Devyanis silent tears.
Hey hiii mayawiyans
Enjoy the update??
____________________
For a long moment, RIVAN just stood there beside the car, holding her against his chest while the cold wind swept across the empty road.
Devyani slept peacefully in his arms.
Completely unaware.
Her face was buried in the crook of his neck, lips slightly parted in deep sleep, fingers loosely curled against his bare chest as if even unconsciousness refused to let him go.
The oversized shirt swallowed her tiny frame, slipping off one shoulder slightly, exposing the soft curve of her collarbone marked faintly with the evidence of their reckless night.
RIVAN stared at her quietly.
His wife.
His destruction.
His peace.
A bitter smile touched his lips.
He opened the back door gently and slowly laid her down across the leather seat. She whimpered softly in her sleep the moment his warmth left her body, instinctively reaching toward him.
His chest tightened painfully.
"I'm here," he whispered immediately.
Even asleep, she calmed down hearing his voice.
God.
That trust was killing him.
He tucked the shirt properly around her legs, brushing strands of hair away from her face before quietly shutting the door.
Then his gaze moved toward the road.
Her saree.
Her blouse.
Her bra.
Scattered pieces of chaos from the night.
The wind dragged the loose fabric slightly across the asphalt like the night itself trying to keep fragments of her behind.
RIVAN walked forward silently and bent down to pick everything up one by one.
His fingers paused briefly on the delicate fabric.
Memories flashed violently through his head
Her laughter.
Her drunken giggles.
Her innocent questions.
The way she had looked at him like he was the entire universe.
The way she trusted him enough to fall asleep in his arms after he had already decided to destroy her.
His jaw clenched.
Without another word, he folded the clothes carefully and placed them inside the car.
Then finally he slid into the driver's seat.
The engine roared softly to life.
And the long drive home began.
The highway stretched endlessly before him.
Dark.
Empty.
Silent.
Only the headlights cut through the night, illuminating fragments of road before swallowing them back into darkness again.
Inside the car, soft breathing filled the silence.
Devyani slept in the backseat curled into his shirt, completely exhausted after crying, laughing, drinking, loving all in one night.
Meanwhile RIVAN drove with one hand gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white.
His other hand rested near his mouth, thumb pressed against his lips as thoughts tore him apart from inside.
Every few minutes his eyes drifted toward the rearview mirror.
Toward her.
Always toward her.
He watched her sleeping form carefully, almost obsessively.
Thunder rolled faintly outside.
Rain began drizzling against the windshield in soft drops.
RIVAN slowed the car slightly.
There was no peace for men like him.
Only blood.
Only sacrifices.
Only endings.
His eyes burned again.
He was planning to hand her divorce papers on their anniversary.
One year of marriage.
One signature.
One ending.
He tightened his grip harder.
The veins in his arms stood out sharply.
But maybe hatred was safer.
Safer than loving a monster like him.
Back and forth.
Back and forth.
Like time counting down toward destruction.
Then suddenly
a sleepy voice came from the backseat.
RIVAN's heart stumbled violently.
He looked in the mirror instantly.
She was still half asleep, eyes barely open.
"Hmmm?" he answered softly.
The words were barely audible.
Just a sleepy murmur.
A vulnerable plea spoken unconsciously.
But it hit him harder than bullets ever could.
RIVAN shut his eyes briefly.
Pain spread through his chest so sharply he almost couldn't breathe.
And yet
he kept driving toward the haveli.
The haveli stood silent beneath the stormy sky when RIVAN finally drove through the massive gates.
Rain drummed softly against the windshield.
The old mansion loomed ahead like a sleeping beast, its tall windows dark except for a few dim lanterns flickering in distant corridors.
RIVAN killed the engine but didn't move immediately.
For a moment, he simply sat there staring ahead, exhaustion weighing heavily on his shoulders.
Then he looked back.
Devyani was still asleep.
Curled sideways on the backseat, clutching the edge of his shirt near her chest like a child holding onto comfort. Her hair covered half her face, her lips parted slightly as soft breaths escaped her.
Something twisted painfully inside him.
He stepped out into the rain without caring that cold water instantly soaked through his clothes.
Opening the back door carefully, he slid one arm beneath her knees and the other around her waist.
She stirred faintly the moment he lifted her.
"Pati ji..." she mumbled sleepily, instinctively curling closer into him.
"Hmmm," he answered quietly, holding her tighter.
Her head fell against his shoulder again immediately.
Trust.
Blind, terrifying trust.
The haveli doors opened before he even reached them.
A servant stood there startled, eyes widening slightly at the sight of Thakur sahib carrying his sleeping wife wrapped only in his shirt.
But one look at RIVAN's face
and the servant silently lowered his gaze and stepped aside.
No questions asked.
The mansion remained eerily quiet as RIVAN walked through the dim corridors carrying her upstairs.
Only the sound of rain and his footsteps echoed through the darkness.
