The hotel room was dimly lit, quiet except for the hum of the air conditioner and the distant murmur of the city outside. Monty and Romy walked in, one behind the other, both weighed down by the silence between them. As the door clicked shut, Romy slowly walked to the edge of the bed and sat down, his shoulders slumped, his eyes fixed on the floor.
Monty stood by the door for a moment, watching him. There was a storm brewing inside his chest, but he didn't want to let it burst just yet.
"So... you're gay?" Monty finally asked, the words coming out half-curious, half-accusatory.
Romy didn't look up. He took a deep breath and said softly, "No. At least, I thought I was. But after marrying your sister... I realized I'm bisexual."
There was a pause. Monty's expression didn't change immediately, but something inside him shifted. "I think... I might be bisexual too," he confessed, his voice lower, almost hesitant.
Romy's eyes widened, finally looking up at Monty. "What?"
Monty nodded slowly, walking towards him. "Yeah. I don't think I ever really let myself think about it, but... there's someone. A guy. He doesn't know I love him."
Romy's heart skipped. He wasn't sure if it was hope or fear that stirred inside him. "Is it someone I know?" he asked, almost afraid of the answer.
Monty looked away, avoiding the question. "Maybe."
Silence again. Then Monty sat down next to Romy, close, their shoulders almost touching.
"When did you first realize... about yourself?" Monty asked, trying to understand the man he'd known so long but never truly known.
Romy sighed, glancing at him. "A few years ago. At Harvard. I met Suresh there. At first, we were just friends. He was smart, charming, and made me feel like I could be myself. One night, we were both drunk... and we crossed a line."
Monty's brows furrowed. "You slept with him?"
Romy nodded. "Yes. And it felt right. For a while, I thought maybe this was it. Maybe I could build a life with him. I even imagined us growing old together. But it was a fantasy. He used me."
Monty didn't speak. He just watched as Romy's eyes glistened.
"He left me for money. My father offered him a huge sum to stay away from me. And he took it. He married a girl, someone wealthy. Moved on like I was just a mistake. A phase."
Romy looked down at his hands, clenching them into fists. "My father showed me photos from the wedding, as if to rub it in. Told me, 'If he can be happy, why can't you?' That was his way of pushing me into marrying your sister."
Monty's face tightened. "You married Preety to prove something?"
Romy shook his head. "At first, yes. I agreed to the marriage to please my father. He even showed me Suresh's photo again before we went on our honeymoon. Told me to show him I could be just as happy."
Monty stared, his heart pounding.
"But something changed," Romy continued. "On the honeymoon, I started falling in love with your sister."
The room fell completely silent.
Monty's eyes were wide, lips parted as if caught mid-breath. Romy continued, voice trembling.
"I didn't expect it. I didn't want it. But it happened. The way she made me laugh, the way she stood up for me, the way she looked at me... "
Monty swallowed hard, his throat dry. He turned to Romy slowly.
Monty softly asked, "When did you realize you were in love with her?"
Romy replied, "During the Switzerland trip… but after returning home, that feeling faded."
Monty understood who Romy truly liked.
Monty nodded, then chuckled bitterly. "I kept convincing myself that I was just being stupid. That it was the excitement, the adventure. But when I saw you with Suresh tonight... something inside me shattered."
Romy looked down in shame. "I wasn't with him willingly. He blackmailed me. He had photos. Videos. From the past. I went there tonight to destroy everything. To erase that part of my past."
Monty's jaw clenched. "I should've known. I should've trusted you."
"I don't blame you," Romy said softly. "I never gave you a reason to trust me."
Monty looked away, trying to suppress the swirl of emotions inside him. Pain, anger, longing.
"Do you love preety?" he asked suddenly.
Romy paused. Then shook his head slowly. "I care about her. I respect her."
Monty took a deep breath. "Then we have a bigger problem."
Romy looked confused. "What do you mean?"
Monty turned to him, his eyes filled with something vulnerable. "Because I think... I'm falling in love with you."
Romy stared at him, stunned. "Monty... I..."
But before he could finish, Monty leaned forward and wrapped his arms around him, holding him tightly. It wasn't a kiss. It wasn't passion. It was pain. Comfort. Understanding.
"What are we going to do?" Romy asked into Monty's shoulder.
"We'll figure it out," Monty replied. "Together."
The weight of years of secrets, betrayals, confusion, and hidden love finally came crashing down around them. And in that hotel room, two men who had never expected to find love in each other, found it in their broken pieces.
They stayed like that, holding each other, the noise of the world outside drowned out by the beating of their hearts.