Ch 38 The Blueprint of a Broken Truth
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The entire mansion was wrapped in a quiet, heavy exhaustion after the grand celebrations of the previous day.
Everyone had played Holi with such immense fervor that their bodies were aching from the non-stop dancing and running around.
Rivanya was no exception; her entire body felt incredibly sore.
When she finally blinked her heavy eyelids open the next morning, she was still trapped in a half-asleep daze.
Through her blurred vision, she saw Rudraksh standing in front of the vanity, already getting dressed.
Rubbing her eyes tiredly, Rivanya pushed herself up into a sitting position on the bed.
Her voice was thick with sleep as she called out, "Rudra... where are you going so early in the morning?"
Rudraksh, who was busy tying his cufflinks, paused and turned around to look at her.
A soft smile broke across his face as he took in her messy, sleepy state. "Good morning, Sugarplum.
And it's not early at all it's already ten in the morning.
I'm heading to the office. I am officially joining back from today."
Forcing her eyes to open completely, Rivanya looked at him in disbelief. "
Really? But aren't you feeling exhausted?
After everything yesterday, my legs, my waist literally everything is aching.
We all had way too much fun."Rudraksh chuckled softly, adjusting his collar. "Yes, we did. But work is the absolute top priority. I should leave now. You stay in bed, rest up, and call me if you need anything at all, alright?"As Rivanya offered a small nod of agreement,
Rudraksh turned and walked into the attached bathroom to finish his final touches.
The moment the bathroom door clicked shut, Rivanya's gaze fell directly upon his crisp, immaculate white formal shirt resting on the edge of the bed, waiting to be worn.
Suddenly, a wicked spark of mischief flashed through her mind.
Throwing off the duvet, she scrambled out of bed with newfound energy.
She rushed over to her vanity table, scanned her makeup collection, and picked out her absolute brightest, most vibrant red lipstick.
Standing before the mirror, she carefully coated her lips in the deep crimson shade.
Giggling softly to herself, she sneaked back over to his white shirt.
She picked up the fabric, leaned down, and deliberately pressed her lips firmly against the underside corner of the collar.
When she pulled away, a flawless, stark red kiss mark was left perfectly stamped onto the pristine white fabric.
Rivanya knew for a fact that Rudraksh was running late and was in far too much of a rush to notice such a minor, hidden detail.
But the moment he stepped outside into the real world, the secret mark would be on full display for everyone else to see.
The mere anticipation of his impending embarrassment made her dissolve into a fit of silent, breathless giggles.
Hurriedly, she wiped the lipstick off her face, rearranged the shirt exactly how he had left it, and dashed back to the safety of the bed.
She dove under the sheets and closed her eyes, instantly faking a deep, peaceful sleep.
A few minutes later, the bathroom door opened.
Completely fresh and oblivious, Rudraksh stepped back into the room.
Seeing Rivanya apparently fast asleep again, he walked with light, careful footsteps so as not to disturb her rest.
Just as she had predicted, he picked up the shirt and slid into it without checking the collar.
He buttoned it up, threw on his formal blazer, and ran a hand through his hair.
Before heading out, he turned back one last time to look at his sleeping wife.
Satisfied that she was resting well, he turned and exited the bedroom, marching straight out to his car completely and beautifully unaware of the playful storm that was waiting to hit him at the office.
Meanwhile, far away in the sacred city of Kashi, a tense silence gripped Rivanya's maternal home.
Her maternal grandfather, Nanaji, was pacing back and forth in the central courtyard, his brow furrowed with deep anxiety.
He was completely lost in a labyrinth of heavy thoughts, his hands clenched tightly behind his back.
Seeing her husband so deeply unsettled, Rivanya's grandmother, Nanima, walked into the courtyard.
She stopped him gently, her voice laced with concern.
"Why are you so restless? Ever since we returned from Mumbai, you have been completely lost in your own world. What is bothering you so much?"
Nanaji paused his pacing, exhaling a long, burdened sigh as he looked at his wife.
"You know very well, Nandini... I handed Rivanya her mother's final letter before we left.
It seems she hasn't read it yet. If she had, she would have called me by now.
Her silence is what is making me anxious.
