Shweta Muduli

“I cannot marry you,” Dev blurted out without a second thought, gently pulling his hand free from hers.
“What?” Divya blinked, surprised.
“I…I can…cannot marry you,” Dev stammered, his voice unsteady.
“Ah… O… Ok.” Divya let out a soft laugh, then smiled. “Well, that’s actu-ally a relief.”
Dev stared at her, confused.
“Actually, that’s why I asked them to let us talk in private,” she explained, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “See, I’ve just started building my career, and there’s still so much I want to do in life. That’s why I don’t want to marry right now.”
Dev kept looking at her, puzzled, trying to process her words.
“Aren’t you going to say something?” she tilted her head at him.
“Ah… I don’t know what to say,” Dev admitted, scratching the back of his neck.
“You just said you don’t want to marry me. That’s true, right?” she pressed.
“Yes,” Dev replied honestly.
“Well then, we both want the same thing.” She chuckled, her tone lighter now.
“Yes,” Dev nodded faintly.
Divya laughed again and looked around the lobby. Spotting a waiter, she lifted her hand slightly and said with ease, “Can we get something to drink?” They took a sip of their drinks, stealing glances at each other but quickly looking away whenever their eyes met. A few minutes passed in silence before Divya finally broke it.
“I’ve told you my reason for not getting married. Will you tell me yours?” she asked, smiling as she looked at him.
“I don’t know,” Dev murmured.
“What? That means you don’t like me?” she teased with a laugh.
“No…” Dev shook his head quickly.
“Don’t worry, I don’t care,” she said lightly, leaning back in her chair.
“I think I’m in love with someone else,” he admitted, his voice soft as his gaze drifted toward the rain-washed city outside.
“Wow… but wait—‘you think’? What does that even mean?” Divya leaned forward, eyes sparking with curiosity.
“I don’t know,” Dev replied, sounding lost, almost weighed down.
“You need a friend,” Divya said firmly.
“What?” Dev frowned, snapping out of his thoughts.
“I can be your friend. Don’t worry, I’ll help you sort it out,” she said with playful confidence.
“What do you even know?” he asked, skeptical.
“Nothing yet… but you’ll tell me,” She said with a mischievous smile.
“Why would I do that?” Dev asked, genuinely curious now.
“Because we’re friends,” she replied as if it was the simplest truth.
“And when did that happen?” he asked, half amused, half bewildered.
“Oh God, you really do need a friend,” she said, rolling her eyes with mock exasperation. She lifted her glass, took the final sip, and added, “Well, you just admitted it today in front of someone. And that someone is me, right?”
Dev looked at her, startled, as if realizing she was right.
“You know,” she said thoughtfully, tapping her chin, “I think I would’ve been a better psychologist than a doctor.”
Dev still stared at her, at a loss for words.
“Am I right?” she asked again, tilting her head, her eyes fixed on him.
“Yes… but how do you know?” he asked slowly.
“I don’t know. I just… felt it,” she said casually with a little shrug.
“So… do you need my help?” she asked, her tone softening.
“Why would you help me?” Dev asked, curiosity clear in his voice.
“Ah! Good question.” She leaned closer, her smile turning playful again. “Well, out of every boy I’ve met, you’re the only one who didn’t give me any trouble.”
“So?” she leaned forward, waiting for his response.
Dev leaned back in his chair, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Yes,” he said simply.
“So, what’s her name?” she asked curiously.
Dev told her a little about Nia—though only on the surface. He admitted that he couldn’t figure out how to start a conversation with her. What he didn’t share was the truth: that he knew almost nothing about her, not even her name—not that he had seen her at the airport while she was helping her mother. Instead, he simply said, “There’s a girl in my building. I’ve liked her since the day I first saw her.”
― Shweta Muduli, Violets: Where Love Blooms Quietly