The One He Left Behind

The worst part wasn't that Aarya didn't show up. It was that I still kept waiting like she would.

The cafe smelled like over-roasted beans and cinnamon syrup, and I kept glancing at the door every time it creaked open, thinking maybe this time, she'd walk in. My phone had nothing. No texts. No missed calls. Just silence.

And the clock kept ticking.

Twenty minutes. Thirty. Forty-five.

This wasn't the first time she'd ditched me. She had a habit of going radio silent, of cancelling last minute with a weak excuse or none at all. And each time, like a complete idiot, I forgave her. Told myself she was just busy, or tired, or forgot.

But today? Today, I had something to tell her. Something important. Something I wanted to share.

And she didn't show up.

I grabbed my bag and walked out. Her house wasn't far — ten minutes, maybe fifteen on foot. Leo had stayed at home with Anushka, which was for the best. I didn't need a witness to my growing irritation.

As I walked, memories flooded in. That time she ditched me at the movies. When she promised she'd come to my birthday and cancelled the morning of. When she bailed during finals week and let me study alone even though we'd promised to prep together. And yet I always let it go. Because she was my best friend. Or, I thought she was.

I reached her house and rang the bell. Her mom opened the door with a warm smile.

"Aarya's in the backyard, beta. Go ahead."

I nodded, my heartbeat loud in my ears as I walked through the hallway and stepped into the backyard.

And there she was. Laughing. Laughing like nothing had happened. Sitting next to Aryan — yes, my Aryan. My ex.

They looked so comfortable. Like they belonged together. Like I was the outsider.

My legs felt like they might give out.

"Aarya," I called, my voice sharp.

She turned, smile faltering. "Hey... Vritika. You didn't tell me you were coming."

"You didn't tell me you weren't."

She looked away.

"And him? Really? How long?"

"Vritika, it's not what you think—"

"Oh, so you're not secretly dating my ex? Just casually sitting with him and forgetting our plans?"

Aryan stood up, trying to explain, but I didn't care. I didn't want to hear it.

I turned and walked away.

I didn't even know where I was going until I reached the park. I found the same old bench under the gulmohar tree and collapsed onto it.

And then I cried.

I cried because I was tired of being left behind. Of being second. Of loving people who couldn't love me the same way.

My phone buzzed.

Virat Kohli calling.

I wiped my face and picked up. "Hello?"

"Where are you? I came to the cafe, but you weren't there. Are you okay?"

My voice cracked. "Can you come pick me up? I'm near the park by Aarya's lane."

"I'm on my way. Stay there."

He arrived ten minutes later, slowing the car to a stop beside the curb. I didn't look up. He got out, walked over, and without saying a word, sat beside me.

"You okay?"

Ishook her head, biting mylip.

"Wanna talk about it?"

And just like that, the dam broke. I told him everything — how Aarya had been my best friend since class 6, how Aryan was someone I had once liked, how betrayed I felt.

Virat didn't interrupt once. He just listened, one hand resting gently on my back.

"I feel so stupid," I said, wiping her face. "Like... maybe I don't matter to people. Not even to my mom. Not to Aarya. Maybe not to anyone."

He turned to her sharply. "Don't say that. You matter. To me."

I looked at him, eyes red. "Why though? You didn't even want me."

"That's not true," he said quietly. "I was young. Scared. But I never stopped thinking about you. I didn't know how to fix it. I didn't even know if I deserved to. But I'm trying now. And I won't stop. Ever."

I whimpered in his chest, my face crumpling again as I whispered, "Thanks... papa."

His breath caught.

He pulled me in gently, wrapping his arms around me as I let herself break down. In that moment, we weren't Virat Kohli the cricketer and his long-lost daughter. We were just a father and a girl who needed one.

The flight to Delhi had been smooth. My mood? Not so much.

I hadn't told anyone I was coming. It was meant to be a surprise. Tara loved surprises — or so she claimed. We had been planning this for weeks. Our first anniversary.

And yet, something had felt off the last few days.

She wasn't picking calls. Messages were short, bland. 'Busy with shoot.' 'Talk later.'

I'd brushed it off. Told myself not to be paranoid.

I reached her flat by 5. The security guard let me in. "She's home, sir. With a guest."

My stomach dropped.

I walked in quietly.

And then I saw it.

Tara. On the couch. Curled up next to him. Her so-called "just a friend."

Laughing. Whispering.

And kissing.

Something inside me went numb.

She looked up, mid-laugh, and froze. "Shubman..."

I didn't wait to hear it.

I turned around and walked away.

Not because I was weak.

But because staying would've broken something in me I'd never fix again.

Delhi had welcomed me with heartbreak.

---

Aarya ko gaali dene ke liye comments mein jaye. Ok so is there any specific scene you guys want me to write, I will write to mold it in with the plot.