A Bittersweet Date

As we strolled home from college after college, Salina was chatting excitedly about her upcoming photo shoot for a fashion magazine and her singing lessons. Her bright smile and sparkling eyes lit up the entire street. But As I listened to her intently, I was struck by how different she was from me and my growing up surroundings.

A gentle breeze rustled her hair, and she brushed it away, her eyes never leaving mine.

I'm sorry; I was talking about myself this whole time! Hahahaha, tell me about yourself, Rahul. Salina suddenly apologized for talking about herself this whole time. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and she looked down, her eyelashes fluttering.

"Nothing special is happening in my life. I'm not a model like you, with tons of new things to do." I smiled wryly trying to brush it off, feeling a little self-conscious.

"What? But you are the one who rejected the modeling offer from Harsh, didn't you?" Salina asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

I was taken aback. "How did you know about that?" My eyes narrowed slightly, and Salina's face lit up with a mischievous grin.

Yeah, Miss Madhu told me Salina replied, her voice trailing off. She said you're not the norm... Her words hung in the air.

I sensed a hint of awkwardness. To steer the conversation away from awkwardness I said

Hey, want to come with me to a special place? I smiled, and Salina's face lit up with excitement.

A special place? Where is it? Salina asked, her eyes sparkled with curiosity, and she leaned in, her voice barely above a whisper.

"It's around the park, near the mall and cinema hall." I smiled mischievously.

Yeah, I know Salina's face bright up with recognition of place.

As we walked to the park while chatting again, obviously Salina was talking, and I was listening. Little did I know that this wouldn't last for long

In a park I take the Salina to the Ferris wheel. It was always crowded during the weekends but on weekdays it's pretty much empty. We arrived at the Ferris wheel, and I suggested we take a ride. We sat down in one of the cabinets. We soared above the city, Salina gasped at the breathtaking view her eyes widened with excitement. I was looking at her this whole time.

"Wow, it's so pretty!" she exclaimed, looking outside from the Ferris wheel. The city was embedded with a golden and red light from the sunset. The birds were flying towards their homes, and the twinkling sparks of light bulbs and kids' noise filled the air.

I turned to Salina and said, you know, there's a legend that couples who ride this Ferris wheel eventually break up I lied, trying to gauge her reaction and her feelings towards me.

But they stay good friends forever, right? Salina asked her eyes were widened in shock.

Yeah, that's right. I nodded, feeling a little pang of guilt. Her face lit up with a hopeful smile.

If we were going to break up, promise me you'll stay by my side. Salina's voice was filled with sincerity. Her eyes sparkled with tears, and I felt a lump form in my throat.

As I listened to her words, gazed into her eyes, I realized she still had a pure heart when it came to relationships. She believed friendship and love were intertwined.

I made a silent vow to myself that I will give her a gentle excuse to break up, one that wouldn't hurt her or make her hate me. "Yeah, we'll be best friends who can talk about anything, and it's a promise."

As the Ferris wheel reached the ground, we walked towards Salina's house.

"Ow, ow, ow, hey Salina! I think something got in my eyes. Can you blow it out?" I pretended to get something in my eye while rubbing my eyes.

Let me see! Don't rub your eyes! Salina said her small fingers gently touching my face and her face was lit up with concern. Her face was inches from mine, and she gently blew into my eyes. In that moment, it seemed like we were sharing a tender kiss, but in reality, she was simply helping me.

Everything was going according to plan. But little did Salina know, I had made up my mind that morning to break up with her. I had created a plan, one that would protect both of us from the truth.

As I sat on the ground in dark living room, my phone glowed with a secret message.

Package arrived, login for package

xxxx1234@goodmorninggmail.com

Password- xxxx1234@goodmorninggmail.com

I had asked someone to follow Akash, a guy from my college and a classmate, to take pictures of him all day. It was for protect Salina from the truth.

My heart ached as I thought about what I was about to do. Salina had brought so much happiness into my life, and now I was going to hurt her. The thought made my stomach twist with guilt and anxiety.

As the night wore on, my feelings only grew stronger. I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare, forced to choose between my loyalty to Salina and my own secrets. Whatever I decided, I knew someone would get hurt.