"How long are you going to keep waiting for his call like this?" A voice startled Rithika. She quickly turned around to see her mother standing there with her arms crossed, watching her intently.
Ritika immediately looked away, hurriedly placing her phone beside her as if trying to hide her actions.
"What’s the point of avoiding my gaze now, huh?" her mother questioned, sitting down beside her.
"You could call Ahaan too, couldn’t you? If you miss him so much, then why don’t you just go back to him?" she asked while gently caressing Ritika’s head.
She looks down trying to hide her tears.
Her parents knew everything—about Ahaan, about his infertility, about the storm that had shattered their marriage.
"As much as you are grieving over the fact that you can’t become a mother, he is hurting a thousand times more than you, Ritika," her mother continued, her voice laced with disappointment.
"He’s drowning in guilt, blaming himself every single moment. And yet, despite his own pain, he is more worried about you. He keeps calling you, asking about your health, hoping that one day you will tell him you are coming back. At a time when he needs you the most, when he is barely holding himself together, you chose to run away from him."
Her words struck deep, making Ritika’s breath hitch.
"M-Mom…" Ritika murmured, her voice trembling as tears welled up in her eyes.
"Don't, Ritika… just don’t," her mother cut her off, shaking her head.
"This time, I’m truly disappointed in you."
"I stayed quiet in the beginning because I understood—you were in pain, you needed time. But now, I have to say it. What you’re doing is wrong, completely wrong."
Ritika’s heart pounded in her chest, guilt creeping in like an unwelcome guest.
"If you love him, then how could you just leave him like that?" her mother’s voice softened, yet there was an undeniable firmness in her words.
"And it’s not just a matter of a week or a month, Ritika. It’s been almost a year. A whole year. Really, Ritika?"
She sobbed hearing her. She doesn't know what to say because she knows what her mother is saying is absolutely right.
"You, more than anyone, know that Ahaan has no one else in this world except you. You know he can’t live without you. And yet, the same man who once couldn’t even spend a day without you is now living all alone—just so that you can spend time with your parents, just so that your mood gets better."
Her mother sighed, shaking her head again. "But at what cost, Ritika? At what cost?"
She looks at her with tears.
"Husband and wife—that’s what you both are, right?" her mother’s voice softened, yet there was a firm undertone to it.
"Just like you stand by each other in moments of joy, you’re supposed to stand together in times of hardship too. That’s what a marriage is, Ritika—being each other’s strength, not just in happiness but in pain as well."
She looked at her mother with teary eyes.
"I understand, mere bacha that having a child is a significant milestone in a couple's life, but that doesn't mean life comes to a halt without one. There are countless people in the world who don’t have children—does that mean their lives have stopped? We’re living in 2025, an era of advancement and endless possibilities. And the best part? If you both truly want a child, there are many ways to embrace parenthood beyond natural conception." She smiles taking her into a hug calming her..
She sobbed, shaking her head, as the weight of her mother’s words slowly sank in. Each syllable felt like a dagger piercing through her heart, making her realize the extent of the damage she had done. She had been so consumed by her own pain, so blinded by her own sorrow, that she failed to see the silent suffering of the man who loved her the most.
Ahaan had been hurting just as much—perhaps even more—but he never let it show. He never burdened her with his pain because he was too busy worrying about hers. While she withdrew into silence, he kept reaching out, trying to hold onto the love they had built. And yet, she had walked away, leaving him to bear the weight of their shattered dreams alone.
Ritika clutched her mother's hand, her voice trembling with guilt and sorrow.
"Boliye na maa..What should I do now? Now even he has stopped calling me like he used to."
"He came that day to see you, didn’t he? He thought you would go back with him… but you didn’t. He begged you so much… pleaded with you to come back… but you didn’t listen to him even once. Did you even look at his face? Did you see how his face fell the moment he heard your answer? How his expression turned small and defeated? And yet… he didn’t say a word to you because he loves you so much."
"Maa, please… don’t make me feel even more guilty than I already do… please," she sobbed, her voice breaking as fresh tears streamed down her face.
Her mother sighed, gently squeezing Ritika's hand. "What's the use of crying now, Ritika? What's done is done. Now think about what you should do next to rectify your mistake. I think you should go back home now. It's already late..talk to him".
She nods her head hurriedly wiping her tears. She tried calling him but he didn't picked up his phone.
'Sayad office mein busy hain lagta hain' she murmurs cutting the call.
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