Tiyas stepped back, covering his face with his hands, and said with deep disappointment,
___"What am I hearing? No, no, Prili can't be with someone else. The right to her love belongs only to me. My Prili is mine alone! This… this Prili, you can't…" (He tried to step forward and say something.)
I moved back and scolded him,
___"Stay away from me. Just like you created distance before. Don't you understand how much I despise you? Why do you keep coming back? And yes, just as I loved you one-sidedly for a year and a half, Ryan Bhai (Brother/ older brother respectful way of calling someone older than you. Kind of similar to hyung/oppa) has been loving me selflessly for the past three and a half years. But the difference is, I didn't start any drama like you did. Over time, I've come to feel his presence in my life. Maybe I get annoyed with him, refuse to talk, but even then, he loves me deeply and selflessly. And listen, he's not like you—he's from a much better family! He's now an established cadre. He was even more brilliant than me and was three years senior. Yet, he hasn't mentioned marriage, waiting only for me!"
I adjusted my scarf, pulling it partially over my head, and walked forward. Tiyas stood there, frozen. He had probably lost his ability to speak in that moment!
Meanwhile, my legs felt cold, and walking became difficult. Even after hardening myself so much, his eyes were weakening me today.
For a moment, I wondered if he was truly remorseful. Had he suffered enough to be forgiven?
If he were truly remorseful, maybe forgiveness was possible. But giving him another chance was impossible! Especially when someone else had been waiting for me for years.
I didn't know Ryan Bhai when I first joined university. In my second year, a professor asked me to approach him for a solution. After my school life, I hadn't spoken properly to any boy. In fact, I'd get annoyed seeing boys and girls mingling freely. Because of this, I had to change residences countless times.
Many boys would propose to me, but a few days after rejecting them, I'd see them flaunting another girl. But Ryan Bhai was the only one who loved me without ever saying it. He only said, "The day you get married, I'll get married too. So, Priliya, when will you get married?"
I'd laugh it off or change the subject.
After meeting him, no other boy dared to look at me on campus. Most of the time, while sitting and reading books, I'd notice him sitting at a distance, staring at me. When I'd look, he'd pretend to focus elsewhere. Even in the library, he'd use newspapers as an excuse to look at me. But over time, these antics lessened. He had his final exams, then BCS preparation, and now his cadre job. In the first year of knowing him, he acted like a lovesick teenager. Nowadays, I see him less, and I miss him in secret. But whenever he gets the chance, he comes to the university. I've never let him know how much I appreciate his presence, but I secretly wait to see his face. I don't use Facebook much, but he often messages me. However, even chatting annoys me. Those ugly habits from that year and a half have turned into disgust.
---
That day, after returning to my room and freshening up, I felt torn. I desperately wanted to see my parents. I picked up the phone and video-called them. But as soon as it rang, the call ended. I kept trying. I knew my mischievous brother was playing games on the phone. After a few attempts, he appeared on the screen, annoyed, and said,
___"Sis, sis, call a little later. Why did you call at such a crucial moment?"
I scolded him,
___"Didn't I buy you a separate phone? Then why are you using Mom and Dad's phone? I gave it to them to talk to me. Just give them the phone."
___"Sis, my phone's dead, so I'm using this one. And you gave Mom and Dad such fancy phones. Mine's no fun to play with. Let me swap them, please."
I scolded him again,
___"You brat, you have the phone all day. Do I call all the time? You'll get a better phone when it's time. Study well and get into university. Besides, I'll bring you a gift next time. Now, give me the phone!"
He scratched his head and said,
___"Dad went to the city to bring new stock for the shop. I'll give it to Mom."
I smiled faintly. That age is indeed troublesome. But playing games on the phone is better than playing with people's emotions. He's not focused on studies anyway, so I've told Mom not to scold him. He'll understand on his own eventually!
