Atharv's heart is violently wrenched out of his chest and massacred before his very eyes. The ground beneath him quakes, the entire world slipping away as a dam of restraint crumbles to dust. A flood of emotions washes over him, tearing apart the very fabric of his soul and leaving behind only a torrential guilt that clears the haze of vengeance from his conscience.
A decade of wasted agony and misery; his resentment bubbling to the surface like a cauldron of molten lava. He had cursed her name and maligned her family, all while loving her with an indelible devotion that burned brighter than a thousand suns. Buried beneath the sedimentary layers of wrong assumptions and mistrust, lay the heart of a man, yearning for joy and fulfillment - thwarted by his own infernal torment. A decade had passed in punishing the woman he wanted to adore.
The past decade clung to his memory like a millstone, a reminder of all the 'what-ifs' that haunted him, tainting every thought with guilt and hatred. Countless nights spent striving in vain for a better future, cursing his lot in life; these sleepless vigils had been the consequence of knowledge he'd not yet acquired. Now that he was armed with this truth, he could find no one to blame but himself. His mind flooded with images of his departed parents, and a maelstrom of emotion engulfed him.
The wave of emotions that surged through him almost choked him; it was an unstoppable tide. Their own greed and selfishness had triggered their ruin. He gasped for breath with the realization that he had wreaked havoc in the woman's life, who despite being far away still retained control over his heart. Everywhere around him were reminders of her -memory fragments, joyful anecdotes, wise words and a purity of spirit which filled up his heart.
The woman's presence was an ache in his soul, a constant reminder of what could have been.
He had destroyed any chance that could have existed between them before it ever had a chance to blossom, and his incapacity to accept and embrace the truth of how much he cared for her extinguished what little hope remained.
His words crashed into the room with the force of an avalanche and tearing apart the silence that had consumed it since Aditi had finished speaking. "I took my revenge on you without mercy, Diya. Not even an apology can atone for what I have done to you - it would be far too little for such a monstrous crime."
Diya's mind was a tempest, raging with conflicting emotions. Should she be grateful that her parents were not the murderers of the Chauhans, or should she drown in sorrow for the decade-long idolization of a man who had allowed false beliefs to cloud his judgement and treat her unjustly? His half-hearted, remorseful words barely pacified her, but her stubborn heart took his side despite everything.
"Atharv, your parents unfortunately burdened you with misinformation that they had been betrayed by some of their closest friends; I cannot even imagine the sense of desolation, desperation, and dread that this must have caused you," she said, looking at him with sympathetic eyes.
Letting out a deep exhalation, she shifted her fingers before continuing.
"I understand why you did what you did, Atharv, but I'm afraid I cannot accept the choices you have made in the last few days," Diya stated, steeling herself against his inevitable sadness and forcing herself not to intervene to help him in any way.
Her heart had softened towards him, but her head cautioned against it. He showed his love for her undisputedly, but was it enough to stifle the desires that consumed him for years? Could she love him so deeply that she would forget what happened between them recently?
"All right. I understand and accept your decision," Atharv answered with a wavering voice and blinking back the warmth in his eyes.
Aditi and Pranav glanced at each other as they saw the two lovers. Pranav knew Diya was in love since she couldn't stop talking about all the wonderful memories they had together. His heart ached for his friend who had her true love sitting across from her, but she wasn't in his arms like she so desperately wanted.
"Does that mean... you and Golu..."
"Do you remember, Atharv, the arguments we had over the song 'Kahin Teri Khamoshiyan Jeet Na Jaye Pyar Se'? I used to say that no one in their right mind would ever let silence win over their feelings, but you said that sometimes restrictions can be so overwhelming that it's impossible to express your true emotions for years," she recalled with a laugh and a shake of her head.
"This morning, I finally understand what that line of poetry means. I'm determined to fight for our relationship's future, no matter the odds. Will you join me in pushing through the silence trying to hold us back, or will you succumb and let it take over?" She challenged, shaking away from the invisible bonds attempting to confine her.
Atharv wanted to respond to her, but he was too filled with joy and happiness from her words to find the right ones.
"Diya... Diya, are you sure?" he implored, desperately hoping that her answer would be yes.
"We have yearned for this moment for a decade now. A chance to be together, a chance to speak our minds; it would be foolish to let this slip away through silence. I still harbor my grievances against you, and I do not accept what has been done. However, I cannot live with the regret of missing out on this opportunity. Let us start anew from where we had left off: two best friends who love each other deeply and passionately. Let no barrier or hardship hinder us this time."
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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...