Inside their room, warm golden light spilled softly across the walls.
RIVAN shut the door behind him with his foot and walked straight toward the bed.
Carefully
so carefully
he laid her down against the sheets.
She whimpered faintly again the moment his warmth disappeared.
Her brows furrowed in sleep.
RIVAN exhaled slowly.
"Drama queen," he muttered softly, though affection coated every syllable.
He disappeared briefly into the bathroom.
A few moments later, warm water filled a basin while steam curled gently through the room.
Returning beside the bed, he knelt near her sleeping form.
His fingers moved to the buttons of his oversized shirt she still wore.
For one second he paused.
Not out of desire.
But emotion.
Because beneath the drunken chaos and reckless teasing tonight
she had given him something terrifyingly pure.
Herself.
Completely.
And he was about to destroy her anyway.
His jaw tightened painfully.
Slowly he slid the shirt off her shoulders, careful not to wake her. She shivered faintly as cool air brushed her skin.
"Shhh," he whispered instinctively.
Taking a soft cloth dipped in warm water, he gently cleaned her skin.
Her arms.
Her neck.
The faint smeared kajal beneath her eyes.
Every movement was painfully tender.
Almost reverent.
Devyani stirred softly when he cleaned a scratch near her waist from the broken glass.
A tiny hiss escaped her lips.
Instantly his expression darkened.
"Sorry," he murmured, thumb brushing over the reddened skin gently.
His chest burned with guilt again.
If anything had happened to her tonight
No.
He couldn't even finish the thought.
After cleaning her carefully, he wrapped her in one of his soft cotton shirts again fresh this time, smelling faintly of sandalwood and him.
The shirt swallowed her whole.
RIVAN stared at her for a long moment after settling her beneath the blankets.
She looked impossibly small against the massive bed.
Peaceful.
Safe.
His wife.
A fragile smile touched his lips despite the storm raging inside him.
Then suddenly
her sleepy hand reached out blindly from beneath the blanket.
Searching.
For him.
RIVAN froze.
Even unconscious, she searched for him.
Slowly, he sat beside her and let her fingers curl around his wrist.
Instantly she relaxed.
A sleepy sigh escaped her lips.
And then
without opening her eyes
she whispered softly,
RIVAN stopped breathing.
Completely.
His throat tightened violently.
Because she said it so naturally.
So truthfully.
Like loving him was the easiest thing in the world.
Meanwhile loving her felt like standing in front of a blade and willingly walking into it.
His eyes burned again.
Slowly, painfully slowly
he bent down and pressed his forehead against hers.
And for the first time that entire night
RIVAN looked broken.
"I love you too," he whispered hoarsely into the darkness.
RIVAN stepped out of room quietly after making sure she was asleep.
For one lingering second, he looked back at her curled beneath his blanket, wearing his shirt, breathing softly like the world had never hurt her.
Then he shut the door.
And became RIVAN Thakur again.
Cold.
Unreadable.
Dangerous.
He walked downstairs slowly, loosening the cuffs of his sleeves while exhaustion clawed at his body. His head pounded violently from lack of sleep, emotions, alcohol lingering in the air around him, and the weight of the decision crushing his ribs from inside.
The study room door stood slightly open.
Light spilled from inside.
RIVAN frowned faintly.
Then pushed the door open.
And stopped.
Reyansh was sitting on the leather couch, one leg bouncing impatiently, dark circles beneath his eyes, phone thrown carelessly on the table beside him. Half-open books and files surrounded him, evidence he had come directly from London without even resting.
The moment Reyansh saw him
he exploded.
He stood up instantly.
RIVAN remained silent.
That only made Reyansh angrier.
Still silence.
Reyansh stared at him in disbelief.
RIVAN walked toward the table calmly and picked up a file without reacting.
That irritated Reyansh even more.
"What the fuck is going on?"
No answer.
"You really want some princess treatment from me, huh? That's why you didn't pick up? Bloody hell, I left London in the middle of my work because your stupid ass scared me!"
Still nothing.
Only pages turning.
Reyansh narrowed his eyes now.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Because RIVAN wasn't even insulting him back.
That man could fight with ghosts if he was in a bad mood.
But tonight
he looked empty.
"Oi," Reyansh said more quietly now. "What happened?"
RIVAN finally spoke.
Flatly.
Without expression.
The file slipped slightly from RIVAN's fingers.
Thunder cracked outside.
Reyansh blinked once.
Twice.
Then laughed.
A short disbelieving laugh.
RIVAN looked at him finally.
The smile disappeared from Reyansh's face instantly.
"No."
RIVAN's jaw tightened slightly.
"It's decided."
Reyansh stepped closer now, eyes narrowing dangerously.
RIVAN looked away.
That sentence hit differently.
Because it wasn't arrogance.
Wasn't anger.
Wasn't ego.
It sounded like surrender.
Reyansh stared at him carefully now.
