The Secret She Never Told

Sister drama-

Five years ago — Flashback

The lights of the restaurant fell on the road.

A 13-year-old Kriti stood outside the restaurant, trying to be brave.

She saw a boy coming out of the restaurant.

Kriti raised her hand and waved at him.

The boy stopped and looked confused.

He came closer.

Boy: “Kriti? What the hell are you doing here?”

Kriti: “We need to talk.”

Boy: “I don’t want to talk to you.”

Kriti: “No. We need to talk.”

The boy looked at her.

Boy: “Fine. I know why you are here, Kriti.”

Kriti stayed quiet.

Boy: “But the truth needs to come in front of your Didi.”

Kriti’s face changed.

Kriti: “I know… I know.”

She looked at him.

Kriti: “But you don’t understand. That cannot happen.”

Boy: “Why?”

Kriti: “Didi can’t know what happened. Please, try to understand.”

The boy looked at her.

Boy: “Kriti… the truth cannot stay hidden forever.”

Kriti’s confident face disappeared.

She had nothing to say.

CUT TO:

Present day — Abhishek’s house

Everyone was sitting at the dining table.

They were talking.

Suddenly, Mira stood up.

Mira: “Okay, now we should leave.”

Kriti looked at her.

Kriti: “Oh… are we leaving now?”

Everyone looked at Mira.

Abhishek: “Wait, don’t leave right now. You told me that you will stay for dinner.”

Mira looked at him, unsure what to say.

Before she could answer, Kriti suddenly stood up too.

“What?”

Everyone looked at her.

“Why are we leaving right now?” Kriti asked.

Mira looked at her sister.

“Kriti…”

“No,” Kriti interrupted. “You told me at home that you would come after dinner.Her voice became sharper.

“So why are we leaving now?”

The table became silent.

Everyone was confused.

Mira didn’t like the way Kriti was behaving in front of everyone.

Kriti looked around at the family members.

Then she gave a small, smile.

“Okay… okay, I understand.”

Everyone watched her.

“You don’t want me here, right?”

Mira :

“Kriti, what are you saying?”

Kriti continued.

“That’s why you want to leave.”                             

“You’re going to get married into such a beautiful family.”

She looked at Abhishek’s family.

“And if this is your new family…”

“Then I am your only sister. So this is my family too.”

Everyone became quiet.

Kriti looked at Mira.

“Why don’t you want me to introduce myself properly? Why don’t you want me here?”what happened Didi?

“I won’t go.”

After saying that, Kriti walked away from the dining table.

She went to the sofa and sat down.

Everyone just stared at her.

Confused.

Surprised.

And slightly uncomfortable.

Mira stood there, unable to believe what just happened.Mira walked towards her.

“Kriti.”

Kriti didn’t look up.

Mira stood in front of her.

“Enough is enough.”

Her voice was calm but serious.

“We are leaving right now.”

She held out her hand.

“Please, stand up.”

Kriti finally looked at her.

and said:

"Ok ok fine let's go "

Everyone in the room became quiet. They weren’t expecting Kriti to agree so easily.

Mira looked at her sister carefully, as if trying to understand what was going on inside her mind.

Kriti picked up her bag and walked toward the door. But before leaving, she stopped for a moment and looked back at everyone.

Her eyes stopped on Abhishek.

Kriti was about to leave with Mira when suddenly she stopped near the door. She turned back and looked at Abhishek.

A small, teasing smile appeared on her face.

“Wait,” Kriti said.

Everyone looked at her.

Kriti folded her arms and looked at Abhishek. “Now don’t tell me we have to walk all the way home.”

Abhishek raised his eyebrows, confused. “Walk?”

“Yes,” Kriti replied dramatically. “Walk. Twenty minutes. Because apparently nobody thought about how we are going back.”

She looked toward his car keys on the table and then back at him.

“But you have such a big car,” she said. “So I think, Abhishek, you should drive us home.”

Abhishek smiled slightly, amused by her confidence.

Kriti continued, “I mean, I don’t think you will allow your would-be wife and her sister to walk all the way to their house, right?”

