The moment she spoke, his sleep-deprived face hardened as mortification set in. Disbelief clouded his mind as he processed her heartfelt confession of love. Disappointment and dismay followed as her words battered his conscience and heart.
She grabbed a jacket from the armchair and put it on. "Wait, you were with Pranav?" he asked in a whisper, barely audible.
Her eyes flashed with indignation as she spat out her words, unable to contain her rage which was so powerful that it demanded retribution. "Are you trying to prove that I am lying, Atharv?" she hissed through gritted teeth, the desire for revenge radiating from her body like a wildfire.
A wave of dread overcame him as he felt all control over his self slip away. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, praying that his knees wouldn't buckle beneath him. "No, I am not," he replied through gritted teeth, desperately trying to convince himself that the confession was a hallucination--that this was all just an attempt to break his heart and exact revenge for his wrongdoings.
Sometimes it seemed like fate was taunting them. For more than a decade they both had been in love with each other, yet when they encountered one another, their countenance failed to reflect the intense passion and affection that burned within them.
Diya let out a dark chuckle, and then scoffed with a hint of bitterness. "I wish, Mr. Atharv Singh Chauhan, I wish with all my heart and soul. I wish that this was nothing more than an elaborate scheme to 'settle our scores' or simply a wild dream that had no impact on the present. But no," she growled, her lips pursing into a thin line as she recalled the many desperate attempts to locate him and convey her heart's desire over the past decade. A ghostly smile danced across her face as she imagined the climax of her lifelong search that ended in tragedy.
Atharv felt her words rip his heart apart and the burning sensation of tears welled up in the back of his eyes. Gently, he grabbed her face between his shaking hands, staring intensely into her eyes with a fire of sorrow and repentance. "I know I can't make it up to you. But, Diya, I am so very sorry," he uttered, his voice barely carrying above a whisper.
Her palms gravitated towards his, drawn in by a primal force of longing and need. His heartfelt apology and declarations of love filled her with regret for the storm of harsh words she had unleashed. He withered before her eyes, desperate and pleading for forgiveness that threatened to undo her hard-built walls of defense. Temptation tugged heavily at her heartstrings, beckoning her to reconnect with the man she yearned for, offering a chance to reestablish their irreplaceable bond.
She had the power to bring her aching longing for him to an abrupt end, but she could not will her heart's desire. Not when her mind was heavy with guilt for being the offspring of his parents' executioners. Not when he raged in loathing and contempt towards her parents and carried the fire of retribution within his veins.
Her hands frantically pushed his away from her face. "I'm so sorry," she choked out, before fleeing from the room and into the living room below. When she arrived, her eyes widened in shock and disbelief; there stood Di and Pranav, like a mirage in the desert. Wildly she lunged forward, throwing her body into Pranav's arms as sobs wracked her trembling body. She clung to him tightly as all of her sorrow poured out.
The commotion made Atharv rush downstairs and face his sister and the man consoling the love of his life after he broke her heart.
His heart twisted in pain as he exhaled loudly. "Di!" He said in greeting, hoping that she would explain why she and Pranav had arrived. "Shh! Diya! You will soon be aware of all that has happened," Pranav assured her, rubbing her back soothingly to try and stop her from crying about her current situation. Aditi knew the full story and had promised to tell it.
Diya violently pulled away from his embrace and turned towards Aditi, her heart pounding with fear and anticipation. She braced herself for the worst as she waited for Aditi to confirm her deepest fears.
"I suppose we should be seated because this is going to take long," she announced in a cold tone, alternating between her brother and Diya, who both sunk into the nearest seats like defeated soldiers. Without a word, Diya settled down beside Pranav, much to Atharv's disappointment, but he knew that she had made her stand clear - even if it was against him.
"You both already know about our past, when we were neighbors as kids. Everything was fine until the Shekhawats' former partner abandoned them and they came to ours for help, due to years of being friends. They didn't expect Papa and Mumma would make a condition that support from us could only be given if Diya married Atharv on the soonest apt date," she told, steadying herself before continuing.
"The main idea behind investing in the company was that it would be a way to bring money back into the family, because Diya was Shekhawats' only daughter.Furthermore, Mumma wanted to use this opportunity to "mold" Diya into the ideal daughter-in-law who would never oppose her. "As she said those words, guilt cramped her insides for not having told her brother about this sooner.
Atharv was taken back by what he heard.
"Yes," she continued, her voice heavy with grief. "After a lot of pressure from our parents, the Shekhawats relented and had to consent to the marriage. They were forced to accept the terms set by our mother. The Shekhawats were so frightened that they decided to take revenge by fraudulently obtaining our shares and plunging us into debt before fleeing the country with Diya." She released the truth she had been carrying around for years.
The living room was filled with an eerie stillness as the occupants struggled to find the right words to express all that was happening in their minds.
"It wasn't the Shekhawats who killed them—they were prohibited by law from taking legal action since they had proposed marriage between two underage individuals. In a desperate attempt to secure something for us, they both decided to take their own lives so we could collect on life insurance. Unfortunately, the insurance company declared it a suicide and denied our claim," she said guiltily, her gaze meeting her brother's blank yet sorrowful stare.
"My apologies, Golu. I should have told you this ages ago. I was trying to keep you from hating our parents. I thought it would be better that you had contempt for someone far away instead. But when I saw your longing for Diya in her photo, and my own mortality staring me in the face, my loyalty shifted and so did my decision. Forgive me, Golu!"
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YOU ARE READING
Anguish & Affection
Romance"You took away my parents from me, stole my childhood, and crushed my heart like it was nothing. But yet, I feel something for you and my mind is still conflicted about our relationship." Atharv's words tore through the air, his voice trembling with...
