After a long moment of silence, Aryan glanced at Meera, a thought lingering on his mind. "Do you know what your father's company is called? I mean, her father's company?"
Meera stiffened slightly at the mention of Aarohi's father. She hadn't expected him to ask. For a moment, she didn't answer, unsure of how to respond. But then she looked at Aryan, her gaze softened by something bittersweet.
"Yeah," she said quietly, "It's Suryavanshi Enterprises. You wouldn't find it in the news, but it's one of the biggest conglomerates in the country. From international real estate to tech, they have their hands in everything."
Aryan frowned, surprised by the scale of it. "Suryavanshi Enterprises..." He repeated the name to himself, processing the weight of it. "That's massive."
Meera's expression grew distant, as if the very mention of the name stirred something inside her—something she didn't want to confront just yet. She pulled something from her pocket, a worn photo, and handed it to him. It was old, edges curled from time, but it still carried the warmth of a better time.
Aryan took the photo, his eyes scanning the image. It was of Meera and Aarohi, both grinning wide, the kind of carefree smiles that only childhood memories could capture. They were sitting on a grassy field under the bright sun, their faces alight with joy. It looked like a scene from another lifetime.
"That was us," Meera said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Before everything changed. Before she became someone she never wanted to be. Before she let all of this... take over."
Aryan's gaze lingered on the picture for a moment, then slowly shifted to Meera. "She was happy," he said, his voice soft, but it held a depth of understanding. "And you were too."
Meera nodded, swallowing hard. "I used to think we could go back to that. That we could somehow fix things. But I don't know anymore. I don't know if she remembers who she was... or if she even wants to anymore."
Aryan placed the photo down between them, his fingers brushing the edges. "Maybe you can remind her. Maybe it's not too late."
Meera's heart clenched, but she didn't answer. She wasn't sure if she had the strength to fight for something that felt so broken.
Meera shifted slightly, her gaze moving to the horizon as if the past was calling to her from the darkness. Aryan watched her, sensing the heaviness that hung in the air.
"I remember," Meera began, her voice barely audible. "One day, I decided to spend the whole vacation at her house. I thought, maybe if I was there, things would feel normal again. Maybe... just maybe, I could remind her of who she really was."
Aryan stayed quiet, listening intently, knowing there was more to the story.
Meera's fingers trembled as she gripped the edge of the roof, the memory playing in her mind like a film she couldn't stop. "Her house... her mansion, I should say. It was massive. The kind of place where you don't feel like you belong. But I didn't care. I wanted to be with her, to show her that I still saw her, the real her—before everything got so complicated."
She exhaled sharply, her voice thick with emotion. "But when I was there, I felt like... like I was invisible. Her father barely acknowledged me. And when he did, it was always with that look—the kind of look that makes you feel small, like you're nothing. I remember he looked at me and said, 'You don't belong here.'"
Aryan's eyes widened, his fists clenching instinctively. Meera's voice cracked slightly as she continued. "I tried to stay quiet, to pretend like it didn't bother me, but it did. And it wasn't just that. He insulted me, called me worthless—just a friend who wasn't worthy of being in his world."
She paused, swallowing hard to keep herself steady, her eyes meeting Aryan's for a fleeting moment. "Aarohi... she heard all of it. And she stood up for me, at first. She told him to stop, to leave me alone. I thought maybe it would end there. That he would see... But he didn't. It was like her words meant nothing to him. She couldn't do anything. And I... I just stood there, helpless."
Aryan's jaw tightened, his heart sinking as he saw the hurt in her eyes. "That must've been hard."
Meera nodded, her eyes clouded with a mix of pain and regret. "It was. Aarohi tried to defend me, but her father... he never cared about what she wanted. He only cared about what he needed her to be. And no matter how much she fought, her efforts were always in vain. It was like she was just... another pawn in his game. And I couldn't do anything to change that."
A long silence stretched between them, filled only with the hum of the city below. Aryan's voice was gentle but firm. "It's not your fault, Meera. You couldn't change him. But you can still be there for her now. Maybe she needs someone who hasn't given up on her yet."
Meera shook her head, her smile bitter. "I don't know, Aryan. Maybe I'm the one who's wrong for still hoping."
Aryan looked at her, a mixture of frustration and empathy in his eyes. "You're not wrong for wanting things to be better. But don't give up on her. Not yet."