The room became silent for a second.

Mira looked at Kriti with a warning expression. “Kriti…”

But Kriti just shrugged.

“What? Am I wrong?”

Abhishek looked at Mira, then at Kriti. He understood that behind her teasing, Kriti was trying to make the situation normal again.

A small smile appeared on his face.

“Fine,” Abhishek said. “I’ll drop you both.”

Kriti nodded proudly. “Good decision.”

Mira sighed. “You really never change.”

Kriti smiled. “That’s because someone has to keep things interesting.”

But as they walked outside, Abhishek noticed something.

The girl who acted like nothing affected her…

had become quiet again.

And he wondered what was really hidden behind Kriti’s fearless attitude.

The three of them walked toward the car. Mira sat in the back seat, while Kriti stood near the door for a moment, looking at Abhishek.

“What?” Abhishek asked, noticing her stare.

Kriti tilted her head slightly. “Nothing. I was just thinking…”

Abhishek waited.

“That you are surprisingly calm,” Kriti said. “Most people would get irritated by me.”

Abhishek smiled a little. “Maybe I’m not most people.”

Kriti raised an eyebrow. “Oh? That sounds confident.”

“I’m just saying,” Abhishek replied, starting the car, “not everything is as simple as it looks.”

For a moment, Kriti’s expression changed. His words reminded her of something she didn’t want to remember.

But she quickly hid it.

“Wow,” she said lightly. “A deep line. Did you practice that in front of the mirror?”

Abhishek laughed softly.

From the back seat, Mira watched both of them quietly.

She noticed something strange.

Usually Kriti didn’t let anyone get close to her. She always built a wall around herself.

But with Abhishek…

that wall was slowly breaking.

The car started moving toward their house.

After a few minutes of silence, Abhishek looked at Kriti through the mirror.

“Kriti?”

“Hmm?”

“Can I ask you something?”

Kriti looked outside the window. “Depends on the question.”

Abhishek paused.

“Why do you always act like you don’t care?”

The question made the car quiet.

Mira looked at Kriti.

Because she knew.

That was the one question Kriti never wanted anyone to ask.

Kriti slowly turned her face toward him.

And for the first time that night, her smile disappeared.

“Maybe because…” she said softly, “caring about people is the easiest way to get hurt.”

Mira’s eyes widened.

She had never heard Kriti say that before.

And Abhishek realized…

there was a story behind those words.

A story Kriti had never told anyone.

Abhishek sat quietly in the car, but his mind was still stuck on Kriti's strange behavior. He had so many questions running through his head. He looked at her, ready to ask one more thing.

But before he could even speak, Kriti looked at him and said coldly,

"Okay, no more questions."

Abhishek stopped and looked at her in surprise.

Kriti continued, "I don't want any more questions. Three questions per day. That's the limit. Don't cross it."

Abhishek was shocked by her words. Again, that same rude and controlled attitude. It irritated him because he wasn't used to someone stopping him like that.

Mira noticed Kriti's behavior and sighed, already annoyed.

"Kriti..." Mira said, trying to warn her.

But Kriti didn't even look at her. She simply shrugged.

"Yeah, yeah, okay. Whatever you both think. But my rules are my rules. Don't break them."

Abhishek stared at her, confused and a little frustrated.

"Your rules?" he asked.

Kriti gave him a small, emotionless smile.

"Yes. Three questions a day. Maximum."

And with that, she turned her face away, leaving Abhishek wondering what kind of person she really is..

"So..." Kriti said casually, looking ahead, "when are you two getting married?"

Both Mira and Abhishek looked at her.

Kriti continued, "I thought you guys were going to wait and discuss everything today. The marriage date, the time, all those things. But..." She paused and looked slightly away. "Sorry. Because of me, my sister doesn't like me, and because of me, the plan got postponed, I guess. Right?"

Her voice sounded sarcastic, but there was something else hidden behind it.

"Sorry for that."

Before Mira could reply, Abhishek looked at Kriti and said with a small smile,

"Oh, so you do care sometimes."