At the tired eyes.
At the hollow expression.
At the man who looked like he had already buried himself alive.
Then realization slowly crept across his face.
"Oh..."
His voice lowered.
"You love her."
RIVAN's breathing paused for one fraction of a second.
That was enough.
Reyansh cursed under his breath and dragged a hand through his hair aggressively.
RIVAN looked irritated instantly.
RIVAN slammed the file shut violently.
"She deserves a normal life!"
The room fell silent again.
RIVAN's face hardened dangerously.
But Reyansh didn't stop.
RIVAN clenched his fists.
"She's too dependent on me."
That made RIVAN shut his eyes briefly.
Pain flickered across his face.
Reyansh laughed bitterly.
And somehow
that hurt RIVAN even more.
Reyansh stared at him for a long moment.
Then suddenly he got up so violently the chair scraped harshly across the marble floor.
His voice thundered through the study room.
"But I can't see my Devu cry because of you."
The word my slipped out possessively, protectively not as a lover, but as someone who had watched that girl become the fragile heartbeat of this cursed mansion.
RIVAN gave a hollow smile.
A tired one.
Reyansh blinked.
Then frustration exploded out of him.
"Abe BHSDK!" he shouted, running both hands through his hair aggressively. "Sun meri baat! Tu yeh sab karke kya milega?!"
He stepped closer, pointing a finger directly at RIVAN's chest.
His voice cracked slightly now.
The smile vanished from RIVAN's face immediately.
Silence stretched between them.
Heavy.
Painful.
Then finally
RIVAN spoke.
Very quietly.
Reyansh froze slightly.
RIVAN's eyes darkened.
His voice had changed now.
Rougher.
Raw.
His jaw tightened painfully.
The memory burned him alive.
That balcony.
Those swollen eyes.
Her trembling voice asking if she was a burden.
RIVAN looked away immediately.
"I saw her trying..." he continued hoarsely. "Trying so hard to understand this world."
His fists clenched slowly.
Helpless.
RIVAN Thakur hated that feeling more than death itself.
Thunder cracked outside again.
His breathing grew uneven.
Reyansh's anger faded little by little hearing him.
Because this wasn't the RIVAN who ruled through fear.
This was a man terrified for the woman he loved.
RIVAN leaned back against the desk tiredly, dragging a hand over his face.
He stopped.
The words refused to come out.
Reyansh narrowed his eyes softly now.
RIVAN laughed once.
Broken.
Humorless.
Silence.
Then finally RIVAN whispered the thing that had been rotting inside him for months.
Reyansh's expression changed instantly.
RIVAN looked down at his own hands.
Hands stained with blood.
Violence.
Sin.
"I know what kind of life follows me," he said quietly. "Enemies. Blood. Revenge. Death." His throat tightened. "One mistake... one weakness... and people like us lose everything."
His eyes slowly lifted toward Reyansh.
"And she..."
His voice nearly broke.
"She trusts too easily."
A flash of Devyani smiling innocently crossed his mind.
Drunk giggles.
Tiny hands grabbing his shirt.
Don't leave me alone...
RIVAN shut his eyes tightly.
Reyansh's chest tightened hearing that.
Because it was true.
Painfully true.
RIVAN gave another hollow laugh.
Reyansh stayed silent.
RIVAN's voice dropped into something almost inaudible.
His breathing faltered.
Reyansh cursed softly under his breath and sat back down heavily.
"You idiot," he whispered tiredly.
RIVAN smirked faintly without humor.
"Maybe."
Then quietly
almost like confessing to himself
Reyansh stared at him in disbelief.
Then anger snapped.
Not normal anger.
Not irritation.
This was the kind that came from loving two people too much and watching them destroy themselves with their own hands.
His voice shook.
RIVAN remained silent.
Reyansh stepped closer.
Images flashed through his mind
Devyani laughing with ice cream smeared on her nose.
Running barefoot through the haveli.
Talking nonsense.
Dancing without shame.
Smiling like the world had never touched her cruelly.
And now?
Now she cried because one man raised his voice at her.
Reyansh's chest burned.
The word please sounded wrong coming from him.
But he didn't care.
RIVAN's expression flickered for one tiny second.
Then hardened again.
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
Something exploded inside Reyansh.
He shoved RIVAN hard across the chest.
The file in RIVAN's hand crashed to the floor.
RIVAN's eyes darkened instantly.
Reyansh pushed him again.
Harder this time.
Another shove.
RIVAN's jaw clenched dangerously.
The roar finally came out.
The room shook with it.
Both men stood chest to chest now, breathing heavily.
RIVAN's eyes blazed with fury and pain.
Reyansh shoved him again instinctively.
And this time
RIVAN snapped.
He caught Reyansh by the collar and slammed him against the bookshelf behind him.
Books crashed down around them.
RIVAN thundered.
Reyansh grabbed his shirt back immediately.
