I stood there, lost in thought, as the turmoil within me threatened to spill over. What was happening to me? Why were Vaani's tears affecting me so profoundly? Why did the mere thought of her with someone else ignite a fire within me?
I had tried to convince myself that I was doing the right thing by staying away from her, but the truth was, the further I stayed away, the more she seemed to draw closer to me.
It was as if fate was conspiring against me, testing my resolve and pushing me to confront the emotions I had been trying to suppress.
The memory of seeing someone else's hand on her shoulder still seared my mind. Why had I felt such an overwhelming urge to separate his hands from his shoulders? And when I heard Anant shouting at her, why did I feel like killing him? The intensity of my emotions had caught me off guard, leaving me reeling.
I reflected on the events of the day, I realized that I had been craving the sound of her voice, feeling uncomfortable when she was silent in the car.
And when I saw her in distress, my instinct had been to hug her, to comfort her and chase away her tears.
But I had resisted the urge, reminding myself that I was going to divorce her. The irony was not lost on me. I still remembered the anger that had flashed in Anant's eyes when I had asked him to prepare the divorce papers. It was a cruel joke, one that I couldn't seem to escape.
I stood there, torn between my duty and my desires, I couldn't help but wonder: what did the future hold for Vaani and me? Would I be able to go through with the divorce, or would my feelings for her ultimately prove to be my undoing?
Flashback...
I stood tall, my eyes locked on Mr. Shukla as I declared, "I think you must have understood well that it doesn't matter to me whether someone is with me or not." Mr. Shukla's face twisted into a tight smile, and he retorted, "If you had said sorry, maybe this deal would have been done, but not now, okay then."
I smirked, my voice dripping with confidence. "I should never say sorry to anyone, whether it's my mistake or not." Mr. Shukla's eyes narrowed, and he suggested, "I think you should think about it one more time." But I was unfazed, my tone firm as I shouted, "Guards!"
Mr. Shukla's face reddened with anger as he stood up and stormed out of the room. I watched him go, my expression unyielding.
As I turned to leave, I spotted Anant standing in the doorway, a look of confusion etched on his face. "I don't understand what this demand is about," he said, shaking his head.
I approached him, my voice firm and resolute. "Anant."
"Yes, sir?" he replied, his eyes questioning.
"Prepare the divorce papers," I instructed, my gaze locked on his.
Anant's eyes widened in shock, and anger flashed across his face. "You've gone crazy!" he exclaimed. "How can you even think of divorcing your wife? Till today, there has never been a divorce in our family, except for Bua ji!"
I stood my ground, my voice rising to match Anant's. "So what do you want? Should I spend my whole life in this forced marriage?"
Anant's jaw clenched, and he gritted his teeth. "Mind your language, Dhruv. Now you're not talking to your PA, but your big brother too."
I drew a deep breath, my voice calm and collected. "I don't need to ask anyone what I want to do in my life."
Anant's face darkened, and he warned, "Okay, do whatever comes to your mind, but remember one thing: you will regret your decision, and then no one will be with you, not even me."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me to ponder the weight of his words.
Flashback end.....
I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting my tie as I prepared to head home. But as I turned to leave, my eyes fell upon the divorce papers lying on my desk. Something inside me stirred, and I felt an overwhelming urge to talk to Vaani.
I picked up the papers and made my way to her room, my heart racing with anticipation. I stood outside her door, hesitating for a moment. Should I go in? Yes, I had to go in. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
Vaani's voice was barely audible, heavy with tears. "Hmmm..."
I ordered, trying to sound calm, "Open the door."
The door creaked open, and I was met with a sight that tugged at my heartstrings. Vaani's eyes were swollen, her face red and puffy from crying. Her voice was a mere whisper as she said, "Yess..."
I felt a pang of guilt, but I steeled myself, reminding myself that this was for the best. I took a deep breath and said, "I want to talk to you."
Vaani nodded, and I stepped inside, closing the door behind me. The air was thick with tension as I handed her the divorce papers. "Hold this. These are the divorce papers."
Vaani's eyes widened as she took the papers, her hands trembling. I watched, my heart heavy with emotion, as she scanned the documents, her eyes welling up with tears once more.
The room fell silent, the only sound of the quiet rustling of the papers as Vaani's eyes devoured the words that would change our lives forever.
Author pov-
Vaani's voice trembled as she whispered, "Divorce..." The word hung in the air like a challenge, a harsh reality that threatened to shatter her world.
Dhruv's response was detached, his eyes avoiding hers. "Yes, I've already signed. Only you have to sign, and then we'll be divorced within three months."
Vaani's face crumpled, her eyes welling up with tears. "Why... did I trouble you so much? Because of which you're sending me away?" Her voice was broken, her words barely audible.
Dhruv's expression remained impassive, but his words cut deep. "Please... don't send me away. I won't talk to anyone in college. If you tell me, then I won't even go to college." Vaani's words were laced with desperation, her hiccups and bitten lips a testament to her struggle to contain her emotions.
But Dhruv's response was brutal. "Who are you to me? So I should tell you something... You are nobody to me, nor can you ever be. You are just a responsibility for me, which will end after three months." His words were like a slap, leaving Vaani reeling.
She looked down, her grip on her t-shirt tightening as she tried to process the harsh reality.
Dhruv's voice was cold, detached, and it cut Vaani to the core. She could feel her heart shattering, her world crumbling around her.
Dhruv turned to leave, Vaani's sobs echoed through the room. "After three months, you'll stay in the hostel. Till then, you only have to stay here," he said, his voice devoid of emotion.
