CHAPTER57 [IN MANSION]
Almost an hour later...
Both cars finally entered the gates of Singhania Mansion.
The huge iron gates slowly opened.
As the cars came to a halt, everyone stepped out one by one.
Karan immediately walked towards the second car and opened the door.
Sana gently held Aarohi's hand, helping her step out carefully.
The moment Aarohi's feet touched the ground...
She stopped.
Her eyes slowly lifted towards the mansion.
The same mansion...
Where she had once entered as a newly married bride.
The same mansion...
Where those dreams had shattered one by one.
The same mansion...
From where she had walked away a year ago, carrying nothing except pain.
And today...
Fate had once again brought her back to the very place she had run away from.
For a few moments...
She simply stood there.
Lost in her own thoughts.
The sleepless nights...
The silent tears...
Every memory flashed before her eyes like an old film.
Her heart felt heavy.
Almost suffocating.
She didn't even realize how long she had been standing there.
"Aaru..."
Sana's soft voice finally brought her back to reality.
"Come on, baccha."
"Don't put so much pressure on your mind."
"Nothing will happen."
"Everything will be alright."
Aarohi slowly looked at Sana.
She gave her a small nod.
Then...
Her eyes unintentionally shifted towards Vihaan.
He was standing beside the car.
One hand resting against it for support.
His face still looked weak after the surgery.
Yet...
His eyes weren't on anyone else.
They were fixed only on Aarohi.
The moment their eyes met...
Time seemed to stop for a second.
There were countless emotions in Vihaan's eyes...
Regret...
Pain...
Hope...
And an endless fear of losing her again.
Aarohi couldn't hold his gaze for long.
She quietly looked away.
Without saying a single word.
Everyone slowly walked inside the mansion.
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The atmosphere inside felt strangely unfamiliar.
Even though it was the same house...
Everything had changed.
Or perhaps...
The people living in it had changed.
After a few minutes...
Anjali looked towards Sana.
"Sana, beta..."
"Take Aarohi upstairs."
"She should rest for a while until lunch is ready."
Sana nodded.
"Come, Aaru."
But Aarohi gently shook her head.
"No..."
"I'm fine here."
"I don't need to rest."
It wasn't that she didn't need rest.
Her body was exhausted.
She could barely stand for long.
But that wasn't the reason she refused.
The real reason...
Was that room.
The room where she had spent countless nights crying herself to sleep.
The room that reminded her of every wound she had tried so hard to forget.
Anjali slowly walked towards her.
She held Aarohi's hands with both of hers.
Her eyes were already moist.
"I know..."
"I know why you don't want to go there."
"And believe me..."
"I don't blame you."
A tear rolled down Anjali's cheek.
"But beta..."
"He is still your husband."
"Please..."
"Don't turn your face away from him like this."
"He has already broken completely."
"He breathes..."
"But he isn't living anymore."
"I know my son made unforgivable mistakes."
"And I know he deserves every bit of your silence."
"But as a mother..."
Seeing my son like this... breaks me every single day."
She folded her hands in front of Aarohi.
"Please, beta..."
"I'm begging you."
"Just... don't hate him so much that he loses every hope of making things right."
Aarohi's eyes widened.
"Aunty..."
"Please..."
She immediately held Anjali's folded hands.
"Don't do this."
"You don't have to fold your hands in front of me."
Her voice remained calm.
Respectful.
"I've never been upset with you."
"Please..."
Anjali wiped her tears.
She simply nodded.
Aarohi stood there silently for a few moments.
Then...
Without saying another word...
She quietly turned around.
And slowly started walking upstairs.
Towards the very room...
She had promised herself she would never return to again.
Aarohi slowly climbed the stairs.
Every step felt heavier than the last.
Her body was weak...
But the weight on her heart was far greater.
She finally stopped in front of the room.
The same room.
She stared at the closed door for a few moments.
Her fingers slowly reached for the handle.
Click...
The door opened.
She stepped inside.
Sana had quietly left from behind, giving her the space she needed.
The room was silent.
Aarohi's eyes slowly wandered around.
Nothing...
Absolutely nothing had changed.
The curtains were the same.
The paintings still hung in the same place.
The bookshelf...
The bedside lamp...
The photographs...
Even the small flower vase she had once placed near the window was still there.
It felt as if time had stopped in this room.
As if someone had refused to let even a single memory fade away.
Her heart tightened.
Just then...
The bathroom door opened.
Vihaan stepped out, drying his wet hands with a towel.
The moment his eyes fell on Aarohi...
He froze.
For a second...
Neither of them moved.
Neither of them had expected to see the other there.
Vihaan was the first to come back to reality.