"Then leave that world, damn it!"
The scream ripped out of him violently.
Silence followed.
Heavy breathing filled the room.
RIVAN slowly loosened his grip.
But Reyansh wasn't done.
RIVAN looked murderous now.
That hit.
Hard.
RIVAN looked away briefly.
Reyansh saw it.
And pushed further.
"She loves you, idiot!"
RIVAN's fists clenched.
RIVAN punched the wall beside Reyansh's head violently.
CRACK.
The wooden panel splintered instantly.
Both men froze breathing heavily.
Blood trickled slowly down RIVAN's knuckles.
But he didn't even notice.
His eyes looked hollow now.
Destroyed.
Reyansh stared at him.
Then suddenly his anger cracked too.
He grabbed RIVAN's shoulders roughly.
"You think she cares about your darkness?" he asked quietly. "That girl would walk barefoot into hell if you held her hand."
That sentence nearly shattered RIVAN completely.
Because he knew it was true.
And that terrified him most.
Reyansh stepped back tiredly, dragging both hands down his face.
RIVAN stayed silent.
His voice softened now.
The room fell deathly quiet again.
Only rain hitting the windows.
Only two broken men standing in the wreckage of love neither knew how to survive.
RIVAN turned away from him abruptly, jaw locked so tightly a vein pulsed near his temple.
"Reyansh..." he said tiredly, dragging a hand through his hair. "Tu baat ko samajh nahi raha."
Then slowly
with terrifying calm
he added,
For one second Reyansh simply stared at him.
Then his eyes widened in outrage.
He pointed aggressively at him.
Another furious step forward.
RIVAN closed his eyes briefly and inhaled deeply like he was forcing himself not to explode.
"Listen to me, Reyansh."
That sentence stopped Reyansh mid-rant.
RIVAN continued quietly.
His voice softened strangely now.
A sad smile touched his lips briefly.
Reyansh's anger faltered slightly.
RIVAN looked down at his bloodied knuckles.
Reyansh answered instantly.
RIVAN laughed once.
Dry.
Broken.
His eyes finally lifted toward him.
But RIVAN didn't smile.
Didn't react.
And that scared Reyansh more than the words themselves.
RIVAN shut his eyes painfully.
Reyansh's chest tightened.
"She still believes love can protect people."
Thunder rumbled outside.
Reyansh walked closer slowly now.
"You don't know that."
"I DO."
The roar came instantly.
RIVAN slammed his palm onto the desk violently.
His voice cracked unexpectedly.
He laughed bitterly through clenched teeth.
The room fell silent.
RIVAN looked shattered now.
Reyansh stared at him quietly.
Reyansh stared at him for a long moment.
Then finally he spoke, voice lower now, calmerbut still burning underneath.
RIVAN stayed silent.
"She can learn without losing you."
The answer came instantly.
Cold.
Certain.
RIVAN walked toward the window slowly, rain reflecting across his face through the glass.
His voice softened strangely.
"To learn."
A pause.
Reyansh frowned.
RIVAN turned toward him finally.
His jaw tightened painfully.
He shook his head slowly.
The confession landed heavily despite both already knowing the truth.
Thunder echoed outside.
RIVAN dragged a trembling hand across his face.
His breathing became uneven again.
Reyansh watched silently now.
Because this wasn't guilt anymore.
This was self-punishment.
RIVAN's eyes darkened.
The words came slowly.
Like he had thought about them a thousand nights alone.
His voice deepened with emotion.
A bitter smile touched his lips.
Reyansh's chest tightened painfully hearing that.
That surprised Reyansh slightly.
RIVAN looked away again.
Not when she looked at him like devotion itself.
Not when she would sacrifice herself happily just to stay beside him.
His voice rose now.
Passion.
Desperation.
Pain.
Another step forward.
His fists clenched tightly.
The storm outside raged harder.
For the first time
his voice broke completely.
The room fell silent afterward except for the rain.
RIVAN stood there breathing heavily, eyes red, shoulders tense like he had ripped his own heart open just to explain himself.
Reyansh stared at him quietly.
And finally
he understood.
This wasn't about abandoning Devyani.
This was about RIVAN believing she deserved the freedom to choose her life without being emotionally chained to him.
And somehow
that made it even sadder.
Reyansh exhaled deeply, frustrated beyond words.
Then suddenly
THUD.
His fist slammed hard into RIVAN's stomach.
RIVAN staggered backward instantly from the force, breath leaving his lungs sharply.
RIVAN glared murderously, clutching his stomach.
"You punch like a bitch."
Reyansh shouted back immediately.
RIVAN straightened slowly, eyes narrowing dangerously.
Reyansh pointed at him angrily.
Another step closer.
RIVAN looked away silently.
Reyansh cursed under his breath.
Then quieter now
almost tired
The warm corridor light barely touched the edge of her face as she stood frozen there, hidden from their sight.
Devyani.
