CHAPTER38 [FRUSTRATED]
After a while, Vihaan left for the office—
but not before tightening the security around the mansion.
Guards at every corner.
Instructions clear.
No one in.
No one out.
---
Aarohi sat alone in the room.
Her mind restless.
“Raat mein tayyar rehna…”
His words echoed again and again.
Kya hone wala hai?
(What is going to happen?)
---
A soft knock broke her thoughts.
“Come in…”
The door opened, and Sana walked in.
She looked at Aarohi carefully—
as if trying to read everything she wasn’t saying.
Both of them sat on the couch.
Sana didn’t waste time.
“Tu batayegi… chal kya raha hai tum dono ke beech?”
(Are you going to tell me what’s going on between you two?)
Aarohi looked away.
“Thi kahan tu puri raat?”
(Where were you the whole night?)
Aarohi took a deep breath.
“Kuch nahi yaar… main hospital se aa rahi thi… aur Zayan ne mujhe behosh karke apne apartment le gaya.”
(Nothing… I was coming from the hospital… and Zayan knocked me out and took me to his apartment.)
Sana’s eyes widened.
“Wahi na… wo tera dost tha London mein?”
(He’s the same friend from London, right?)
“Haan…”
(Yeah…)
“Lekin leke kyun gaya tha?”
(But why did he take you?)
Aarohi’s expression turned serious.
“Wo chahta hai ki main Vihaan ko divorce de du… aur wapas London chali jaun.”
(He wants me to divorce Vihaan… and go back to London.)
Sana leaned back slightly, processing everything.
“Tu kya chahti hai?”
(What do you want?)
Aarohi gave a helpless smile.
“Kya pata yaar… samajh nahi aa raha… decide nahi kar pa rahi hoon.”
(I don’t know… I can’t understand anything… I can’t decide.)
Sana sighed softly.
“Dekh… main jaanti hoon ye shaadi teri marzi se nahi hui…”
(Look… I know this marriage wasn’t your choice…)
“Forcefully hui hai…”
(It was forced…)
“Par phir bhi… faisla soch samajh ke lena…”
(But still… make your decision carefully…)
“Baad mein regret na ho.”
(So you don’t regret it later.)
She paused, then added—
“Jahan tak main jaanti hoon… college mein jo bhi hua…”
(As far as I know… whatever happened in college…)
“Usme galti teri bhi thi.”
(It was your mistake too.)
Aarohi lowered her gaze.
“Tujhe wo challenge accept nahi karna chahiye tha…”
(You shouldn’t have accepted that challenge…)
“Ab Vihaan ne tujhe force kiya hai…”
(Now Vihaan has forced you…)
“Toh dekha jaye… galti dono ki hai.”
(So if you see… both of you are wrong.)
Sana gently held her hand.
“Toh faisla soch samajh ke lena…”
(So think carefully before deciding…)
“Baaki… tera jo bhi faisla hoga…”
(And whatever your decision will be…)
“Main tere saath hoon.”
(I’m with you.)
Aarohi looked at her, eyes softening.
“Thanks yaar…”
(Thank you…)
Sana left after a while, leaving Aarohi alone with her thoughts once again.
---
At the office…
Vihaan was busy in back-to-back meetings.
Calm on the outside—
but distracted within.
---
Finally, during lunch break, he walked into his cabin.
The first thing he did—
He opened his laptop
and connected to the mansion’s CCTV.
The screen flickered…
And there she was.
Aarohi—
sleeping peacefully on the bed.
For a moment, his expression softened.
As if the chaos inside him paused… just for her.
---
“Lagta hai kisi ka biwi ke bagair mann nahi lag raha…”
(Looks like someone can’t function without his wife…)
Vihaan’s jaw tightened as he turned.
Karan stood there, leaning casually against the door.
Vihaan shot him a sharp look.
“Gussa kyu ho rahe ho… itni yaad aa rahi hai to chale jao na.”
(Why are you getting angry… if you miss her so much, just go to her.)
Vihaan leaned back in his chair, eyes cold.
“Tu yahan se apne pairon pe chalke jayega… ya wheelchair pe?”
(Will you walk out of here on your own… or in a wheelchair?)
Karan immediately raised his hands.
“Arre bhai… abhi meri shaadi bhi nahi hui… aur tu pair todne ki baat kar raha hai?”
(Man… I’m not even married yet and you’re already talking about breaking my legs?)
“Theek hai… main chala jaata hoon…”
(Alright… I’m leaving…)
He turned to go, but stopped at the door.
His tone changed—more serious this time.
“Bhai… jo bhi misunderstanding hai na… use clear kar le…”
(Bro… whatever misunderstanding there is… clear it…)
“Itna fikr mat kar…”
(Don’t let it eat you up…)
And then he left.
Vihaan’s eyes shifted back to the screen—
Still on Aarohi.