Soon, Mom's face appeared on the screen. Seeing her, my heart felt at ease. I smiled and said,
___"Mom, you've got something on your cheek. Were you cooking?"
Mom laughed and said,
___"Yes, I just finished cooking. I didn't notice the smudge when you called. How are you, Lia?"
I shook my head and said,
___"I'm fine, Mom. Where's Grandpa? Is he doing okay?"
Mom turned the camera toward Grandpa and said,
___"Look, your grandpa's sitting beside me, waiting to see you."
After a moment of silence, I softly said,
___"Mom, if someone regrets their mistakes, should they be forgiven?"
Mom's smile faded. With a distant look, she said,
___"Lia, has Tiyas found you? Is he asking for forgiveness now?"
I nodded. Immediately, anger flashed across Mom's face. She said,
___"Lia, you were lucky to have the strength to stand up back then. But many people end their lives at such a stage. Think about it—if you had done something like that, who would he have apologized to? Would he have gotten you back? Besides, someone who plays with hearts once can do it countless times. Don't trust him, Lia. Even if he's deeply remorseful and blames himself, forgive him at most, but don't let him close again.
In this city, crimes of the body are punished, but crimes of the heart are not. The punishment for that must come from within. You must do the same!"
I frowned and said,
___"Mom, weren't you always so soft-hearted? Since when did you become so rebellious?"
Mom looked at Grandpa and laughed,
___"Since I heard my daughter's story!"
My eyes welled up. I smiled with a sense of fulfillment and said,
___"Mom, I need to start cooking now."
Mom reached out and said,
___"Take care of yourself, dear."
I waved and ended the call.
I felt drained until evening. Was Tiyas truly deserving of forgiveness? Mom's words weren't wrong either!
Lost in these thoughts, night fell.
For some reason, I logged into Facebook.
I was shocked.
Ryan Bhai had sent me a photo, sent in the evening. It was an old photo of me with Tiyas from years ago, taken during our freshman welcome event. Araf had taken it.
How did Ryan Bhai get this photo? I couldn't understand.
I searched for his number and called him. He had somehow gotten my number before, even though I'd changed my SIM twice since then. He doesn't know my new number.
He picked up immediately, and I cleared my throat and said,
___"Priliya here. How did you get this photo of me with Tiyas?"
His voice was tense and serious as he said,
___"He gave it to me himself. I don't know how he found me! He told me a lot about you, most of which I think is baseless. Can you meet me tomorrow? There's a lot to discuss about him. Tiyas did this to keep me away from you. But if he knew who I was, he'd never have dared. Whatever he is, I need to tell you some things about him."
I simply replied,
___"Okay, let's meet tomorrow."
I went to meet him in the afternoon, filled with curiosity. I thought there might be something positive about Tiyas. But I stood there for a while as he kept thinking about this and that. I grew impatient and said,
___"Are you going to say something or not? What did he do? Did he say I was his girlfriend? Do you want to settle this with me?"
Hearing this, he said in a trembling voice,
___"Priliya, did something very bad happen between you two back then? Did he try to ruin your studies?"
I was startled. I took off my glasses and said,
___"He told you that? How do you know?"
He looked troubled and said,
___"No, no, he didn't tell me anything. I think he didn't just do this to one or two girls. He's done this to countless talented individuals. His focus is always on the brilliant ones. Like Dipti from your class. She's my cousin, you know?"
I was even more shocked. Stuttering, I said,
___"Dipti? She was Tiyas's girlfriend. He proposed to her in front of me."
He spoke before I could continue,
___"He betrayed her too. She had good results everywhere and worked hard, but she performed poorly in the finals. It was all because of Tiyas."
I said dismissively,
___"Dipti used to cheat in exams and wanted to be first. She couldn't accept anything less than the top spot."
Ryan smiled slightly and said,
___"Well, my uncle is a big businessman. Dipti was his only daughter, so he doted on her. It was just her age—she didn't have the maturity then. But she shared everything with me. I saw Tiyas's photo on her phone. Later, she told me he had betrayed someone named Lia in your class, something she hadn't known fully. She found out everything before the exams. After that, Dipti was filled with negative thoughts. That's why she performed so poorly. But after the results, she moved to America and is still there.
Meanwhile, seeing the photo Tiyas sent me today, I realized that the Lia Dipti mentioned is the Priliya I've come to care for so much!"
As I listened to his words, my composure began to crumble. My chest tightened repeatedly!
Can people really be this evil? Shame! Shame!
And here I was, thinking about forgiving him? My mom was absolutely right—someone who enjoys breaking hearts once will do it again and again, to everyone! ….
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T/N: If you like it please vote with power stone please. More stones equals faster release.
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