She had woken up sometime earlier.
Disoriented.
Still sleepy.
Still wrapped in RIVAN's oversized shirt that nearly reached her knees.
When she hadn't found him beside her, she had wandered downstairs quietly, searching for him like she always did.
And then
she heard voices.
At first she hadn't understood much.
Only fragments.
Divorce.
London.
She deserves better.
Every word had struck her chest strangely.
But now
the atmosphere inside the study had calmed slightly.
RIVAN and Reyansh finally sat down on opposite couches, exhausted from the emotional war between them.
Silence lingered heavily for a moment.
Then suddenly RIVAN spoke.
Flatly.
Reyansh's head snapped toward him instantly.
A pause.
"Seriously? When?"
"Today."
Reyansh leaned back slowly, processing the information. His anger faded a little seeing the exhaustion carved into RIVAN's face now.
He exhaled deeply.
"Hmmm..."
Then more quietly
"Are you okay?"
RIVAN didn't answer immediately.
He only stared ahead blankly.
Then finally
a faint nod.
"Hmmm."
That one sound carried too much.
Too much grief.
Too much confusion.
Too much buried pain.
Reyansh understood instantly.
And for once
he didn't push further.
Didn't joke.
Didn't provoke.
Because some wounds were too fresh even for him to touch.
Outside the door
Devyani stopped breathing.
Her eyes widened slowly.
Rishi.
Dead?
Her fingers tightened unconsciously around the edge of the wall.
Then another realization hit.
The divorce.
London.
Leaving.
The words replayed violently inside her mind now.
Her chest tightened painfully.
No.
No no no.
RIVAN wanted to leave her?
The world around her suddenly felt distant.
Muffled.
Like she was underwater.
Inside the room, neither man noticed the tiny trembling figure outside.
Neither saw the tears filling her eyes.
Neither heard the way her breathing broke.
And then
she ran.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
No footsteps echoed.
No sob escaped.
She simply turned
and ran silently through the dark corridor like someone escaping a nightmare.
The oversized shirt fluttered around her legs as tears blurred her vision.
Her heart pounded violently.
Every sentence she had overheard stabbed deeper and deeper.
I'm giving divorce.
I want her to go away.
She's dependent on me.
What if I die tomorrow?
Something inside her cracked quietly.
Downstairs thunder roared outside the haveli.
But upstairs
hidden in darkness
Devyani finally covered her mouth to stop the broken sound trying to escape her throat.
And cried silently.
Reyansh suddenly stiffened.
His eyes narrowed toward the study door.
Then realization hit him.
RIVAN didn't even look surprised.
He simply leaned back against the couch, exhaustion written across every line of his face.
Reyansh's head snapped toward him instantly.
His voice rose dangerously.
RIVAN stayed silent.
Reyansh got up again in disbelief.
The storm outside rattled the windows violently.
RIVAN finally lifted his eyes toward him.
Cold.
Tired.
That sentence made Reyansh stare at him like he had lost his mind completely.
RIVAN looked away.
Reyansh shouted.
"She needed reassurance, idiot! Not trauma!"
RIVAN's jaw tightened painfully.
But he didn't argue.
Because deep down
he knew Reyansh was right.
Still...
he forced himself to stay firm.
That sentence nearly made Reyansh punch him again.
Instead he dragged both hands down his face aggressively.
He started pacing furiously across the room.
RIVAN stayed silent.
Reyansh pointed toward the door angrily.
RIVAN's breathing faltered slightly.
Just slightly.
But Reyansh noticed.
Good.
Let it hurt.
"You don't get to decide alone what's best for her," Reyansh continued harshly. "She's not some project you can fix and release into the world."
The room fell silent again.
Rain hammered against the windows harder now.
Finally Reyansh spoke again.
Lower this time.
But far more dangerous.
Silence.
Reyansh's expression hardened completely now.
His voice turned ice cold.
RIVAN narrowed his eyes faintly.
Reyansh stepped closer.
Another step.
Another.
RIVAN's jaw clenched sharply.
That hit directly.
Because that was exactly what RIVAN secretly planned.
To let her go.
Watch her grow.
And then someday
try to win her back honestly.
Reyansh saw the flicker in his eyes immediately.
RIVAN looked away silently.
Reyansh shook his head in frustration.
"You're selfish too, you know that?"
That made RIVAN smirk faintly without humor.
Silence settled again.
Then quietly
almost too quietly
RIVAN whispered,
Reyansh's anger cracked slightly hearing that.
Because the way he said it
it sounded like a dying man handing over the most precious thing he owned.
Reyansh inhaled deeply.
Then finally muttered,
RIVAN gave a broken little smile.
RIVAN left the study without another word.
The heavy wooden door shut behind him with a dull thud.
And suddenly
the room felt emptier.
Reyansh dropped back onto the couch with a frustrated groan, dragging both hands through his hair aggressively.
