chapter 20-21
Chapter 20 — The Damage He Caused
It happened without warning.
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Like most things between them.
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Dinner.
Again.
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Kavya was already seated.
Eating quietly.
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Aarav joined her.
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Silence settled between them.
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Familiar.
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Until—
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“You’ve changed.”
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The words came suddenly.
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Kavya paused.
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Then slowly—
she set her fork down.
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“How?”
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Aarav leaned back slightly.
Watching her.
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“You don’t wait anymore.”
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A beat.
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“You don’t ask anything.”
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Another.
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“You don’t seem to care.”
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There it was.
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Kavya looked at him.
Calm.
Steady.
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“I thought that’s what you wanted.”
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Silence.
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Sharp.
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Aarav frowned.
“That’s not—”
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He stopped.
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Because he didn’t know how to finish that sentence.
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Kavya waited.
Just for a second.
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Then—
she spoke again.
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“You made it clear this marriage had boundaries.”
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Her voice was soft.
Even.
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“I’m just respecting them.”
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The words weren’t loud.
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But they landed.
Hard.
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Aarav felt it.
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Something tight.
Something uncomfortable.
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Something—
too close to wrong.
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But instead of fixing it—
he made it worse.
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“You’re overdoing it.”
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Kavya blinked once.
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“Am I?”
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A pause.
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Then she stood.
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“I’ll keep that in mind.”
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And walked away.
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No anger.
No emotion.
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Just distance.
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Aarav sat there—
staring at the empty chair across from him.
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And for the first time—
he realized something clearly.
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This wasn’t control anymore.
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This was loss.
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And it had already started.
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End of Chapter 20
Chapter 21 — The Absence He Noticed
It started with something simple.
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Kavya wasn’t home.
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Again.
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Aarav stood in the living room, jacket still on, gaze flicking toward the clock.
8:40 PM.
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Too early to question.
Too late to ignore.
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He walked to the kitchen.
Empty.
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The dining table—
set for one.
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His.
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Aarav stared at it for a second.
Then—
“Did she eat?”
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“Yes, sir. She went out afterward.”
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A pause.
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“With whom?”
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The staff hesitated.
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“I believe… the same friend.”
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That word again.
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Aarav’s expression hardened slightly.
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“…Fine.”
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But nothing about it felt fine.
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