Shubman and Sara are dating!

She was almost heartbroken when she shrugged it off thinking this must be just a rumor. This became viral and Niharika could see such posts everyday even some of her friends who didn't knew about Niharika being Shubman's teenage bestie or her being his girlfriend would ship Sara and Shubman in front of her. At last Niharika decided on confronting Shubman about this.

Shubman himself was confused about this and he didn't confess anything to Sara but they were getting closer day by day.

She picked up her phone and dialed Shubman's number.

Shubman who was currently in Mohali picked her call up.

Shubman: Hey Niu! Kaisi hai!?

Niharika: Main achi hun! Tum batao!?

Shubman: Main badhiya bilkul!

There was silence for few seconds which Niharika later broke.

Niharika: Shubi u love me right!? 

Shubman: Hn Niu! Tu aisa kyun pooch rahi hai!?

Niharika: Pakka na Shubi!? Bohot time haina hamare paas!?

Shubman: Hn Niu! Kuch hua hai kya tujhe?

Niharika: Nhi!... Btw all the best for IPL Shubi!

Shubman: Thank u Niu! Acha main tujhe ghar jaa k call krta hun abhi practice kar raha hun!

He cut the call and once again she couldn't confront him. During the IPL the rumors exceeded the limits, Sara used to comment on Shubman's posts, they were papped few times together. Pics with same background, the whole world was proving that they were dating but somewhere in the corner of her heart Niharika had a hope that it's all fake.

But her trust broke when she saw them in a cafe spending time, after he told her he was in practice. It broke her heart, her confidence everything. She felt useless, insecure and what not. She felt as if she wasn't special and was replaceable so easily. He didn't even think once before cheating on her, before replacing her with someone else.

She stood outside the cafe and called him. He picked her call at once.

Shubman: Hey Niu!

Niharika: Shubman I want to meet you!

Shubman: But tu toh Udaipur mein hai!

Niharika: Main Mumbai aai thi kuch kaam se! Mil sakte hain!?

Shubman: Yeah Sure!

She said the same cafe where Shubman was with Sara, and asked him to meet her after an hour. 

After an hour she went to the cafe and found Shubman sitting on the same seat. He stood to hug her but she somehow managed to refuse for it.

Niharika: Shubi let's come straight to the point!... What's going on between you and Sara?

Shubman's face became pale hearing Niharika, he was at short of words. He didn't knew what to reply and how to face her.

Shubman: Woh Niu~

Niharika: U love her?

She asked in a low voice.

Shubman: Actually~

Niharika: Shubman let's be clear for once!

Shubman: I'm sorry Niharika but I like her actually I love her!

The words broke Niharika into pieces. She was questioning her decision of getting into a relation with him, she was questioning her own existence she was questioning the whole concept of love. She was feeling like the most insecure person on Earth at the moment. How replaceable she is.

Niharika: Shubman you said we had time!

Shubman: I'm sorry Niharika but I love her!

Niharika: It's ok! It's my fate that everyone I love leaves me!

The words strike Shubman like a piece of glass hitting his chest. He knew her past, he knew she lost her parents, he knew that even after having such a big family she considered him as her family and what did he do he just broke her.

Niharika: I'll get going! I hope that we never meet again! I don't wanna come back in ur life and ruin it!

The last words he heard before she left 5 years ago. It's been 5 years and he couldn't forget it. He and Sara dated for 2 years and then broke up. Even though this didn't affect his gameplay, he used to think Niharika responsible for his break up with sara and him being a loner. However Abhishek didn't leave his side, he did every possible thing to keep him away from any kind of malicious habits.

While on the other side Niharika was getting insecure about her behavior her looks and everything. This indeed had a great impact on her mindset, on her opinion about herself and the most imp on love, on relationship. At last her bua decided to keep her busy in business. Business helped her a lot to recover from this trauma but it couldn't make her believe in love again. Love surely was a great thing for her but she decided on never falling in love again. She was scared of getting replaced again. She felt she was no different, no unique and was replaceable.

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written on: 01-06-24
posted on: 22-08-24