He stared at the ceiling for a long moment.
Then cursed again.
Now the real problem started.
Devyani.
His Devu.
The girl who probably heard enough tonight to shatter completely.
Reyansh exhaled deeply, already imagining her swollen eyes, trembling lips, and that heartbreaking habit she had of blaming herself for everything.
"Shit."
He leaned forward, elbows on knees.
"How the hell am I supposed to handle her now..."
Meanwhile
RIVAN walked through the dark corridor upstairs.
His expression had returned to stone.
But his eyes betrayed him.
Red-rimmed.
Exhausted.
Haunted.
The haveli remained silent except for distant thunder and the ticking of an old grandfather clock somewhere downstairs.
When he reached their room, he pushed the door open immediately.
And froze.
Empty.
The bed untouched.
Blankets disturbed.
But no Devyani.
His heartbeat skipped once.
Then his phone rang.
Virendra.
RIVAN answered instantly.
Before he could even speak, Virendra's irritated voice came through.
RIVAN's shoulders loosened very slightly.
Then Virendra continued suspiciously,
Silence.
RIVAN said nothing.
Because for the first time in years
he genuinely didn't know how to explain the damage he had caused.
Virendra waited a second.
Then another.
"RIVAN?"
But he had already cut the call.
The room fell silent again.
RIVAN stood there motionless in the darkness.
Then slowly
his gaze shifted toward the bed.
Toward the pillow where she had slept curled against him just hours ago.
A flash hit him instantly
her sleepy voice.
Love you...
His throat tightened violently.
He walked toward the balcony abruptly and gripped the railing hard enough his knuckles whitened.
Rain sprayed across his face from the storm outside.
Good.
Maybe it would numb something.
Downstairs somewhere, Devyani was probably crying in Yashodha's lap right now.
And he
the man who should protect her from pain
had become the reason for it.
RIVAN shut his eyes tightly.
But no matter how hard he tried
he still heard her laugh from earlier that night.
Still felt her tiny fingers holding him.
Still saw her sitting on the car bonnet wearing his shirt like she belonged entirely to him.
And maybe that was the problem.
She did belong to him.
Too much.
Enough to destroy herself if he let her stay.
After what felt like hours
RIVAN finally moved.
The storm outside had quieted slightly, rain now falling softer against the ancient windows of the haveli.
He walked through the dim corridor toward Virendra's room.
The door was already half-open.
As if Virendra had been waiting.
And he was.
Virendra sat silently on the sofa near the bed, arms crossed, expression unreadable under the warm yellow lamp. Yashodha rested nearby, gently stroking Devyani's hair while the girl slept curled against her lap like a wounded child seeking safety.
The moment RIVAN entered
the room grew heavier.
Virendra looked at him for a long second.
Then finally asked quietly,
"What now?"
RIVAN didn't answer.
Couldn't.
Because every answer sounded cruel tonight.
Instead
he simply walked forward slowly.
Carefully.
As though approaching something sacred.
Yashodha looked up at him, eyes filled with silent disappointment and concern, but she said nothing when he bent down beside the bed.
Devyani was asleep.
But even in sleep
her lashes were wet.
Tiny dried tear tracks stained her cheeks.
Something inside RIVAN twisted painfully at the sight.
Slowly
gently
he slid one arm beneath her knees and the other around her back.
She stirred immediately.
A tiny frown forming.
Instinctively seeking warmth.
Then the moment she recognized his scent even subconsciously
she melted closer into his chest.
That almost destroyed him.
Virendra noticed the way RIVAN's jaw tightened instantly afterward.
The guilt.
The helplessness.
The love.
All tangled together.
Without another word
RIVAN turned and left the room carrying her in his arms.
The corridor remained silent except for the faint rustle of her hair against his shirt.
Her fingers unconsciously curled into his collar while sleeping.
Like she was afraid he'd disappear.
That nearly made him stop walking.
But he forced himself forward.
Step by step.
Toward their room.
When he entered, moonlight spilled softly through the balcony curtains, painting silver shadows across the bed.
RIVAN carefully laid her down against the pillows.
But the moment he tried pulling away
her brows furrowed.
A tiny broken sound escaped her throat.
And her hand searched blindly for him.
"...pati...ji..."
Barely audible.
Half asleep.
Half hurt.
His chest physically ached hearing it.
"Hmm," he whispered softly, immediately sitting beside her again.
Only then did she calm.
Still asleep.
Still trusting him completely despite everything.
That trust felt like punishment now.
RIVAN removed his watch slowly, tossed it aside, then finally lay down beside her.
For a moment he only stared at her face in silence.
Messy hair.
Swollen lips.
Tear-stained cheeks.
His oversized shirt drowning her tiny frame.
God.
She looked so heartbreakingly his.
Then carefully
almost fearfully
he pulled her into his arms.
Instantly she curled against his chest on instinct, burying her face into his neck, breathing softly against his skin.