Still watching.
---
Night fell.
The family gathered for dinner.
Everything looked normal on the outside—
Conversations, small smiles, routine.
But underneath—
Tension still lingered.
---
After dinner…
Everyone went back to their rooms.
---
Inside their room—
Aarohi stood near the window, lost in thought.
The door opened.
Vihaan walked in.
Their eyes met—
And for a second… everything went still.
---
He walked closer.
Slow. Measured.
“Aaj bohot chup ho…”
(You’re very quiet today.)
Aarohi looked away.
“Thak gayi hoon.”
(I’m tired.)
Vihaan stopped right behind her.
Close enough to feel her presence.
“Ya kuch soch rahi ho?”
(Or thinking about something?)
---
Before she could respond—
He gently held her wrist
and turned her towards him.
Her heartbeat instantly picked up.
“Chhodo mujhe…”
(Let me go…)
But his grip didn’t tighten—
It softened.
---
He moved a strand of her hair behind her ear.
A simple touch.
But enough to send a shiver through her.
---
“Dar lag raha hai?”
(Are you scared?)
Aarohi looked straight into his eyes.
“Tumse? Haan.”
(Of you? Yes.)
For a moment—
Something flickered in his eyes.
Something real.
---
He leaned slightly closer—
Not forcefully this time…
But slowly.
Carefully.
As if giving her time to move away.
---
But she didn’t.
Didn’t move.
Didn’t speak.
---
Their breaths mixed.
The distance… disappeared.
---
“Raat abhi baaki hai, Mrs. Singhania…”
(The night is still long, Mrs. Singhania…)
His voice dropped to a whisper.
“Dekhte hain… tum apni baat par kitni tikti ho.”
(Let’s see… how well you stand by your words.)
---
Aarohi’s fingers curled slightly into his shirt.
Not in surrender—
But not in resistance either.
---
Something was changing.
Not love.
Not yet.
But something dangerous.
Something neither of them was ready to name.
---
And the night…
Had only just begun.
Aarohi suddenly stepped back, her eyes filled with anger and confusion.
“Tum mujhse chahte kya ho?”
(What do you even want from me?)
“Tumne to saare rishte tod diye the na…”
(You were the one who broke every relationship…)
“Toh ab kyun wapas meri zindagi mein aakar mujhe uljha rahe ho?”
(Then why are you back in my life, confusing everything?)
Vihaan stayed silent.
His silence only made her more restless.
---
“Tumne hi kaha tha na… tumse nafrat hai mujhe…”
(You were the one who said you hate me…)
“Maine kitna samjhane ki koshish ki thi…”
(I tried so hard to explain…)
“Par tab tumne meri ek baat nahi suni…”
(But you didn’t listen to me back then…)
Her voice started breaking—
“Aur ab… jab main pichhle paanch saal mein… dard ke saath jeena seekh gayi…”
(And now… when I’ve learned to live with the pain for five years…)
“Khud ko sambhalna seekh liya…”
(I’ve learned to hold myself together…)
“Tab tum mujhe wapas apni zindagi mein kheench laaye…”
(You pulled me back into your life…)
---
Her emotions finally broke.
Frustration. Pain. Anger.
Everything burst out at once.
She started crying—
Hitting his chest weakly with both her hands.
“Tumhe kya milta hai ye sab karke…”
(What do you get from doing all this…)
“Kyuuun…?”
(Why…?)
---
Vihaan didn’t stop her.
Didn’t react.
He just stood there… letting her.
---
After a moment—
He gently caught her wrists.
Not harsh.
Not forceful.
Just enough to stop her.
---
“Tumhe jitna marna hai na… maar lo…”
(Hit me as much as you want…)
“Par pehle rona band karo…”
(But first, stop crying…)
His voice was low.
Soft.
Almost… breaking.
---
“Iss tarah mat ro…”
(Don’t cry like this…)
“Mujhe takleef hoti hai…”
(It hurts me to see you like this…)
---
Aarohi froze.
His words—
Were not what she expected.
---
“Jaanta hoon… pichhle paanch saal tumne kaise guzare hain…”
(I know how you’ve spent these last five years…)
“Par main bhi sukoon se nahi jee raha tha…”
(But I wasn’t living peacefully either…)
---
He looked straight into her tear-filled eyes.
“Us waqt situation hi aisi thi…”
(The situation back then was like that…)
“Toh main kya karta?”
(So what was I supposed to do?)
---
For the first time—
There was no anger in his voice.
No ego.
Just… something heavy.
Something real.
---
Aarohi’s hands slowly dropped.
Her breathing uneven.
Her eyes searching his face—
As if trying to find the truth behind his words.
---
Because for the first time—
It didn’t feel like a fight.
It felt like—
two broken people… finally standing in front of each other.
Wait for next part.??