Chapter Thirty Nine
RIA'S POV;
Goa felt different today.
Maybe it was the sunlight, brighter than usual.
Maybe it was the salty wind that kept stealing strands of my hair and tossing them playfully around my face.
Or maybe...
Maybe it was the first time since the wedding that my chest didn't feel like a tightly locked cage.
Shanti walked beside me, her steps slow and careful, like she wanted me to soak in every second of this rare freedom. She had taken me to the beach earlier - let me taste food I'd only seen in pictures, showed me small local stalls, even made me try coconut water fresh from the shell.
For a few hours,
I wasn't a trapped wife.
I wasn't living under fear.
I wasn't counting my breaths.
I was just... me.
And it felt like breathing for the first time in days.
As we walked toward the temple, the sky dimmed slightly, like dusk was approaching faster than usual. The street was noisy - vendors shouting prices, children laughing, the smell of incense from the temple drifting through the air.
I turned to Shanti and gently held her hands.
"Thank you," I whispered, my voice trembling with honesty. "I... really needed this."
Her wrinkles softened into a maternal smile. She lifted her hand and patted my head exactly the way my mother used to, and something warm bloomed in my chest - something bittersweet.
"Beta," she said softly, "you must not thank me. A girl like you... you remind me of the daughter I once wished for."
My throat tightened.
The daughter she wished for.
Someone wanted me, even if life didn't.
She continued quietly, "Listen, I shouldn't say this, but... smooth seas don't make skillful sailors."
Her words hung in the air like a riddle. I frowned, confused. She laughed gently at my expression.
"What I mean is - hardships create strength. And you... you have faced more pain than your age deserves. But it will shape you into a woman who can survive anything."
Pain changes people.
Her words settled inside my heart like slow-falling embers, burning but comforting.
Then her voice dropped to a whisper.
"Ria... I know about your situation with your husband."
My smile faded. My fingers clenched around my dupatta.
"It... it shows that much?" I asked quietly, afraid of the answer.
Shanti didn't lie.
She lifted my chin so I was looking directly into her warm, motherly eyes.
"A happily married woman carries a glow, beta. She wears her husband's love like an ornament."
My breath hitched.
"And you..."
Her gaze lowered pointedly to my neck.
"Your mangalsutra is missing."
Her eyes lifted to my forehead.
"And your sindoor is gone."
Embarrassment washed over me.
Shame.
Fear.
Relief.
All at once.
"I..." I swallowed. "I just wanted to feel free today."
Shanti smiled gently, knowingly.
"One day, Ria... your marriage might bring happiness. But happiness requires effort from both sides."
Both sides.
The words hurt because I knew only one side was trying. And it wasn't him.
We reached the temple steps. I covered my head with my dupatta and stepped inside. The scent of incense wrapped around me, warm and sacred. Bells chimed softly as people prayed around us.
I knelt before the goddess, my heart trembling.
"Maa," I whispered, "I know you put me in this situation for a reason. But please... show me which path to take. I feel so lost."
My tears fell quietly, mixing with the cold marble below me.
For the first time in days, the weight on my chest loosened as if the goddess had touched my shoulder and told me I wasn't alone.
When I finished my prayer, I stood and wiped my eyes. I rushed down the steps - feeling lighter, almost hopeful - and saw Shanti waiting at the base with a gentle smile.
I hurried toward her.
And then I collided with someone.
Hard.
My sandals slipped on the last step - the world tilted - but before I could fall, a hand grabbed my arm firmly, steadying me. My heartbeat thundered in my ears.
"I-I'm so sor-"
My words died the moment I saw the face.
"Ahaan?" I breathed.
He blinked in shock.
Then smiled.
That same boyish smile I remembered from high school.
"Ria," he whispered, almost in disbelief.
A tiny laugh escaped me - one filled with surprise and nostalgia. It felt strange and comforting to see someone from a life that felt like a lifetime ago.
"You're here? In Goa?" I asked, my voice lighter than it had been in months. "It's been so long, Ahaan. How are you?"
He laughed. "You're still as bubbly as you were in school."
I hoped that was true. I used to be. Before everything changed.
But then his gaze swept over me - slow, observant - and although he didn't mean harm, it made something inside me curl in discomfort.
Before I could reply, Shanti rushed toward us.
"Ria," she said breathlessly, "I have an emergency at home. I must leave immediately. You will have to manage on your own, beta."
"Oh- no, Shanti ji, please go," I said quickly. "If you need help later, dont hesitate to inform me."
She squeezed my hand gratefully and hurried off. I watched her disappear into the crowd, feeling a sudden flicker of loneliness slip back into my chest.
Ahaan cleared his throat, confused.
"I guess you're free now?" he said with a small smile.
I forced a smile of my own.
"Yeah... I guess I am."
"There's a new café nearby," he said, eyes brightening. "Should we go?"
Something inside me felt hesitant - a strange whisper of discomfort - but I pushed it aside.
A familiar face was rare.
A kind face even rarer.
I nodded.
He led me to his car, and for a moment, I felt oddly normal - like a girl meeting an old friend, not a woman chained to a man who didn't want her.
The café was beautiful - soft lights, modern wooden walls, soft music playing in the background. We took our seats by the window where the evening light cast a gentle glow on the table.
"So, Ria," Ahaan began, leaning forward. "What brings you to Goa?"
My fingers twisted in my lap.
"I'm here for... visitation," I lied, my voice small.
"And you?" I asked, trying to steer the attention away from myself.
"I'm on a business trip," he replied, and I nodded.
"What's new in your life?" I asked with genuine curiosity.
His face lit up.
"A lot, actually. I got married last year. To Tulip."
My heart warmed instantly.
Tulip.
His high-school sweetheart.
My old friend. She was one of my good friends but i unfortunately lost contact with her when she moved abroad.
"Ahaan!" I practically jumped from my seat. "That's amazing! I always knew you two would end up together!"
His smile widened.
"There's more," he added. "Tulip and I... we're expecting."
My eyes widened.
I stood up automatically - joy bursting out of me - and hugged him tightly.
"Congratulations, Ahaan! I'm so, so, so happy for you!"
He laughed softly, about to respond-
When everything around me stopped.
A chill crawled down my spine.
The air thickened.
My skin prickled.
And then-
A hand.
Fierce.
Unforgiving.
Cold.
Wrapped around my arm and yanked me back with such force that the breath flew out of my lungs.
I stumbled into a hard chest - unyielding, radiating heat and fury.
My heart froze.
I didn't need to look.
I knew.
My body recognized the storm before my mind did.
My voice trembled out in a whisper.
"Aansh..."
He didn't let go.
He didn't speak.
He didn't need to.
His grip alone told me everything.
A hurricane had found me.
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