The forced alliance

Chapter 31: waqt ka ye sitam na gawara hua

The door creaked open as Aradhyaa entered the familiar space, her steps echoing in the quiet emptiness. After a while, Abhimaan walked in, and the surprise on his face was evident, though he swiftly masked it with a cold expression.

Aradhyaa, standing near the center table, looked at him with a mix of determination and apprehension. Abhimaan, on the other hand, seemed to build a fortress around his emotions, donning a stoic facade.

The room felt heavy with unspoken words and unresolved tension. The air seemed to carry the weight of their past, and the silence between them was pregnant with the question of whether things could be salvaged.

Abhimaan, feigning indifference: "You're back."

Aradhyaa, with a hint of disappointment: "Yes, I am. I wanted to talk."

Abhimaan, keeping a stoic expression: "Talk about what? You've been away for a while. Things change."

Aradhyaa, trying to read his expression: "Abhimaan, we need to talk about us, about what happened."

Abhimaan, maintaining his cold demeanor: "There's nothing to talk about. You're here, and I'm here. Let's not complicate things further."

Aradhyaa, with a touch of frustration: "Abhimaan, don't shut me out. We can work through this. I want to understand what went wrong."

Abhimaan, his eyes avoiding hers: "Sometimes, understanding doesn't fix anything. I think it's better if we keep some distance."

Aradhyaa, hurt by his words: "Distance? Abhimaan, I thought we were in this together. What happened to 'us'?"

Abhimaan, maintaining his composure: "Reality happened, Aradhyaa. Maybe, we were never meant to be."

Aradhyaa, desperately seeking answers: "Abhimaan, please. Tell me why. What changed? I deserve to know the truth."

Abhimaan, his eyes avoiding hers, reluctantly admits: "Aradhyaa, it's not about you. It's about me. I have things to deal with, things I can't burden you with."

Aradhyaa, with a mix of frustration and determination: "Let me be the judge of that. We promised to face everything together. I can handle whatever it is. Just talk to me."

Abhimaan, his tone a mix of pain and resolve: "Aradhyaa, some wounds are too deep, and I can't risk dragging you into the darkness with me. You deserve a better life, a life without my shadows."

Aradhyaa, tears streaming down her face: "Abhimaan, you are my life. I don't care about shadows or darkness. I care about us. Please, don't do this. We can find a way through."

Abhimaan, aching to explain but holding back: "I can't, Aradhyaa. It's better this way. For both of us."

Aradhyaa, her voice breaking: "I mean nothing to you?"

Abhimaan, his gaze fixed on a distant point, answered coldly: "No."

As those two letters echoed in the room, Aradhyaa's world crumbled. Her teary eyes, once filled with love, now blurred her vision. She felt her legs weakening, every step away from him becoming a painful reminder of a shattered dream.

Aradhyaa, gasping in disbelief: "No..."

Abhimaan, still facing away, remained unmoved by the storm of emotions in the room. He knew the weight of his words but couldn't bring himself to turn around, to face the consequences of a decision that tore them apart.

Aradhyaa, her last ray of hope fading: "Is that all I am to you? Nothing?"

Abhimaan, his voice stoic: "It's better this way, Aradhyaa."

Silence hung in the air, heavy with the unspoken, as Aradhyaa, like a living corpse, turned away. Each step she took resonated with the echoes of a love that had slipped through her fingers.

He, on the other hand, stood there, a blank canvas of emotions. Deep down, a part of him wanted to stop her, to pull her into his arms and erase the pain he had inflicted. Yet, the fear of himself, the fear of the shadows he carried, held him back.

In that moment, two souls stood on opposite ends of a fractured reality, connected by the threads of a love that circumstances had deemed impossible.

The room echoes with the weight of unspoken words, leaving Aradhyaa shattered and Abhimaan wrestling with the internal turmoil of a decision that could alter the course of their lives.
Aradhyaa, wiping her tears with determination: "This is my last strand of patience, Abhimaan. Love is crucial for me, but self-respect is even more so."

Abhimaan, still unmoving: "Aradhyaa, I..."

Aradhyaa, cutting him off with a stern gaze: "No more, Abhimaan. This is the last time you'll see me or hear from me."

Abhimaan, realizing the weight of her words: "Aradhyaa, please, let me explain."

Aradhyaa, shaking her head: "There's nothing left to explain. I deserve more than what you're offering."

Abhimaan, his voice strained: "Aradhyaa, I never wanted to hurt you."

Aradhyaa, delivering her final verdict: "Hurt or not, it doesn't matter anymore. Just throw away all my stuff; I'm not taking it back and I am leaving my set of keys on this table."

With those words, Aradhyaa walked away, leaving behind a room filled with the echoes of a broken love and shattered dreams.

In the dimly lit room, Abhimaan stood with his back turned, a silhouette of a man shattered from within. His shoulders slumped, carrying the weight of emotions he couldn't express. The air was thick with unsaid words, regrets, and the ache of a love that had crumbled.

On the other side, Aradhyaa moved through the corridor, each step echoing the broken pieces of her heart. Tears streamed down her face, leaving a trail of pain and disappointment. She had given her all, hoping for a love that would endure, but now she carried the heaviness of a relationship that lay in ruins.

In separate spaces, both Abhimaan and Aradhyaa grappled with the aftermath of a love that had slipped through their fingers, leaving them standing alone in the debris of what once was. The room, once filled with warmth, now held only the remnants of a connection that had unravelled, leaving scars that time might struggle to heal.