Riya was standing there calmly, smiling faintly, but her eyes were sharp—like she knew more than she was letting on.
Srikant looked at Sasmita, his expression unreadable.
"Sasmita… please listen first," he said softly, but the tension in his voice made her heart race.
"What is happening, Srikant?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Riya stepped closer. "Sasmita… I'm not here to hurt you. I just… want you to know the truth about him."
"The truth?" Sasmita's eyes filled with suspicion.
"Yes," Riya said. "I was… someone from his past. Long before you two met on Facebook. Before this train even started moving."
Sasmita took a small step back. "Past? What do you mean?"
Riya's voice softened, almost regretful. "Srikant and I… we were engaged once. But it didn't end well. He… left me to build something bigger. Something he couldn't explain at that time."
Sasmita looked at Srikant. His jaw tightened. His eyes dropped.
"Sasmita… I never wanted you to find out this way," he said quietly.
"Find out what way?" she asked sharply, hurt and anger mixing together.
Riya took a deep breath. "I think you should know, Sasmita… that he's not the simple boy you met on Facebook. There's more to him… much more."
Sasmita's mind raced. All those protective gestures, the cars, the men… were they all because of love? Or something darker?
Srikant stepped forward, gently taking her hand. "Everything I did… I did to protect you. But yes, my past… my life before you… it's complicated."
Sasmita looked into his eyes, searching for honesty. "Then tell me… now. I need to know everything. No lies, no hiding."
Srikant's eyes softened, a flicker of pain showing through the calm exterior. "If I tell you… you may never look at me the same way. But I promise… it's the truth. Will you listen?"
Sasmita's heart pounded. She nodded slowly.
"Good," he said. "Then sit. This is going to take a while."
Riya stepped back, her face unreadable. "I'm leaving now. But Sasmita… be careful. Not everything about him is love. Some of it… is power."
Sasmita watched her go, her mind spinning.
Power? Danger? Love? Betrayal?
The train had left the Facebook station long ago. But now… it was racing toward an unknown destination.
And Sasmita realized… the ride was far from over.