He walked out of the room, Vaani was left alone, her heart heavy with grief. She clutched her parents' photo, her voice barely above a whisper. "Mumma, look... the person you selected for me is making me cry so much... Maa, I want to come to you. I don't want to stay here. The people here are bad. I don't want to stay with anyone."
she spoke, her words were laced with hiccups and tears. Sleep eventually consumed her, but her heart remained heavy, her soul crushed by the harsh reality of her situation.
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The Rajwansh family gathered around the dining table, enjoying their evening meal together. However, Anant seemed lost in thought, and Dipali noticed his distraction. "Anant bhai, where are you lost?" she asked, trying to bring him back to the conversation.
Anant smiled casually and replied, "Nothing, some work." But Shobha, ever the observant one, turned her attention to Isha, who seemed equally lost. "Yes, I'm looking at Isha, she looks lost," Shobha said, and all eyes turned to Isha.
Isha quickly fabricated an excuse, "Nothing, Chachi ji. Well, he is leaving tomorrow, so I'm a bit upset." But Aarun, with his signature poker face, raised an eyebrow and asked, "Dhruv is going, not Anant, then why are you so upset?"
The room fell silent, with all family members, including Dhruv and Anant, exchanging confused glances. Aarun's gaze lingered on Isha for a moment before he returned to his meal, leaving the others wondering what was amiss.
After dinner, Aarun summoned Dhruv and Anant to his office room, leaving the rest of the family in the hall. As they entered the office, Aarun ordered, "Come in." Dhruv, still curious, asked, "Dad, you said Anant is not going with me, but he is my PA, he has to go with me."
Aarun's response was calm and collected. "No, he was your PA, not now." Anant's confusion was evident as he asked, "What do you mean, Dad?"
Aarun took a deep breath before delivering the news. "Look, now you are going to become a father, and I don't want my grandchild to think that his father is a normal PA. So, from now on, you will handle another branch of Rajvansh Empires."
Dhruv and Anant exchanged stunned glances, unsure of how to react. Dhruv, still trying to process the information, asked, "But, Dad, what about my PA? We can't arrange a better PA in one night. I'm going tomorrow, and I want a PA who knows everything about this project."
Aarun smirked, clearly anticipating Dhruv's concerns. He forwarded a file to Dhruv and said, "Here is your new PA's information. He will join you tomorrow. He knows everything about your project, so don't worry."
Dhruv's jaw dropped as he read the file, and Anant's eyes widened in shock. "Since how long have you been planning all this?" Anant asked, still reeling from the news.
Aarun's response sent a shiver down their spines. "Since your wife's sister arrived." Dhruv and Anant exchanged nervous glances, fearing that their father might have discovered their secret.
But Aarun's next words alleviated their concerns. "Why are you two looking at me like that? Anant has his wife, and now her sister, so he has to leave you." Dhruv and Anant let out a collective sigh of relief, grateful that their secret remained safe.
Aarun's final words were laced with a warning. "And yes, remember, I don't want everything that happened to Isha to happen again." Dhruv and Anant nodded in unison, aware of the gravity of their father's words.
The evening wore on, the Rajwansh family gathered in the hall, enjoying each other's company.
However, the peaceful atmosphere was disrupted by the sound of thunder outside. "It seems the weather has turned bad," Dipti observed, and Anant and Isha exchanged worried glances, thinking about Vaani, who was alone at home.
But Dhruv seemed unperturbed, his expression calm and collected. He had already taken measures to ensure Vaani's safety, tightening the security at the apartment.
Meanwhile, Shivam noticed Isha's concern and whispered, "Bhabhi, what happened? Why are you looking scared?" Isha quickly masked her emotions, forcing a tight smile onto her face. "Nothing, Devar ji."
But Shivam was not convinced. "You're telling me or should I tell Mom?" he asked, his eyes narrowing slightly. Isha hesitated before revealing the truth. "Actually, my sister is alone at the apartment, and she has nyctophobia, so I'm scared about her."
Shivam's expression softened, and he offered, "Bhabhi, don't worry, I'll go to the apartment. I don't feel good here, so I'll go check on her." Isha's eyes widened in surprise, but Shivam reassured her, "I'm not going to make her my girlfriend, I'm just going to make sure she's safe. If she gets scared, I'll be there for her."
Isha's concerns alleviated slightly, and she nodded, "Go carefully, and after you reach, call me." Shivam nodded and turned to leave, but not before announcing to his mother, "Mom, I'm going to my friend's home for some work."
Dipti's response was immediate, "Are you not able to feel the weather? You're not going anywhere!" Shivam sighed, "Ma, I'm not a small kid," and with that, he left the house.
The family watched him go, Dipti turned to the others and exclaimed, "What should I do with this boy?" Dhruv, ever the calm one, offered, "Don't worry, Ma, it will get better with time." But his comment was met with a death glare from the family members, and Dipti quipped, "Yes, like you agreed to marriage."
Dhruv muttered under his breath, "I didn't agree, but was made to agree by keeping a gun on my head." The family's attention was diverted by Nikhil, who teased Dhruv, "Dhruv, tell me the truth, don't your hormones speak to you to go closer to some girl or boy?"
The family erupted into laughter, but their merriment was short-lived, as Dhruv's glare silenced them. Dhruv retreated to his room, and Nikhil whispered, "He got a shy, poor boy." The family laughed again, but this time, it was a more subdued laughter.
The evening drew to a close, Anant asked Isha, "Where was Shiv going?" Isha replied with a soft smile, "Home." Anant nodded, "Okay, he will find peace there, and we won't have to worry about Vaani." Isha smiled, feeling a sense of relief.
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