Chapter Seventy-Seven: The Sunday That Changed Everything
Sunday morning was supposed to be peaceful.
The mansion was quiet. Sunlight streamed through the windows. Keiran was still asleep, Rex and Ganesha on guard duty. Keigan was in his room, probably scrolling through his phone. Jay was in the kitchen, making breakfast, one hand resting protectively on her still-flat stomach.
Keifer sat at the island, watching her with that soft look he'd had since they found out about the baby.
"Stop staring," she said without turning.
"Can't help it. You're glowing."
"That's called sweat. I'm cooking."
"It's called pregnancy glow. Accept it."
She threw a dish towel at him. He caught it, grinning.
It was peaceful.
Until the front door slammed.
---
Akshi stormed into the kitchen, face red, eyes blazing.
Behind her, Chethan followed, looking worried.
"They're fighting," Akshi announced.
Jay looked up. "Who?"
"SHREYA AND MITHUN! In the garden! FIGHTING!"
Jay blinked. "Shreya and Mithun? They don't fight."
"THEY'RE FIGHTING NOW! Like, REALLY fighting! I've never seen them like this!"
Chethan nodded. "It's bad. We tried to intervene. They told us to leave."
Keifer stood. "What are they fighting about?"
Akshi threw her hands up. "I DON'T KNOW! Something about the university project! Something about priorities! Something about—" She stopped. "About feelings, I think. But neither of them will SAY anything!"
Jay exchanged a look with Keifer.
"Should we—"
"No. Let them figure it out." He pulled her close. "They need to do this themselves."
---
In the garden, the fight had reached its peak.
"—you never LISTEN, Mithun!"
"I listen to everything you say. You just don't like what you hear."
"That's NOT the same thing!"
They stood facing each other, both rigid with frustration.
Shreya's eyes were bright with unshed tears. Mithun's jaw was tight, his calm facade cracking for once.
"This isn't about the project," he said quietly. "It hasn't been about the project for weeks."
"Then what is it about?"
He didn't answer.
"WHAT, Mithun?"
He looked at her. Really looked.
"You know what."
Her breath caught. "I—"
"You know. You've always known. You just won't acknowledge it."
---
Shreya shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Yes, you do."
"I DON'T."
"Shreya—"
"I have to go." She turned away. "I have to—I have things to do. University work. I need to—"
"Shreya."
She kept walking.
"SHREYA."
She didn't stop.
---
She made it to the hallway inside.
Her heart was pounding. Her hands were shaking.
She couldn't do this. Couldn't have this conversation. Couldn't admit what she felt, because what if he didn't feel the same? What if she said it and he walked away? What if she lost her best friend?
She needed to get to her room. Needed to think. Needed to—
A hand grabbed her arm.
Spun her around.
And pinned her against the wall.
---
Mithun.
His eyes were wild. His calm was completely gone.
"Don't you dare walk away from me."
"Mit hun—"
"NO. You don't get to run. You don't get to pretend. Not anymore."
She stared at him, frozen.
"I have loved you for YEARS." His voice was raw, desperate. "Every single day. Every single moment. I have watched you laugh, watched you cry, watched you date other people and come to me when it fell apart. And I stayed. I always stayed. Because being your friend was better than not having you at all."
Tears streamed down her face. "Mithun—"
"But I can't do it anymore. I can't keep pretending that watching you walk away doesn't destroy me. I can't keep being just your friend when I want to be EVERYTHING to you."
He leaned closer, forehead almost touching hers.
"I love you, Shreya. I LOVE you. With everything I am. And I need to know—do you feel anything? Anything at all?"
---
She couldn't speak.
Couldn't breathe.
He was so close. His eyes so intense. His words echoing in her skull.
And then—
He kissed her.
Not gently. Not softly. Desperately. Like a man drowning. Like years of silence finally breaking.
She didn't move.
Didn't respond.
Didn't push him away.
But she didn't kiss him back.
---
He pulled back, breathing hard.
"I love you," he said again. "I love you."
She stared at him.
Then, without a word—
She turned.
And walked away.
---
He stood there, pinned against the wall himself now, watching her go.
She didn't look back.
Didn't stop.
Didn't say anything.
Just walked down the hallway, around the corner, out of sight.
He didn't follow.
Couldn't.
---
From the kitchen doorway, five people had watched everything.
Akshi's face was white. "Oh my god."
Chethan held her hand, speechless.
Jay gripped Keifer's arm. "Keif—"
"I know."
"We need to—"
"No. We can't."
"But—"
"She needs to process. He needs to process. They need to do this themselves."
Keiran appeared, sleepy. "What happened? Why everyone quiet?"
Akshi scooped him up quickly. "Nothing, baby. Everything's okay."
But it wasn't okay.
Nothing was okay.
---
Mithun stood in the hallway for a long time.
Then, slowly, he walked to his room.
Closed the door.
Didn't come out.
---
Shreya sat on her bed, staring at nothing.
Her lips still burned from his kiss.
His words echoed in her head.
I love you. I love you. I love you.
She hadn't said it back.
Couldn't.
What if she said it and he realized he'd made a mistake?
What if she said it and he left?
What if she said it and everything changed?
She curled into herself.
And cried.
---
The mansion was silent that night.
No laughter. No chaos. No arguments.
Just silence.
Heavy, painful silence.
---
Jay sat on the balcony with Keifer.
"I hate this," she whispered.
"I know."
"They're both hurting."
"I know."
"What do we do?"
He pulled her close. "We wait. We're here when they need us. That's all we can do."
She nodded against his chest.
"We waited," she said. "We found our way."
"They will too. Eventually."
"Eventually."
---
In his room, Mithun lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
He'd said it.
After years, he'd finally said it.
And she'd walked away.
Maybe he'd been wrong. Maybe she didn't feel anything. Maybe he'd just destroyed the best friendship of his life.
He closed his eyes.
And waited for the pain to stop.
---
In her room, Shreya stared at her phone.
Her fingers hovered over his name.
One text. That's all it would take.
I love you too.
But she couldn't.
What if—
She put the phone down.
Curled up again.
And cried herself to sleep.
---
End of Chapter Seventy-Seven