Chapter 6: Midpoint
Puspita pushed open the door of the coffee shop, her heartbeat quickening at the thought of seeing Raka again. She scanned the room for him, her eyes settling on his familiar form hunched over a table in the corner. His gaze met hers, and she felt a pang of guilt for what she was about to do.
She made her way towards him, her steps measured, deliberate. Raka stood to greet her, pulling her into a hug that felt both familiar and strange.
She couldn't help but think about the physical and emotional distance that had grown between them, and the new experiences she had shared with Akbar.
"Hey, Raka," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
He didn't respond, but simply held her tighter. The warmth of his body sent an odd mix of emotions coursing through her veins. Guilt, regret, longing - all mingled together in a cocktail of turmoil.
They finally pulled away from each other and took their seats at the table, an empty space between them.
Puspita could feel the weight of her guilt like a physical pressure on her chest, making it difficult for her to breathe.
Raka took a deep breath and spoke, his voice low and measured, "Puspita, we need to talk. I know about Akbar."
She felt her heart drop into her stomach. The words hung in the air like an ominous presence, threatening to break the fragile hold she had on her composure.
"How?" she asked, unable to meet his gaze.
She couldn't bear to see the hurt in his eyes, the hurt she had caused.
"It doesn't matter," Raka replied, his voice tinged with sadness. "What matters is that I love you, and I want to make this work. But I need you to be honest with me. Can you do that?"
Puspita took a deep breath and looked up at him. She saw the pain etched into his features, the lines of worry around his eyes, and she knew she couldn't keep lying to him.
"Yes," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I can do that."
Raka let out a sigh of relief, his shoulders sagging with the release of tension.
"Thank you," he said, reaching for her hand across the table. "I've been going crazy thinking we were over, that I'd lost you."
Puspita felt a surge of guilt and regret, but also a glimmer of hope that they could work through this and come out stronger on the other side.