Hurt by his words but unwilling to give up, Ritika wiped her tears and made him fresh rotis, throwing the burnt ones into the dustbin with determination. Ahaan didn’t protest. He simply stood there, letting her do what she wanted—his silence was more painful than his words.
She placed a warm plate in front of him—soft, fresh rotis with the sabji he had prepared two days ago. Her heart clenched as she watched him silently pick up a bite.
"Please... khalo yeh," she pleaded, her voice breaking as tears streamed down her cheeks.
He listened but didn't utter a single word.He lifted the food to his lips and began eating, each bite mechanical, as if he were fulfilling a necessary task rather than satisfying hunger.
Ritika sat beside him, watching him with a hollow ache in her chest. This wasn’t her Ahaan. The man who once filled every corner of their home with warmth, with teasing smiles and laughter, had changed into someone unrecognizable.
His once lively eyes were now dull, lifeless. His face looked sharper, his skin paler, and the deep circles beneath his eyes told her what she already feared—he hadn’t been sleeping well. Maybe he hadn't been sleeping at all.
He silently finished his meal, pushed the plate away, and stood up. Ritika wiped her tears, expecting him to head towards their bedroom. But instead, he turned in the opposite direction.
She frowned. "Tum guest room mein kyu jaa rahe ho? Humare room chodke?" she asked, confused and hurt.
"Aise hi… acha lagta hai iss room mein sone mein" he muttered without meeting her eyes.
But the truth was different.
He couldn’t sleep in their room anymore. Every inch of it carried her presence—her scent in the pillows, her laughter echoing in the walls, her memories clinging to every shadow. Lying in that bed alone felt unbearable. It was easier to escape to the guest room, where the silence didn’t whisper her name every night.
Ritika stood frozen, her heart breaking all over again.
After freshening up, Ritika changed into a soft salwar kameez, her heart set on one thing—making things right. She knew Ahaan was hurt, knew he was angry, but she was ready to bear it all. She would do everything in her power to heal the wounds she had inflicted on him.
As she stepped into the guest room, her breath hitched at the heartbreaking sight before her.
Ahaan lay curled up on the bed, his body tightly hugging a pillow, his face turned toward the wall. Even in the dim light, she could see the damp trails of tears escaping from the corners of his closed eyes. He wasn’t just hurt.
He was suffering.
And it was all because of her.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, she slowly crawled toward him, her fingers trembling as she reached out to his face. With the lightest touch, she wiped away his tears, her heart aching at the sight of his pain. She bit her lip, holding back the sob that threatened to escape.
"I’m sorry, Ahaan..." she whispered, her voice barely audible, afraid of breaking the fragile moment between them. "I didn’t know my behavior would hurt you this much... From today, I will never hurt you again..."
Her fingers traced his jawline, her thumb gently brushing his cheek.
"I know it’s not easy to forgive me. You called me day and night... again and again, asking me to come back… and still, I didn’t. How can I expect you to forgive me so easily?" A fresh tear rolled down her cheek.
"Don’t forgive me so easily… I don’t deserve it. Let me earn it."
Pressing a soft kiss to both of his closed eyes, then his forehead, she carefully pulled his head onto her chest, wrapping her arms around him as if holding him together. She make him wrapped his arms around her waist.
She inhaled deeply, taking in his scent—warm, familiar, and comforting.
Tears slipped silently from her eyes, but exhaustion soon took over, and within minutes, she drifted into a restless sleep.
Ahaan, who had remained motionless all this time, slowly opened his eyes. He didn't sleep at all.
His gaze fell on the woman curled up against him, clutching his shirt like a lifeline, as if afraid he would disappear. His throat tightened at the sight.
"Chorke toh tum gaye thein na mujhse aur woh pure ek saal k liye… hai na?" His voice was a whisper, barely reaching the air around him.
He scoffed bitterly, his eyes dark with pain.
"And now, suddenly, you remembered me? I didn’t even call you once after that day… and I never would have." His jaw clenched, emotions clawing at his chest.
He let out a shaky breath, his fingers brushing against her hair that had fallen over her face, blocking his view.
"Why did you come back? Back to this useless man? You should’ve left me alone…" His voice wavered.
"What difference would it have made..."
But before he could get lost in his pain again, she instinctively snuggled closer, pulling him so tight that there wasn’t an inch of space left between them. Her leg draped over his, her arms wrapped around him as if shielding him from the very pain she had caused.
Ahaan swallowed hard, blinking away the moisture gathering in his eyes.
"I could have lived without you…" he whispered brokenly, but even as he said it, he knew it was a lie.
His gaze lingered on her peaceful face, her soft breaths fanning against his chest. He couldn’t help himself.
Unknowingly, his fingers tucked away the stray strands of hair that had fallen over her closed eyes.
For the first time he could sleep peacefully in her arms without consuming any sleeping pills.
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