Love in shadows

A Turning Point Awaits

In the hustle and bustle of the college canteen, Siya was sitting alone in a corner, taking sips of her coffee. Her mind was in turmoil, replaying the events of the previous night. She was so lost in thought that she didn’t even notice someone had come and stood next to her. Then, a familiar but calm voice reached her ears.

"Hey, wow! Drinking coffee all alone? Where are those 'monkeys'?"

Siya’s attention was immediately pulled away. She looked up and saw her dearest and sharpest friend, Ramya, standing there.

Siya was initially startled, but a smile quickly spread across her face. Trying to play it cool, she responded, "Which monkeys?"

Ramya rolled her eyes and quickly responded, "Who? That... your 'Kartik'! With a monkey-like face, and so arrogant, like he's everyone's boss!"

Siya burst into laughter. The unique rivalry between Ramya and Kartik was no secret to anyone. Ramya always called him by quirky names—'Monkey', 'The Don of the Zoo', and so on.

Ramya pulled up a chair and sat in front of Siya. "Alright, tell me this... when did you start sitting alone like this? By the look on your face, it seems something's off. Is that monkey bothering you again?"

Siya tried to smile while looking at her cup, but Ramya's sharp gaze made it impossible to hide anything.

Ramya immediately cut her off, "Look, Siya, I don’t care about your fake smile. Tell me the truth, or else I’ll turn this entire canteen upside down!"

Siya knew this habit of hers all too well. Ramya’s anger and questions fired like a machine gun, but her heart was pure gold.

"Nothing much, Ramya," Siya said softly.

"Nothing much? Oh really! So, who wrote that 'I'm troubled' book on your face? Are you telling me, or should I..." Ramya left the sentence hanging and rolled her eyes, as if saying, "I’ll have to write the rest of the story myself."

Siya gave in and decided to tell Ramya everything.

"Forget all that, tell me this, how come you're here? You were supposed to meet your dad in London, right?"

As soon as Siya said that, Ramya’s laughter vanished. The smile that had been there was replaced by a slight sadness.

"I just came back from meeting Dad. But you know how it is—business talks, meetings, and then goodbye."

Siya tried to lighten the mood, "At least your dad takes you to London. My weekends are just stuck between the hostel and notes."

Ramya grabbed the coffee cup from Siya's hand to silence her and said, "Alright, now I want your coffee. And let's get out of the canteen. I need to fix your mood."

Siya smiled. This was what made Ramya special. She was different—sharp, straightforward, and always ready to stand by Siya in any situation.

"And listen," Ramya said as they were leaving, "If that monkey bothers you again, let me know. I'll drop him straight at the zoo!"

This time, Siya couldn't hold back her laughter. Ramya had lightened the weight on Siya's heart with her antics, and now their day was starting to feel cheerful again.

Siya decided that she would tell Ramya everything.

Siya finished her coffee and took a deep breath. Sitting across from Ramya, she realized she couldn't keep her feelings hidden any longer. Ramya was her closest friend, and hiding the truth from her was weighing heavily on Siya.

"Ramya," Siya said hesitantly, "I need to talk to you about something."

Ramya, who had been busy adding sugar to her coffee, immediately became alert. She looked at Siya attentively.

"I knew something was wrong," Ramya said. "Now, stop beating around the bush and tell me everything. I'm listening."

Siya closed her eyes for a moment before starting to speak.

"Ramya, I broke up with Kartik."

Ramya's reaction was exactly what Siya had expected. She was stunned at first, and then her face showed a mixture of surprise and relief.

"Good for you! I've been saying for a long time to leave that monkey. But now tell me, what happened? Why did you break up?"

Siya lowered her head. There was a hint of pain in her voice.

"Kartik only lied, all the time. I found it hard to trust him anymore. Whenever I tried to get the truth out of him, he would always brush me off. When I told him that I couldn't be with him anymore, that there was no point in a relationship without hope, he threatened me. He said if I left him, he would make my life a living hell."

Ramya's face turned red with anger.

"A threat? That monkey dared to do that? Siya, why didn't you tell me earlier? I'll go teach him a lesson right now!"

"Wait, Ramya," Siya tried to calm her down. "It's not just about Kartik. After that..." Siya's voice trailed off. Her eyes became teary. Ramya immediately grabbed her hand.

"Siya, tell me everything. I'm here for you."

Siya took a deep breath and then began speaking.

"A few days after Kartik's threat, Kartik had a fight with Zion. He wanted me to stay away from Zion."

Ramya's eyes widened.

"And Zion? What did he do? Is he the same friend from your art exhibition?"

"Zion tried to protect me from Kartik," Siya said slowly. "But after that, everything got even more complicated. I don't know what to do. And... and that night..."

Ramya interrupted Siya.

"Which night? Siya, speak clearly."

Siya’s eyes began to reflect fear.

“That night, my house was attacked. Someone wanted to hurt me. I somehow managed to escape. But after that, I received a threatening note. It said that if I didn’t stop meeting Zion, I would have to face the consequences.”

Ramya’s anger crossed all limits. She grabbed Siya’s hand and said,

“Siya, this is enough now. Kartik’s threats, the danger surrounding Zion, and the attack on you... This is no game. We need to tell the police. Or else... I’ll have to take matters into my own hands.”

Siya wiped her eyes and said,

"No, Ramya. I've already filed a complaint, but I don’t want Zion to know about this incident. Even though there's distance and misunderstandings between us, I know Zion would be disturbed by this. Siya thought about Zion’s past. She didn’t want Zion to become weak again. Siya wasn’t like Mayra, she had the courage to stand for her love.

Ramya placed her hand on her shoulder and said,

"You’re not weak, Siya. But remember, I am always with you. And if that monkey or anyone else tries to even touch you, I’ll leave them in such a state that they’ll be afraid of their own shadow." Siya seemed to snap out of her thoughts, as if she had come back to her senses.

Siya gave a faint smile. She knew that with her love and belief, she could face any difficulty. But the entanglements in her life had now become even more complicated.

On the other side, Zion was lost in thought.

Was Zion always keeping an eye on Siya?

What was Zion thinking of doing? Maybe he was about to do something that would turn their story in a new direction.