Chapter Twenty
Author's POV
Ria's eyes fluttered open to darkness.
The room was still, cloaked in silence - except for the soft ticking of the antique clock mounted on the wall. Her eyes moved slowly to it.
4:07 AM.
She sat up with a quiet groan, a hand pressing against her pounding head. The aftermath of the emotional storm the night before still echoed in her bones. Her throat was dry, her heart heavier than the lehenga she'd worn earlier that day.
Reaching toward the nightstand, she found the glass jug empty.
"Of course," she whispered to herself, voice hoarse. "I forgot to refill it."
She wrapped her dupatta around herself and rose slowly, her bare feet brushing the cold floor as she left the room. The mansion was eerily silent, the kind of silence that wasn't peace, but emptiness.
She made her way down to the kitchen in the dark, refilled the jug with chilled water, and started back up.
But just as she reached the base of the staircase, she stopped.
A low groan broke the silence.
Faint... pained... masculine.
Her heart picked up.
She placed the jug carefully on a nearby table and followed the sound, the silence of the house making each footstep louder.
And then, in the large sitting room bathed in moonlight, she saw him -
Pratap Rathore.
He was seated on a heavy velvet couch, clutching his leg, his face twisted in pain.
"Dadaji!" Ria ran to him, kneeling instantly beside the couch. "Are you alright?"
"I twisted my foot... while trying to come down the stairs," he muttered, wincing as she gently touched his ankle.
Ria held his leg softly, trying not to hurt him more. "Why didn't you ring the bell, Dadaji? You shouldn't move around like this at night."
He gave her a tired smile, the pain evident in his eyes. "Couldn't sleep, beta. So I came down to clear my head. I thought the silence would help..."
His hand reached up, resting gently on her head, hesistance visible on his face .
"...but guilt is a cruel companion."
She looked up at him.
"Guilt?"
He nodded slowly, his eyes staring into the distance. "You left your own wedding reception... because of my grandson."
Ria's lips parted, but no words came.
"Don't deny it, my child," he said, voice heavy. "You were hurt. I saw it. And all of this... it started because of me."
She gently shook her head. "Please don't say that, Dadaji. This marriage... it wasn't anyone's fault. It just... happened." Her voice dropped at the end, uncertain.
Pratap let out a breath. "No, Ria. I forced Aansh's hand. I put pressure on him to marry. And now look at what I've done... I've brought an innocent girl into a house that has forgotten how to love."
Ria sat in silence, unsure what to say. She didn't want to agree, but she couldn't lie either.
He looked at her again, softer this time. "You know... Aansh wasn't always like this."
Her breath caught slightly.
He gave a broken smile. "He used to laugh. Joke. He was... warm. Kind. A son any parent would be proud of."
Ria blinked, struggling to imagine it. That man - the one who dragged her into marriage, who spat cruel words with every glance - warm?
"But then..." Dadaji's voice faded, his eyes growing misty. "Something happened. Something that broke him in a way none of us could fix."
Ria leaned in, heart curious. "What happened, Dadaji?"
He shook his head slowly. "It's not my place to say, beta. That part of his life... only he can share."
Ria didn't push. But the seed had been planted.
"He built walls so high around himself," Pratap continued. "Even I can't reach him now. I thought... maybe... marriage would melt the ice. That a good woman might show him the way back."
Ria lowered her gaze.
"He won't let anyone in," she whispered. "You can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped."
"I know," Dadaji said. "But I also know my grandson. He's hurting more than he lets on. And... he's terrified of loving again. But you can help him my child."
Her eyes flicked to him. "Me?" she whispered.
"Yes, Ria," he said gently. "You."
"I'm not asking you to save him. Or fix him. Just... try. Not for him. But for me. Make your marriage work out."
She sat still.
Conflicted.
Because deep down, her heart knew he didn't deserve her kindness. Not after the way he treated her. But there was something about Pratap's words - his fragile hope, his crumbling age - that tugged at something deep inside her.
She wasn't sure if it was compassion... or foolishness.
Dadaji moved his foot, testing the pain. "It's feeling better now. Thank you, beta."
Ria helped him to his feet, steadying him gently.
As he turned to walk back toward his room, he paused and looked over his shoulder. "Aansh might never say it, Ria... but even a man buried in darkness will notice the first light. Just don't put yours out too soon."
Ria stood in the hallway long after he was gone.
Her heart torn between pride... and a grandfather's plea.
And in her soul, a quiet war began.
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What will she do, now??. Guys comment and vote for the next chapter????