Ravi sat down and leaned back, a faint, almost wistful smile crossing her face. “You remember Ezra, right? The guy I used to talk about? We were just friends while he was in India, and I was still in a relationship back then. But later, when I went to the States for that movie project, we reconnected. It was… different that time.” She looked at Beck, her expression a mixture of nostalgia and something deeper.
“Once we were in the same place again, something just… shifted between us. I’d gone there thinking it was temporary, just a project, but reconnecting with Ezra felt like the universe had something else in mind.” She let out a quiet laugh. “It was so intense - like, all these feelings I didn’t even know were there just came rushing to the surface. Suddenly, I wasn’t just looking at my old friend; I was looking at someone who felt like… home, in a way.”
Her voice softened, and she traced a line along the edge of the couch cushion. “It all happened so fast, too. Before I knew it, we’d fallen headfirst into this whirlwind romance. It felt so right at the time, like everything had aligned just perfectly. But now?” She paused, a hint of sadness in her eyes. “Now, I wonder if maybe we mistook all that passion and excitement for something deeper, something lasting.”
Ravi looked back at Beck, searching her face for understanding. “Maybe I was more in love with the idea of us. With the idea that we could take this friendship and build it into something solid. But sometimes… the reality isn’t as perfect as the idea.”
Ravi took a breath, the weight of the last few hours pressing down on her, but there was something else simmering beneath it - a flicker of warmth she hadn’t felt in a long time. She looked at Beck, her lips curving into a small, uncertain smile.
“And… it’s strange, you know?” she began, almost hesitant, as if she were surprised at her own words. “Here I am, realizing all these things about my marriage, and then… tonight, I meet someone.” She glanced away, tucking a strand of damp hair behind her ear. “He was… different. We talked, laughed - honestly, I felt more like myself than I have in ages.”
She met Beck’s gaze again, her expression somewhere between excitement and disbelief. “His name’s Dave. Completely unexpected, but he has this… energy. We were just talking, and it was easy and fun. And then, before I knew it…” She paused, her cheeks warming slightly. “We kissed.”
Ravi laughed softly, shaking her head. “I didn’t plan it, but it felt… right. I don’t regret it, Beck. Not a bit. For the first time, I felt like I was reconnecting with who I am, with what I want.” Her voice softened, and she looked down, her fingers tracing the edge of her glass. “I know it doesn’t change the situation with Ezra. But maybe it’s a sign that I’m finally ready to be honest with myself… about everything.”