Chapter One Hundred Nineteen: The Fight That Didn't End
The morning after the teasing wars, the mansion was unusually quiet.
Too quiet.
Akshi sat at the breakfast table, staring at her phone. Her jaw was tight. Her eyes were hard.
Chethan sat across from her, looking confused and worried.
"What do you mean you're not coming?" Akshi's voice was sharp.
Chethan blinked. "I have a project. I told you about it last week."
"You told me it was NEXT week."
"No, I said it was this week. You just weren't listening."
"I WAS listening! You said next week!"
"I didn't."
"You DID!"
---
The table went silent.
Everyone watched.
Jay set down her coffee. "What's going on?"
Akshi didn't look away from Chethan. "He's canceling our date night. AGAIN."
"It's not canceling! It's rescheduling!"
"It's the third time this month!"
"Because my classes are intense right now! You know that!"
"I know that you keep choosing your classes over me!"
---
Chethan's face tightened. "That's not fair."
"None of this is fair! I'm tired of always being second place!"
"You're not second place!"
"Then why do I feel like it?"
---
She stood abruptly.
Chair scraping against the floor.
"I need air."
"Akshi—"
"DON'T."
She walked out.
The door slammed behind her.
---
Chethan sat there.
Stunned.
Jay looked at him. "Are you going to follow her?"
"She doesn't want me to."
"She's upset. She doesn't know what she wants."
"She seemed pretty sure."
---
Shreya stood. "I'll talk to her."
She walked out.
The room was silent.
Chethan stared at his plate.
---
Shreya found Akshi in the garden.
Sitting on the bench. Arms wrapped around herself.
"Akshi."
Nothing.
"Akshi, talk to me."
"He doesn't care."
"That's not true."
"It IS true. He keeps choosing everything else over me. Classes. Projects. Friends. I'm always last."
"He loves you."
"Then why do I feel so alone?"
---
Shreya sat beside her.
Took her hand.
"I don't know. But running away won't fix it."
"I'm not running. I'm taking space."
"Same thing."
Akshi looked at her. "When did you get so wise?"
"After I forgot everything and came back. You learn things."
Akshi laughed weakly. "I hate this."
"I know."
"I love him so much."
"I know."
"But I'm so angry."
"I know."
---
They sat together.
The sun moved across the sky.
Akshi didn't go back inside.
Chethan didn't come out.
---
Hours passed.
Dinner time came.
Akshi still wasn't at the table.
Chethan sat in his usual spot.
Alone.
Jay looked at him. "Have you talked to her?"
"She doesn't want to talk."
"Have you tried?"
"She made that pretty clear."
"Chethan—"
"What am I supposed to do? Beg? She knows I love her. She knows my classes are important. She knows—" He stopped. "Maybe she doesn't know."
"Know what?"
"That she's the most important thing. That I'd drop everything if she really needed me. That I—" His voice cracked. "That I can't breathe when she's angry at me."
---
Shreya appeared. "She's still in the garden. Won't come in."
Chethan stood.
Walked out.
---
He found her on the same bench.
Still there.
Still wrapped in herself.
"Akshi."
Nothing.
"Akshi, please."
Nothing.
He sat beside her.
Not touching.
Just there.
"I'm sorry."
Silence.
"I'm sorry I made you feel second. I'm sorry I didn't explain better. I'm sorry for all of it."
Still nothing.
"I love you. You know that, right? I love you more than anything."
She finally looked at him.
Her eyes were red.
"Then why does it feel like I'm always waiting for you?"
---
He had no answer.
Because he didn't know.
Because maybe she was right.
Because maybe he had been taking her for granted.
"I don't know," he whispered. "But I want to fix it."
"How?"
"Tell me. Whatever you need. I'll do it."
She stood.
Walked away.
Left him there.
---
He didn't follow.
Couldn't.
---
That night, Akshi slept in Shreya's room.
Chethan slept alone.
The mansion was quiet.
But not peaceful.
---
The next morning, Akshi still wouldn't talk to him.
She ate breakfast quickly. Left without a word.
Chethan watched her go.
Jay sat beside him. "Give her time."
"How much time?"
"I don't know. But pushing won't help."
"She won't even look at me."
"I know."
---
Days passed.
Akshi and Chethan existed in the same house but didn't speak.
She slept in Shreya's room.
He slept alone.
Meals were awkward.
The mansion felt wrong.
---
Percy tried to lighten the mood. "So! Anyone want to play a game?"
Silence.
"NO? No one?"
Honey patted his arm. "Not now, babe."
"BUT—"
"Not now."
---
C.N. made a note. "Relationship status: Akshi and Chethan. Current state: Separated. Probability of reconciliation: Unknown."
Rakii lowered her camera. "I'm not taking photos of this."
"Good."
"It's too sad."
"I know."
---
Jay watched her family.
Broken.
Quiet.
Wrong.
She looked at Keifer.
He squeezed her hand.
"Give them time," he whispered.
"How much?"
"I don't know."
---
The fight wasn't over.
And no one knew if it would ever end.
---
End of Chapter One Hundred Nineteen