CHAPTER 29
Wadhwa Mansion – A week later
It was close to midnight when Mishti finally stood outside Karan’s bedroom, her fingers trembling as they closed around the cold knob.
She hesitated, her palm resting there longer than necessary, reconsidering doing this, something she had been avoiding for the last two weeks.
Since the night his past had been torn open before her, guilt had consumed her.
Although she had kept her distance since then, she knew it could not undo the damage her father had caused Karan.
Despite that, she had promised herself to keep her distance as long as possible from her side.
But tonight, she could not. Because she knew tomorrow would change everything.
And before that happened, she needed this one moment.
Just one. To see him. To carry the sight of him with her, without expectation or demand.
Fortunately, the door was unlocked. Karan had probably forgotten to lock the room tonight. Slowly, she turned the knob and eased the door open.
The room was dark inside, with only the faint glow of the city filtering in through the curtains. Her eyes adjusted gradually, and then she saw him.
Karan lay asleep on his stomach, one arm tucked beneath the pillow, the other resting loosely beside him.
A dull ache settled in her chest as she realised she had never seen him like this before.
They had never shared a room, never shared nights that allowed her to know his sleeping habits, what he looked like when he rested.
What it felt like to lie beside her husband, to watch him sleep, to feel the steady rhythm of his breathing in the dark.
What it was like to have his arm draped around her waist, holding her protectively. She hardly knew any of this.
Tears welled in her eyes at the sight of him sleeping so peacefully. He looked untouched by the years of fury that had shaped him. Peaceful, almost boyish.
After all, this deep sleep was the only time he truly found rest, the only hours when his dark past loosened its hold, when hatred for her and her family fell silent, and the fire of revenge stopped burning through him.
Her heart twisted painfully at the thought.
She had come only to look. She reminded herself of that.
One glance, and then she would leave, without leaving behind a trace of herself.
But standing there, inside his room, the distance she had forced between them for days collapsed under the proximity.
Unable to stop herself, she stepped inside, bare feet, silently, until she stood beside the bed and let herself look at him properly then.
His hair lay disordered against the pillow, strands falling across his forehead.
He was shirtless, the comforter covering below his waist, leaving his back bare.
His muscles relaxed in sleep instead of held rigid as they always were when he was awake.
His breathing was slow, even, the rise and fall of his body was steady.
He looked at ease. She knew that peace was an illusion, something he would never truly have as long as she remained a part of his life.
Her eyes filled again, and she pressed her lips together to keep the sob from escaping.
If he woke now, or saw her standing here, watching him like this, she would not survive the look in his eyes.
She had no explanation for why she was here.
Before her resolve could falter completely, she turned away and quietly slipped out of the room, closing the door behind her. Only when she was safely away did she allow herself to breathe again.
Inside the darkened room, Karan stirred. His eyes opened slowly, and he rolled his head toward the door. He could not explain it, but he was certain someone had been in the room. In fact, not just anyone but her. Mishti.
It was not a fleeting thought or a half-formed dream. It was his gut feeling that she was here, standing beside the bed, watching him, careful not to disturb him. The thought made his jaw tighten.
Was it just his mind playing tricks on him?
As far as he knew, she would never dare to cross that boundary again.
Not after everything he had said to her two weeks ago.
Not after the distance he had drawn between them again.
And yet, he knew Mishti. Since when had she ever followed his rules?
Since when had she not challenged him, even in her silence?
Still, why would she come here at this hour?
The urge to get up and walk into her room rose sharply within him. To confront her. To ask her why she had come, if she truly had. But the part of him that had enforced distance pushed that instinct away. He had chosen this separation, and he would not be the first to break it.
But for how long could this continue? How long could they live under the same roof, circling each other in silence, burdened by grief and hurt that flowed both ways?
He had never once considered ending this marriage.
That was not an option. Mishti was his for this lifetime, and nothing would change that.
Still, the question remained. How could they continue living like this forever?