Kriti immediately turned her head and gave him a sharp death stare.

For a second, Abhishek thought she would say something rude again. But instead, Kriti just gave an annoyed smile, like his answer irritated her.

She rolled her eyes and turned towards the window, silently watching the outside view.

Mira noticed the tension between them and sighed.

"Kriti, you don't need to be sorry," Mira said softly. "We have plenty of time. We can discuss all these things another day. It doesn't have to happen today."

The car became quiet again, but this time, everyone was thinking about something different.

Especially Abhishek, who was slowly realizing that Kriti was not as simple as she appeared.

Abhishek’s was curious again, but he remembered her rule.

Three questions.

He smiled slightly.

"So..." he said, "I still have one question left today, right?"

Kriti slowly looked at him.

"Don't even think about wasting it."

Abhishek laughed softly.

Mira looked at both of them, surprised. Somehow, even with all the arguments and tension, they were already starting to understand each other.

Kriti noticed Mira watching them and raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

Mira smiled faintly.

"Nothing. I'm just surprised."

"About what?"

"That someone actually managed to talk to you this long without you running away."

Kriti gave a small annoyed look.

"Don't get too happy. The day isn't over yet."

Abhishek couldn't help but smile.

The car finally stopped in front of the house.

Everyone got out of the car. Mira and Abhishek stood near the entrance while Kriti looked at them.

She smiled slightly.

"Okay, Abhishek, it's really nice to meet you."

Then she looked at Mira and Abhishek together.

"So... now I am going inside because I think you two lovers have a lot to talk about."

She gave a small sarcastic smile.

"My sister will tell you everything.  sorry, love, for my annoying little sister behavior." And you would say "No, no, love, it's okay. Don't be sorry. You didn't do anything. You're sister She is bad, not you."

Kriti said it in a clearly teasing and rude way.

Abhishek looked at her and shook his head with a small smile.

"You really don't know how to say something normally, do you?"

Kriti immediately gave him a sharp look.

Mira sighed.

"Okay, Kriti, enough for today. Go inside now."

Kriti rolled her eyes.

"Fine."

She turned around and walked towards the house, still annoyed.

Abhishek watched her leave, confused but curious about her.

Kriti walked a few steps towards the house, but then she suddenly stopped.

She turned back and looked at Abhishek.

"One more thing," she said.

Abhishek raised his eyebrow.

"What now?"

Kriti pointed at him.

"Don't ask too many questions when we meet again  Remember my rule."

Abhishek smiled slightly.

"Three questions a day. I remember."

Kriti nodded seriously.

"Good. At least you can remember simple things."

Mira looked at her sister with an annoyed expression.

"Kriti..."

"What?" Kriti replied innocently.

Mira shook her head.

"Sometimes I wonder how you manage to irritate everyone in just a few minutes."

Kriti smiled.

"Talent."

Abhishek couldn't stop himself from laughing a little.

Kriti noticed and looked at him.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing," Abhishek said.

But his smile didn't disappear.

Kriti stared at him for a moment, then rolled her eyes and finally went inside the house.

Mira watched her sister leave and quietly said,

"Don't mind her. She is just... different."

Abhishek looked towards the door where Kriti disappeared.

"Yeah," he replied softly.

"Different."

Kriti was sitting in her room, lying on the bed with her phone in her hand. She was quietly scrolling and chatting, but her mind was somewhere else.

The door opened.

Mira walked inside and looked at her younger sister.

For a moment, she just stood there, watching Kriti.

"Kriti..." Mira said.

Kriti didn't look up.

"What?" she replied.

Mira sighed.

"What were you thinking today, young woman?"

Kriti finally looked at her.

Mira continued, a little hurt.

"Do you even realize what you did today? Sometimes I feel like you don't want to see me happy."

Kriti's expression changed slightly.

The teasing smile disappeared.

"Mira..." she said softly.

But Mira continued.

"You came there, you behaved like that, you kept making comments... Do you know how embarrassing it felt?"

Kriti looked away, trying to hide her feelings.

