Shattered

6| ruined

The woman in her early thirties took a sip of her wine and confidently stated, "Everything went according to our plan."

Her boyfriend, Akshay, praised her, saying, "It's all thanks to you, Trisha. You did an amazing job."

Trisha smiled at him and replied, "Now it's time to play our final card. You know what you have to do."

Akshay nodded, his mind clear from the effects of alcohol. "Yes, my love. I remember our plan perfectly. I just have to contact my sister who is probably suffering at the hands of Shiva as we speak. We can use her to put Shiva behind bars for good. And we'll make sure he never sees the light of day again. The humiliation he will face will be enough to kill him from within."

Akshay continued speaking under the influence of alcohol as he pulled Trisha into his arms and fell asleep without a care in the world.

Meanwhile, their bodyguard stood nearby, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings for their protection. However, little did he know that his loyalty towards them was about to be tested.

Unbeknownst to Akshay and Trisha, their bodyguard had secretly installed a hidden camera in his coat button. He had betrayed his boss for someone more powerful who wanted to bring down Akshay and Trisha.

The bodyguard had been with them from the beginning but now it seemed like his loyalties lay elsewhere as he gazed at the camera button with guilt and regret filling his heart. He knew everything about Akshay and Trisha's plans and actions and it was only a matter of time before it all came crashing down on them.

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Shiva, in a fit of anger, flings his laptop and runs his fingers through his hair in frustration. He can hardly believe what he has just seen - his older sister Trisha is alive! She was supposedly killed by his wife, but now it turns out that she was framed for the murder. Shiva feels foolish and helpless, seething with anger at himself for falling for their deceit.

He realizes that everything was a lie, all for the sake of money. His wife was innocent all along. Every time he had raised a hand against her or beaten her, she had been innocent. Every time she had been punished for a crime she didn't commit, she had been innocent. And he is the one to blame.

These thoughts consume Shiva as he begins punching the wall, hurting himself in the process. He feels like the worst person on earth, overwhelmed with regret for not investigating properly and blindly accusing his wife based on a video. The guilt suffocates him as he remembers her miserable condition every time he tortured her.

Shiva punches the wall until all his energy is drained and he slides down, tears streaming down his face not for himself but for her. She suffered for no reason at all.

He thinks back to the day when he received news of his sister's death and all evidence pointed towards Raavi. At that time, Shiva regrets not listening to Trisha when she complained about Raavi's behavior towards her. They both worked at Shiva's office and Trisha was Raavi's senior, but Shiva dismissed her complaints saying Raavi was young and immature and should be helped instead of being reported. He ignored Trisha's warnings because Raavi's work always impressed him. But now he regrets not listening to Trisha that day.

Shiva feels miserable and heartbroken that day, but what he feels now is even worse than before. The realization that he was responsible for his wife's suffering and his sister's supposed death weighs heavily on him.

The present moment seemed to weigh heavily on Shiva as he opened his eyes and took a deep breath, rousing from his slumber. But just like every other night, he was plagued by a nightmare. The throbbing headache that accompanied his awakening was a constant reminder of the guilt and pain he felt since Raavi's accident.

It had been a month since that tragic incident, and Shiva had not been able to find peace in his sleep. The longest he could sleep was two hours, and even then, his dreams were filled with images of Raavi - the way he used to torment her and her agonizing screams that made him despise himself even more.

He had heard through grapevine that Raavi's brother had taken her away to a place far from him for treatment. And although he knew deep down that it was what he deserved, he couldn't help but feel a sense of longing to see her again. He had attempted to catch a glimpse of her by visiting the city where she was being treated, but the guards at the hospital refused to let him in. He vividly remembered begging them to at least allow him to see her from afar, just to make sure she was okay. But all his efforts were met with disappointment.

During one of his visits, he had run into Varun - Raavi's brother - who had rushed to the hospital upon hearing about Shiva's presence there. In a fit of rage, Varun grabbed Shiva by the collar and punched him repeatedly while warning him that as soon as Raavi recovered, they would file an FIR against him and make sure that he never found peace again. And true to his words, Varun made Shiva's life a living hell after that encounter.

As the news channels relentlessly tarnished his name, his business partners withdrew their investments and ended their associations with him. And once Raavi fully recuperates, the authorities will record her statement and apprehend him for his actions. Strangely enough, he appears to be unperturbed by it all. In fact, at this moment, his sole concern is her well-being.

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