Two people bound together, both wounded, both carrying grief that had been caused by the other, even if unintentionally.
He exhaled slowly, giving up.
Tomorrow, he would speak to her. Not personally, but professionally.
At the very least, he would put an end to the suffocating awkwardness between them.
He would demand that she return to work.
Non-executive director or not, she was still an important part of KW Capital now, and that would be his reason.
His excuse to bring her back into his sphere, back where he could see her, and keep matters controlled again from hereon.
With that decision made, he finally turned onto his side and closed his eyes again, forcing himself to sleep.
**************
Next Morning
Karan was getting ready for work when an odd restlessness stirred deep inside him. The day already felt wrong, as though something had slipped out of place. Ever since midnight, since that moment he had half-felt Mishti’s presence in his room, he couldn’t sleep.
Now, fully dressed and standing before the dressing table, he paused. It was past 8:30 a.m. By this time, he usually heard the soft ringing of temple bells from the prayer room, the sound marking Mishti’s morning routine without fail. Today, there was nothing. No bells. No murmured prayers.
He frowned at his reflection while fastening his cufflinks. Was she running late? That was unlike her.
But more importantly, why was this bothering him so much? She was in the same house. If he was this restless about her absence, why not step out and check for himself?
The thought had barely formed when there was a knock on the door.
Maria stepped in, her face tight with worry. “Sir,” she said hesitantly, “Mishti madam is not in her room.”
He straightened at once, forcing calm into his voice. “She must be in the temple room or the kitchen. You know her routine, Maria.”
“I know, sir,” she replied, clearly shaken. “That’s why I got worried. She hasn’t come to the kitchen or the prayer room yet. I went to check on her. Her room door was open, but she wasn’t inside.” She paused, then added quietly, “Her things are there… but her trolley bag is missing.”
Karan froze. Without waiting another second, he strode past Maria and headed straight for Mishti’s room.
The door was open, just as Maria had said.
The bed was neatly made, untouched. The room looked the same, except for one glaring absence.
The trolley bag that always stood beside the closet was gone.
He opened the wardrobe. Most of her clothes were still there, but not all. A few were missing.
What the hell did that mean? Had she left? Damn!
He walked past Maria again, who had followed him in rising panic. He did not stop to reassure her, because the same unease was clawing at his own chest. The last time Mishti had walked out of this house, she had ended up in a hospital bed. He did not want a repeat of that nightmare.
But where could she have gone? The Goels? She knew what he felt about them. She knew how deeply he despised Daksh. He had made it clear to her that she was a Wadhwa now, his wife, Mishti Karan Wadhwa. She belonged here. With him. How could she leave like this, without a word, without even a hint?
Is that why she had come to his room? To say goodbye? To look at him one last time before walking away without facing him? Either way, he was not going to let this slide.
He dialled Mishti first, but her number was unreachable.
Of course. She must have switched her phone off.
His grip tightened around the device. She was going to pay for this, for dragging him into this chaos first thing in the morning.
Next, he called Divya Goel, deliberately avoiding Daksh. Thankfully, Divya answered. The moment she did, his restraint snapped.
“Pass the phone to Mishti,” he demanded.
“Mishti?” Divya asked, confused. “Why would she be here? She isn’t with us. Isn’t she there with you?”
Karan’s heart thudded.
Was Divya telling the truth? The worry in her voice sounded real. He asked again, more slowly this time. “She didn’t come home?”
“Home?” Divya repeated. “She was coming here? When? She didn’t tell me anything.” She paused, then added quietly, almost hesitantly, “And besides… Daksh broke all ties with her yesterday. He made it very clear she isn’t welcome here anymore. So why would she come here?”
Karan swallowed hard and ended the call. He had expected Daksh to do something like that. But if Mishti wasn’t at the Goel house, then where the hell was she?
He turned back to Maria sharply. “Where’s Abhimanyu?”
“He left early, sir,” Maria replied. “He mentioned having an early morning meeting at the office.”