Fate, Jealousy, and the Past

The room was alive with laughter, clinking glasses, and the hum of conversations layered over soft background music. Aditi tightened her grip on the cold water bottle in her hand, her breath unsteady. The weight of Tanmay's gaze lingered on her even as she tried to focus on anything but him.

And then he moved.

Tanmay strode towards her, his posture relaxed yet his expression unreadable. The distance between them shrank with each step, and suddenly, after six months of silence, they stood face to face.

"Hey," he said, his voice smooth but carrying a hint of hesitation.

Aditi offered a small smile. "Hey."A

n awkward silence settled between them.

She hadn't expected to see him, much less talk to him. There were things left unsaid—things that perhaps should stay that way.

"You look... different," Tanmay finally said, his eyes scanning her. Not in an obvious way, but in the way someone does when they're trying to figure out what's changed.

Aditi let out a softchuckle. "Hopefully in a good way?"

"Yeah," he admitted, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "In a good way."

She nodded, glancing away for a brief moment before looking back at him. "And you? How have you been?"

Tanmay shrugged. "Busy. Work's been... well, work."

"I get that," Aditi said. "Same here."It was strange. Just a year ago, conversations between them had been easy—effortless, even. But now, there was a distance neither of them could quite bridge.

Tanmay cleared his throat. "So, you're in—""

Aditi," a voice interrupted.

Aditya.

Aditi turned to see him approaching, his usual confident grin in place. "Come on, I want you to meet someone. They're working on the digital platform side; thought you'd be interested."

"Oh, sure," Aditi said, momentarily glancing at Tanmay. "I'll catch up with you later."

Tanmay nodded, his face unreadable, but his eyes betrayed something else—something unspoken.

As Aditi walked away with Aditya, Tanmay's gaze lingered on her retreating figure.

He didn't know what annoyed him more—the fact that she was walking away from him or the fact that it was Aditya taking her away.

He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair.

Just let it go.But his eyes kept finding her across the room.

Tanmay wasn't actively looking for her. Or at least, that's what he told himself. Yet, somehow, he kept noticing her in the crowd. A fleeting glance when she laughed at something Riya said. A moment of eye contact when she turned in his direction.She always looked away first.And it drove him insane.

Was she avoiding him?Or was it just him overthinking everything?

He caught sight of her again, this time engaged in conversation with someone from another batch. She was animated, her hands moving as she spoke, and the person she was talking to seemed genuinely interested.

And yet, Tanmay couldn't help but think back to a different night. A night when she wasn't standing next to Aditya or anyone else. A night when she had been with him. The farewell night. His jaw clenched. That night, Aditi had danced with him. She laughed with him. Been by his side. And yet, it wasn't him who had taken her back to the hostel. It had been Aditya.And now, once again, it was Aditya who was with her.

A bitter taste settled on his tongue, but he pushed the feeling away."

Aditi!"She turned to see Riya approaching, looking slightly tired but still full of energy.

"Are you leaving now? Aditya has to head back, and since you're sharing his car, you should probably go."Aditi glanced at the time. 1:00 AM.

She sighed. "Yeah, it's getting late."

Riya gave her a knowing look. "It was nice, though, wasn't it? Being back here."

Aditi smiled. "Yeah. It really was."She turned to say a quick goodbye to a few more people before making her way towards Aditya, who was waiting by the entrance.Tanmay watched as she walked toward him, something in his chest tightening.

Again.Again, it was Aditya who was taking her home.

His grip on his drink tightened as he watched them disappear into the night.

And all he could think about was how history had repeated itself.Once upon a time, it had been him who held her close under the warm glow of farewell lights.

But it was Aditya who always got to take her home.

Aditi lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling fan that whirred lazily above her. The alumni meet had left her drained—not just physically, but emotionally. Seeing Tanmay again had unraveled feelings she had spent months trying to bury.And yet, here she was.Still stuck.Still in love with someone who was never hers to begin with.Her phone buzzed.

Mom: Aditi, call me when you're free. We need to talk.

Aditi sighed, already knowing what this was about.

She had been dodging this conversation for weeks, but she knew she couldn't escape it any longer.Reluctantly, she called her mother back.

"Finally!" Her mother's voice came through, exasperated. "I thought you'd ignore me again."

Aditi let out a tired laugh. "Of course not, Maa. Just been busy with work."

"You're always busy, beta. But you need to make time for important things."Aditi closed her eyes. Here it comes."

I talked to your father," her mother continued. "And we both think it's time you start considering marriage."

Aditi bit her lip. "Maa, we've talked about this—""No, we haven't really talked about it," her mother cut in. "You always change the topic or avoid answering. But Aditi, you're 25 now. You have a stable job, your own home, and a good life. Don't you think it's time to settle down?"

Aditi exhaled slowly, choosing her words carefully. "Maa, I just don't think I'm ready yet. I barely started my career. And marriage is... a big decision."

"We're not asking you to get married tomorrow," her father's voice joined in from the background. "We're just asking you to meet someone. See if you connect. If not, then no pressure."

"Maa, Papa... please."

Her mother sighed. "Beta, I know you have your reasons. But tell me honestly—are you saying no because you're really not ready? Or is it because of him?"Aditi's throat tightened.

Of course, her mother knew. She always knew.S he had never openly talked about Tanmay to her parents, but she had never needed to. Her mother had always picked up on the smallest things—on the way she talked about him, on the sadness in her eyes when his name came up.

"Aditi," her mother's voice softened. "It's been six months. And from what you've told me, he was never yours to begin with. You can't keep holding onto something that was never real.

"Aditi clenched her jaw, fighting back the lump in her throat. "It was real, Maa. Maybe not to him, but it was real to me."

Her father sighed. "Beta, we're not asking you to forget him overnight. But life moves forward, Aditi. And sometimes, we need to let go of things that hold us back.

"Aditi stayed silent.She wanted to tell them that she had tried to let go. That she had thrown herself into work, tried to convince herself that Tanmay was just a chapter in her past.

But seeing him again had undone everything.And now, she was back to square one."

I just... I don't want to meet anyone right now," she said finally. "Can you respect that?"

There was a long pause before her mother spoke again.

"Alright. But promise me one thing—when you are ready, you'll let us know."Aditi swallowed and nodded, even though they couldn't see her. "I promise."But deep down, she wondered—would she ever be ready?