For the first time, she didn't have a quick sarcastic reply.

Because this time, it was her sister who was hurt.

Kriti stayed silent for a few seconds.

Mira looked at her, waiting for an answer.

But Kriti just looked down at her phone.

"Kriti," Mira said softly, "I'm talking to you."

Kriti locked her phone and placed it beside her.

"I heard you."

"Then say something."

Kriti gave a small smile, but this time it wasn't a rude one.

"What do you want me to say, Mira?"

Mira frowned.

"The truth."

Kriti looked at her sister.

"The truth is... I don't know how to act like everyone else."

Mira's expression softened.

"Kriti..."

"No," Kriti interrupted quietly. "Everyone expects me to smile, behave nicely, say the right things. But that's not me."

Mira sat beside her.

"You could at least try."

Kriti looked away.

"I did try once."

There was something in her voice that made Mira stop.

"What do you mean?"

Kriti immediately changed her expression.

"Nothing."

Mira noticed.

She knew Kriti was hiding something again.

"Kriti, you always do this. You say something important and then close the door."

Kriti looked at her and smiled slightly.

"Maybe because some doors are not meant to be opened."

Mira stared at her, confused and hurt.

"Kriti... you are my sister. You don't have to fight me."

Kriti's eyes softened for a moment.

"I know."

A small silence filled the room.

Then Kriti picked up her phone again and said,

"Now stop worrying. Your future husband is waiting downstairs, probably thinking how strange your sister is."

Mira sighed.

"There you go again."

Kriti smiled.

Kriti stayed silent for a few seconds.

Mira looked at her, waiting for an answer.

But Kriti just looked down at her phone.

"Kriti," Mira said softly, "I'm talking to you."

Kriti locked her phone and placed it beside her.

"I heard you."

"Then say something."

Kriti gave a small smile, but this time it wasn't a rude one.

"What do you want me to say, Mira?"

Mira frowned.

"The truth."

Kriti looked at her sister.

"The truth is... I don't know how to act like everyone else."

Mira's expression softened.

"Kriti..."

"No," Kriti interrupted quietly. "Everyone expects me to smile, behave nicely, say the right things. But that's not me."

Mira sat beside her.

"You could at least try."

Kriti looked away.

"I did try once."

There was something in her voice that made Mira stop.

"What do you mean?"

Kriti immediately changed her expression.

"Nothing."

Mira noticed.

She knew Kriti was hiding something again.

"Kriti, you always do this. You say something important and then close the door."

Kriti looked at her and smiled slightly.

"Maybe because some doors are not meant to be opened."

Mira stared at her, confused and hurt.

"Kriti... you are my sister. You don't have to fight me."

Kriti's eyes softened for a moment.

"I know."

A small silence filled the room.

Then Kriti picked up her phone again and said,

"Now stop worrying. Your future husband is waiting downstairs, probably thinking how strange your sister is."

Mira sighed.

"There you go again."

Kriti smiled.

Mira looked at Kriti for a long moment.

Then she shook her head and stood up.

"Sometimes, talking to you feels like talking to a rock."

Kriti raised an eyebrow.

"A rock?"

"Yes," Mira said in frustration. "No matter what I say, you never tell me what's really going on in your head."

Kriti leaned back against the bed.

"Maybe that's because there's nothing going on."

Mira gave her an unimpressed look.

"See? That's exactly what I mean."

Kriti only shrugged.

Mira let out a tired sigh.

"I don't know what to do with you anymore, Kriti."

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Mira turned toward the door.

As she reached it, she stopped and looked back at her sister.

"I just wish you'd trust me sometimes."

Kriti's fingers tightened slightly around her phone.

But she didn't say anything.

Mira waited for a reply.

When none came, she quietly opened the door and left.

The room became silent.

Kriti stared at the closed door for several seconds.

Then she looked down at her phone and whispered so softly that no one could hear,

"It's not that I don't trust you, Didi..."

A sad smile appeared on her face.

"It's that some truths would hurt you too much."

And once again, she kept her secret to herself.