Like home.
Like she belonged nowhere else.
RIVAN shut his eyes tightly.
One arm wrapped around her waist securely.
The other cradled the back of her head gently.
Outside
rain continued falling over the haveli.
Inside
he held his sleeping wife close the entire night.
As if trying to memorize the feeling before losing it forever.
The next morning was unbearably quiet.
Not peaceful.
Just... empty.
The kind of silence that presses against walls until even breathing feels too loud.
No chaos echoed through the haveli corridors.
No sleepy voice asking absurd questions at breakfast.
No tiny footsteps running around.
No Devyani.
Or rather
she was there physically.
But something inside her had gone silent.
RIVAN had been awake long before sunrise.
He lay on the bed unmoving, staring at the ceiling while the pale morning light slowly crept into the room.
Beside him
Devyani stirred awake quietly.
No sleepy cuddling.
No instinctive search for his warmth.
Nothing.
She simply sat up slowly.
And for the first time
she didn't even look at him.
That hurt more than anger would have.
RIVAN silently watched her walk toward the bathroom carrying fresh clothes.
The door closed softly.
Minutes later she emerged wearing a simple saree, hair still damp from her bath, face completely blank.
Not swollen from crying.
Not emotional.
That frightened him more.
She moved around the room quietly collecting things.
Adjusting bangles.
Folding the blanket.
Avoiding him entirely.
As if he wasn't there.
As if last night had erased something sacred between them.
RIVAN opened his mouth once.
Wanted to say something.
Anything.
But the words never came.
Because what right did he have now?
Devyani finally walked toward the door.
And left silently.
Without looking back once.
The sound of the door shutting echoed through him harder than it should have.
Downstairs
breakfast felt like a funeral.
Everyone sat there.
But nobody truly ate.
Virendra already knew everything.
Reyansh had told him late at night after RIVAN left the study.
Virendra had tried.
God knows he tried.
He had argued.
Tried making RIVAN understand.
Tried explaining that pushing her away wasn't strength.
But RIVAN stayed firm.
Cold.
Unmoving.
Like a man sentencing himself willingly.
And now the consequences sat right in front of him at the breakfast table.
Devyani quietly served herself food.
Not once did she look toward RIVAN.
Not once.
Yashodha kept glancing between them worriedly.
Reyansh looked ready to murder someone again.
Virendra remained silent.
Even Aditya
usually incapable of shutting up
barely touched his tea.
The entire haveli felt wrong.
Like laughter itself had left the place.
The whole day passed in a blur afterward.
Nobody spoke much.
Nobody knew what to say.
And Devyani
she disappeared quietly into herself.
By evening
she entered Kaizan's room.
The massive animal immediately lifted his head the moment she walked in.
His intelligent eyes softened instantly seeing her.
Usually she would smile.
Climb beside him.
Talk endlessly.
Today
she simply sat down quietly beside him on the floor.
Then leaned against him silently.
Kaizan nudged her gently with his head.
Concerned.
Restless.
He could sense her sadness.
Animals always could.
He wished desperately he could ask her what happened.
Could comfort her properly.
Could speak human language just once.
Devyani buried her face into his thick fur.
And finally
after holding everything inside the entire day
she broke.
Her voice trembled horribly.
Tears rolled silently down her cheeks.
A shaky laugh escaped her.
Her fingers tightened into Kaizan's fur.
Her breathing broke.
More tears spilled now.
That word shattered her voice completely.
Contract.
Not marriage.
Not relationship.
Contract.
As if everything between them could be reduced to signatures and dates.
Her shoulders shook violently.
And finally
she cried openly against Kaizan, clutching him tightly while the poor creature stayed perfectly still beneath her, as if understanding
she needed somewhere safe to fall apart.
The entire day passed like a slow death inside the haveli.
Heavy.
Silent.
Suffocating.
And through all of it
Devyani never spoke to RIVAN once.
Not a single word.
Not even accidentally.
If he entered a room, she quietly walked out.
She ignored him so completely that it started feeling unnatural.
Cruel.
And the worst part?
RIVAN let her.
He didn't stop her.
Didn't force conversation.
Didn't demand attention.
He simply watched quietly from a distance and gave her space.
Which somehow hurt Devyani even more.
Because a tiny part of her
a childish, hopeful part
kept waiting for him to come hold her wrist and say
But he never did.
And every hour that passed without him trying
made her chest ache more painfully.
By afternoon
the entire family knew.
About the divorce.
About London.
About RIVAN's decision.
And fear spread through the haveli like poison.
Because tomorrow
was their anniversary.
One year.
Everyone had imagined celebration.
Rituals.
Laughter.
Maybe teasing.
Instead
it felt like the house was preparing for mourning.
Virendra remained tense the whole day.
Yashodha cried silently twice in the kitchen.
Aditya looked genuinely traumatized.
Even the servants whispered nervously.