"Nanima tried to offer a reassuring smile, placing a gentle hand on his arm. "
She will call when she is ready. Why are you stressing yourself over it?
When she finds the time and courage to read it, she will reach out to us.""
No, Nandini, you don't understand," Nanaji replied, his voice cracking with a sudden wave of emotion.
"That letter holds the absolute biggest truth of Rivanya's life. It contains a secret that, as of right now, only the two of us carry. It is vital for Rivanya to know that truth immediately, before Naresh tries to manipulate and use her for his own greed any further.
I kept that letter hidden from her for all these years only because I was terrified. I was scared that once she learned the whole, unvarnished truth, she would grow to hate me."Nanima immediately shook her head, her eyes warming with deep affection for her granddaughter.
"Rivanya could never hate you. And whatever happened back then... it wasn't entirely your fault."A bitter, self-reproaching expression took over Nanaji's face as he looked up at the sky. "The one who quietly tolerates injustice is just as guilty as the one who commits it, Nandini.
My silence is the exact reason why my child, our Katha, is no longer with us today.
It is entirely because of my weakness and my silence that Rivanya had to grow up orphaned, completely deprived of the love of her mother and father."
Nanima opened her mouth to argue, but the words died in her throat.
She lowered her head, remaining completely silent.
Slowly, she stepped closer and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder to offer whatever solace she could.
Deep down, she knew he was right. In the quiet corners of her own heart, she knew that they, too, shared the burden of the mistakes made in the past.
Back at the Vardhan Head Office in Mumbai, Rudraksh had been noticing something highly unusual from the very moment he stepped into the building.
From the security guards at the entrance to the corporate employees in the corridors, everyone was casting strange glances at him and breaking into subtle, suppressed smirks.
Of course, they only did it behind his back; no one in the entire organization possessed the courage to pull such a stunt to his face.
Thanks to his incredibly sharp instincts, Rudraksh was acutely aware of the shifting energy around him.
Growing deeply suspicious, he subtly checked his reflection in the tinted glass walls of the office and even scrutinized himself in the washroom mirror.
Yet, he saw absolutely nothing out of the ordinary.
His hair was perfectly styled, and his suit was immaculately tailored.
He spent the better part of the morning running through possibilities, but found no logical answers.
Immersed in back-to-back meetings and paperwork, the morning slipped into afternoon unnoticed.
After the second half of the day began, Vyom arrived at the headquarters to wrap up some of his own pending work.
Stepping directly into the executive cabin, he found Rudraksh staring blankly at his desk, visibly perplexed.
"Hey, what are you analyzing so intently?" Vyom asked, taking a seat opposite him.
Rudraksh leaned back, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I don't know, man. Ever since I walked into the office today, I've noticed that literally everyone is staring at me. They keep whispering and grinning. I have no clue what's going on."
Vyom leaned forward to inspect his friend.
His eyes instantly locked onto the hidden corner of Rudraksh's collar, catching the unmistakable, vivid crimson stain of lipstick.
A sharp realization hit Vyom, and he suddenly understood exactly why Rudraksh had been the undisputed topic of office gossip all day.
An amused laugh escaped Vyom. "Well, brother, if you choose to publicly flaunt your highly private moments like this, what else do you expect?"
Rudraksh glared at him, his confusion turning into irritation. "Speak clearly. My brain is already fried today, so don't play riddles with me. If you have something real to say, say it. Otherwise, get out of my cabin."
Vyom completely lost his composure, laughing out loud. "Just check the corner of your shirt collar and admire my sister's latest artwork. You'll get your answer."
Utterly bewildered, Rudraksh quickly pulled out his phone and switched on the front-facing camera. Angling the screen toward the underside of his collar, he froze. He was left completely speechless at the sight of the bold, flawless red kiss mark stamped onto the pristine white fabric.
"How... how did this even get here? I swear I had no idea," Rudraksh stammered, his mind racing.
Vyom smirked, thoroughly enjoying his friend's rare vulnerability.
"Look, I know for a fact that this can't belong to anyone but Rivanya. Nobody else on this planet has the guts to pull a stunt like this on you. Anyone else would be terrified of what you'd do to them. My sister is the only brave soul alive who can willingly pick a fight with you,
so it's definitely her."