love by mistake : 4

That entire day, Titir didn’t open her door.

Her mother called a few times, Sima knocked gently, but Titir didn’t respond to anyone.

By late afternoon, she quietly took her phone, buried her face in the pillow, and video-called Mina.

As Mina’s face appeared on the screen, Titir softly said,

— “Can you talk right now?”

Mina looked concerned,

— “Yes, tell me. What happened? Your voice sounds like someone just murdered you!”

Titir frowned slightly in irritation, then said,

— “These days, everyone is just ‘Rudra this, Rudra that’. As if I’m invisible! This morning I went near Rudra’s room... the door was shut, and I heard laughter. I leaned in to listen—and suddenly the door opened! I fell flat on my face! In front of everyone... Sima laughed like crazy. I’ve never felt so humiliated.”

Mina stayed quiet for a moment, then gently said,

— “Aren’t you overreacting a bit? Childhood jealousy and anger—you’re clinging to all of it. Everyone talks about him because he cares, and they care about you too. If you were there, they’d talk about you too.”

Titir bit her lip,

— “I don’t want anyone’s care! And Rudra... he likes Sima, doesn’t he? Then why does he act like he cares about me?”

Mina smiled,

— “Love and jealousy are close cousins. What you’re calling ‘hatred’ might be something else... think about it.”

Titir didn’t reply, just stared silently at the screen.

The sad evening passed slowly, with the dim room light and her friend’s face glowing from the phone screen.

Mina laughed and said,

— “Why don’t you just talk to Rudra? Things will get better!”

Titir said firmly,

— “No means no. I haven’t spoken to anyone since that incident. Didn’t even open my door!”

Mina teased,

— “Then Rudra probably thinks your anger is just like when you were a kid!”

Titir widened her eyes,

— “Let him think what he wants. I’m not that little girl anymore!”

Mina smirked,

— “Right, you’re grown-up Titir now! With grown-up anger, grown-up grudges, and a PhD in silent treatment!”

Titir threw a pillow at the phone,

— “Shut up or I’ll hang up!”

Mina laughed,

— “Fine, fine. Just remember — what you don’t say with words, your eyes show. What if Rudra figures it all out?”

Titir paused, her voice soft,

— “I never go near him. What is he going to see?”

Mina said,

— “Okay, now calm down. And don’t be like this with your family, please.”

Titir turned her face away,

— “I’m not angry, just irritated. Everyone only thinks about him.”

Mina laughed,

— “You don’t get it. Rudra’s back after years. Everyone’s excited. You should smile a little too — it’ll feel better.”

Titir quietly said,

— “I’ll try…”

She ended the call. Then she slowly stood up and looked at herself in the mirror—reddened eyes, pale face.

“Ugh! I can’t walk around like this,” she muttered and walked into the bathroom.

Standing under the warm water, she closed her eyes. It felt like the water was washing away all her frustration and pain.

After her shower, she put on a light pink kurti and blue jeans. Her hair was still damp, but she combed it lightly. Standing in front of the mirror, she applied a bit of lip balm.

Titir told herself,

— “No more sulking. Today, I’ll just be normal.”

She smiled a little, took a deep breath, and headed downstairs. Her footsteps echoed on the stairs as she came down, step by step.

The living room was quiet — calmer than the day before.

It was a big hall, with scattered magazines, a bottle of water on the table, and sunlight falling through the corner vase onto the marble floor.

On the sofa, her stepmother was sitting — beside her was Tina, and a few housemaids were dusting and arranging cushions.

As soon as Titir entered, Tina exclaimed,

— “Well, look who finally woke up! Her Highness!”

Titir smiled faintly, hiding the irritation. Her stepmother looked up and said,

— “You’re finally awake. Come have some tea — then do whatever you want.”

Titir asked,

— “Where is everyone, Ma?”

She added,

— “Rudra came home but I didn’t even get to see him. Where is everyone?”

Her stepmother replied,

— “Rudra went to the office with your father for some urgent business. Sima left for school in the morning.”

Tina chimed in,

— “And we stayed here in case our princess would grace us with her presence today.”

Titir’s face softened.

She sat down beside them, hugging a cushion and said,

— “I wasn’t feeling okay... didn’t feel like talking to anyone.”

Her stepmother said,

— “That’s fine, you’re here now. Eat something, then do what you want. But don’t treat people like that — we were all worried about you.”

Tina (jokingly):

— “Titir, you know when you ran to your room this morning, I thought a ghost was chasing you!”

Titir:

— “Very funny. I got hurt and you’re laughing?”

Tina:

— “I thought you were training for the Olympics! With that speed, gold medal guaranteed!”

Titir (laughing):

— “And you’d be in the kitchen Olympics — first place in chopping veggies!”

Tina (mock serious):

— “You don’t understand — chopping is an art. You’ll know when you slice your hand.”

Titir:

— “Then be careful in the kitchen. Rudra might come back and say, ‘Tina bhabi, I want some finger chips,’ and you’ll show your hand and say, ‘I don’t have fingers!’”

Tina (throwing a pillow at her):

— “You idiot!”

Titir (laughing):

— “Even if I’m an idiot, I’m your best friend!”

Tina:

— “Only if you bring me ice cream this afternoon!”

Titir:

— “Deal! But only if you protect me from Rudra!”

Tina, a bit surprised, asked,

— “Why do you have such a problem with Rudra?”

Titir sighed deeply and said in a firmer voice,

— “When I was 10, he was in Class 9. Mom used to ask him to help me study. But you know what he’d do? He’d sit with me and then say, ‘Why are you so dumb? Even kids would get this!’ — in front of everyone.”

Tina laughed,

— “You’re still mad about that?”

Titir:

— “Not just studies... he used to hit me too! Ma, you don’t know—he hit me!”

Stepmother (raising her voice):

— “You forgot what you did back then? You lied that Rudra hit you — and your uncle scolded and punished him!”

Titir (angrily):

— “Because he tricked me! He pretended to help and then insulted me in front of everyone! I was just a child — what else could I do?”

Stepmother (firmly):

— “Because you were a child, everyone believed you. But you took advantage of that. Your anger now isn’t for Rudra — you’ve never let go of your childhood jealousy.”

Adjusting her saree, she added,

— “You act like Rudra tortured you all the time! Do you even remember how many times he got punished just because of you?”

Titir (holding back tears):

— “You always take his side, Ma. You did then, you do now.”

Stepmother (turning away in irritation):

— “I’m not taking sides, Titir. But the truth has to be told. You played such drama that your uncle thought Rudra was guilty — when he always knew the real fault was yours.”

Titir’s voice broke as her eyes filled up,

— “So you’re saying I lied? That he never did anything to me?”

Her stepmother stayed quiet for a moment, then softly said,

— “What he did — teasing you, mocking you — was like a brother playing with his sister. But you’ve held onto it so tightly, you’ve turned him into your enemy.”

Titir said nothing.

She sat there with her head down.

Faded memories flickered in her mind — a room, some shouting, tearful faces…

And a boy, standing all alone.

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