Because everyone knew one thing
If RIVAN made a decision
he rarely stepped back.
And Devyani...
she looked too fragile for this.
The Rest of the day she stayed beside Kaizan.
Sometimes sitting quietly against him.
Sometimes lying curled beside him on the carpet.
Sometimes absentmindedly stroking his fur while staring into nothingness.
She barely moved.
Barely spoke.
And she didn't eat anything.
Not breakfast.
Not lunch.
Not even tea.
Yashodha tried convincing her gently.
Devyani only shook her head softly.
"I'm not hungry."
Even rudraksh ried joking around to distract her.
But nothing worked.
Her eyes remained dull.
By evening her face had become pale from hunger and crying.
Meanwhile
RIVAN noticed everything.
Every untouched plate.
Every tear she secretly wiped.
Every time she looked toward him unconsciously before quickly looking away again.
It was killing him slowly.
But he forced himself to stay distant.
Because he believed if he softened now
he would never be able to let her go.
Night slowly settled over the haveli.
Inside Kaizan's room
Devyani sat curled beside the giant creature, knees pulled to her chest, cheek resting against his side.
The room was dimly lit.
Quiet.
Then suddenly
the door opened softly.
Kaizan immediately lifted his head.
Devyani didn't.
She already knew who it was from the footsteps alone.
RIVAN.
He stood near the door silently for a few seconds.
Looking at her.
God.
She looked tiny.
Broken.
His throat tightened painfully.
No response.
She didn't even look at him.
RIVAN walked closer slowly.
Silence.
Kaizan glanced awkwardly between them like a nervous child witnessing parental conflict.
Finally Devyani spoke softly.
Still not looking at him.
That sentence sliced through him cleanly.
RIVAN inhaled slowly.
"Eat something."
RIVAN crouched down beside her carefully.
But she immediately shifted away slightly.
That tiny movement nearly shattered his composure.
A bitter laugh escaped her suddenly.
RIVAN's jaw clenched instantly.
And the pain in her eyes almost made him look away.
Silence.
Her lips trembled.
A tear slipped down quietly.
The answer came too quickly.
Too intensely.
Devyani stared at him.
Then whispered brokenly
RIVAN had no answer strong enough for that question.
And both of them knew it.
For a few seconds
neither of them moved.
The air between them felt unbearably heavy.
Kaizan stayed unusually still beside Devyani, almost sensing the storm about to break.
Then suddenly
her face crumpled.
Completely.
Like she had been holding herself together the entire day with trembling hands and finally
finally
everything slipped apart.
A broken sound escaped her throat.
Small at first.
Then another.
And another.
Until tears started pouring uncontrollably down her cheeks.
RIVAN's chest tightened violently.
She shook her head immediately, backing away from him further across the carpet.
Her breathing became uneven instantly.
Sharp.
Panicked.
As if air itself hurt now.
Her voice cracked horribly.
Because this
this was exactly what he never wanted.
Her eyes had turned red and swollen again, lips trembling uncontrollably as sob after sob wrecked through her body.
A shattered laugh escaped her.
Because every word from her mouth felt like punishment.
But Devyani couldn't stop anymore.
Everything buried inside her exploded at once.
She cried openly now.
Her scream echoed through the room suddenly.
Kaizan startled slightly.
RIVAN froze.
Devyani's chest heaved violently now, tears falling faster than she could wipe them.
Her voice broke completely.
RIVAN shut his eyes tightly.
Because he had no answer.
No answer that wouldn't destroy her further.
She pressed trembling hands over her face and sobbed harder.
And God
she looked so helpless.
So unbearably small.
Like a child abandoned somewhere unfamiliar.
Her shoulders shook violently with every breath.
Her entire body trembling from emotional exhaustion and hunger and heartbreak all mixed together.
Meanwhile
RIVAN was breaking too.
Quietly.
Internally.
His fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned white.
Because every instinct inside him screamed to pull her into his arms.
To tell her he was wrong.
To cancel everything.
To keep her with him forever.
But another voice
the darker one
kept whispering
If you love her, let her become more than this.
And it was tearing him apart.
Devyani suddenly looked up at him again through blurred vision.
Her eyes
God.
They were emptying slowly.
Not angry anymore.
Not stubborn.
Just hurt.
Deeply.
Hopelessly hurt.
That question almost broke his soul.
RIVAN immediately moved toward her instinctively.
But she flinched backward.
Actually flinched.
As if touching him would hurt more.
That destroyed something inside him instantly.
His breathing became heavy now too.
Uneven.
Painfully restrained.
His voice sounded wrecked.
But she only cried harder.
"You know what hurts the most?" she whispered between broken breaths. "You decided my whole future alone..."
Another sob.
Silence crashed into the room afterward.
The kind of silence that suffocates.
And in that moment
both of them looked equally destroyed.
One crying openly.
The other bleeding silently from places nobody could see.
_____________________
How's the chapter?