He immediately lowered his gaze.
"You should rest."
His voice was soft.
"I'll leave."
Without waiting for her reply...
He quietly picked up his phone from the bedside table.
And walked towards the door.
Just before leaving...
He stopped for a second.
Without turning back, he said,
"If you need anything..."
"You can call Sana."
He paused.
"...or me."
Then he quietly walked out.
The door closed behind him.
Once again...
The room fell into complete silence.
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Aarohi slowly walked towards the bed.
She sat down on its edge.
Her fingers unconsciously touched the bedsheet.
A bitter smile appeared on her lips.
"So..."
She whispered to herself.
"This is the same room..."
"The same place..."
"From where I left everything behind."
She looked around once again.
"And yet..."
"Fate brought me back here."
She let out a shaky breath.
"Why?"
"Why am I so weak?"
"Why can't I control my own heart?"
Her voice broke.
"He was never truly mine..."
"And maybe..."
"He never will be."
A tear rolled down her cheek.
"So many years have passed..."
"I tried everything..."
"I tried to hate him."
"I tried to forget him."
"I tried to convince myself that I had moved on."
She closed her eyes.
"But this foolish heart..."
"It never listened to me."
"It belongs to me..."
"And yet..."
"It still beats for someone who once shattered it."
One tear...
Then another...
Soon her tears flowed endlessly.
Like a river that had finally broken through its dam.
She didn't wipe them away.
Perhaps...
She was too tired to pretend she was strong anymore.
People often say...
Time heals every wound.
But sometimes...
Time only teaches you how to live with the pain.
Today...
Even after everything...
Aarohi was still standing alone.
She had survived every storm by herself.
She had learned to hide every tear behind a smile.
She had become everyone's strength...
Yet when she herself grew weak...
She still had no one she could truly lean on.
She had forgotten that sometimes...
The people who wanted to stand beside her...
Were waiting outside the door...
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Aarohi sat on the edge of the bed for a long time.
One thought after another kept running through her mind.
The exhaustion...
The pain...
The endless battle between her heart and mind...
Everything finally became too much.
Slowly...
Without even realizing it...
She drifted off to sleep.
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After almost an hour...
The bedroom door opened quietly.
Vihaan slowly walked inside.
He had changed his bandage and taken his medicines.
The moment he entered...
His eyes automatically searched for Aarohi.
He found her sleeping peacefully on the bed.
For a brief moment...
He smiled.
At least...
She was resting.
He quietly walked closer, careful not to make any noise.
But as soon as he stood beside her...
His smile disappeared.
A few dried tears were still visible on her cheeks.
As if she had cried herself to sleep.
Vihaan's heart clenched painfully.
His eyes became moist.
He quickly looked away.
No...
He wouldn't cry.
He had no right to.
He slowly looked back at her sleeping face.
In a barely audible voice, he whispered,
"I'm really sorry, Aarohi..."
"I don't know what I can possibly do..."
"To take away every pain I gave you."
"I hurt you more than anyone ever did."
"And today..."
"I can't even wipe away your tears."
His voice cracked.
"Please..."
"Don't punish yourself anymore because of me."
"You've suffered enough."
"I don't deserve your forgiveness..."
"But you deserve peace."
Just then...
Knock... Knock...
The sound on the door broke the silence.
Vihaan quickly composed himself.
He wiped the moisture from his eyes before opening the door.
A maid stood outside holding a food tray.
"Sir..."
"Ma'am ke liye lunch."
Vihaan gave a small nod.
"I'll take it."
He carefully placed the tray on the table beside the bed.
Just then...
Aarohi moved slightly.
Her eyelashes fluttered.
Slowly...
She opened her eyes.
For a second...
Everything seemed blurry.
Then...
Her gaze landed on Vihaan.
He was standing only a few steps away.
Looking at her.
But this wasn't the same Vihaan she had known once.
The obsession in his eyes was gone.
The arrogance had disappeared.
All that remained was...
Regret.
Guilt.
And silent apologies.
Their eyes met.
Neither of them spoke.
Aarohi quietly looked away first.
Vihaan gently broke the silence.
"You should eat something."
"Then take your medicines..."
"And get some more sleep."
His voice was calm.
Soft.
Careful.
As if he was afraid even his words might hurt her.
After a brief pause, he spoke again.
"And..."
"I'm sorry."
"Mom forced you to come at the room."
He looked around the room for a moment before continuing,
"You stay here."
"I'll shift to another room."
"You don't have to feel uncomfortable because of me."
"I won't force my presence on you anymore."
For a moment...
Aarohi looked at him.
But some wounds don't heal simply because the person who caused them has changed.
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To be continued......