30.

REYANSH

everything is a mess, my mind has been racing with so many emotions, all the revelations which took place this week are driving me crazy.

the thought which has been disturbing me the most, the reason for my sleepless nights, how will I tell Naina the truth?

How will I tell her that the family she loves with her everything is the reason for her destruction?

the fear of losing her after she gets to know everything is driving me crazy, my thoughts come to a halt

When I feel a hand on my shoulder, the familiar rose scent hitting my nostrils, her soft touch.

I turn around to look at her, her eyes soft and filled with worry, “Reyansh” her voice soft sending me comfort but once again breaking me.

She’ll hate me when she gets to know everything, I won’t be her Rey, her smile. But instead I’ll be the reason for her misery.

I get up from my seat facing her, “it’s okay I called the best doctors they are here, and the police are working on the case, don’t worry everything will be alright” her voice was soft yet determined, her eyes sparking with comfort and assurance.

“Can you pls tell me in detail what happened?” Her voice soft hum as she asks me with a gentle smile.

“I-i don’t know it all happened so quickly dadi and Dadu just went in their rooms after dinner, but later a when I went to check up on them they both were just unconscious, pale” my voice breaks at the end as I try to speak.

Those tears making their way but I successfully gulp them once again. she pulls me in a gentle hug, her hand softly creasing my hair.

As I inhale her scent, I think this is going to be the last time she will ever hug me like this.

My heart pounded in my chest, the weight of unspoken truths pressing down on me like a vice.

Each beat echoed the fear that gnawed at my soul, the fear that the woman standing before me, the one who brought light to his darkest days, would soon look at him with nothing but disdain.

The revelations of the week had shattered me reality, turning every moment into a twisted labyrinth of guilt and dread.

How could he tell her that the family she adored, the very people she believed in with all her heart, were the architects of her deepest pain? The one she came for leaving everything behind in a heartbeat? It was a truth that felt like a betrayal of the worst kind.

“bhai” Aarav comes towards us “bhai papa is calling you” he says his voice filled with tiredness, the dark circles under his eyes clear evidence of sleepless nights.

Reyansh nods looking at Naina before walking away with Aarav. “Did you tell Bhabi everything?” Aarav questions.

“I’ll tell her tonight” he hums in response as we enter the study room papa and Chachu sitting there, distress clear on their face.

“Look at these” papa says passing me a file, I examine it my eyes widening with each sentence.

“But why would Dadu hide these from us?” Aarav questions, confused.

“He didn’t hide it, he was forced to, threaten to and when he tried investigating the results are in front of us” Chachu says followed by a sigh. His shoulders tensed.

The weight of the room pressed down on me, as though the walls themselves were closing in, threatening to crush me under the burden of the truth I had yet to reveal.

Every breath felt like a betrayal, every moment I delayed only added to the growing dread that gnawed at my insides. Naina’s soft voice still lingered in the air, comforting yet haunting, a reminder of the innocence she still clung to, an innocence I was about to shatter.

The file in my hands was heavy, not because of its contents, but because of the implications it carried. My fingers trembled as I turned each page, the words blurring together as the gravity of the situation sunk deeper into my bones. Dadu… how could he have kept this from us? But Chachu’s words echoed in my mind—he was forced to. The realization struck like a blow to the chest.

Then came the photos, the horrific evidence of that night, burned into my memory, each image a reminder of the chaos that had been unleashed. My body stiffened as I reached the last photograph, the one that made my blood run cold.

“What are these” I ask my voice cold.

And then… my father’s confession.

The words echoed in my ears, refusing to settle. “I was the one who killed Naina’s father. I killed him, I am responsible for all her misery, the reason I separated you both for all these years”

My world tilted on its axis, everything I thought I knew crumbling around me. How could I tell Naina this? How could I look her in the eyes and tell her that the man she loved, the family she had devoted herself to, was responsible for taking away the person she cherished the most? The thought was unbearable.

But before I could even begin to process the enormity of it all, a sudden crash jolted me back to the present. The sound was sharp, piercing through the suffocating tension in the room. My heart leaped into my throat as I rushed to the door, Aarav hot on my heels.

And there she was—Naina, standing amidst the shattered remnants of four broken cups, her face pale, her eyes wide with shock. The sight of her, so vulnerable and fragile, sent a bolt of panic through me. I didn’t even think, I just acted, scooping her up into my arms as though she were made of glass.

“Are you alright?” I asked, my voice trembling with fear as I carried her into the study. But she didn’t respond, didn’t even seem to hear me. Her gaze was distant, unfocused, as if she was somewhere far away, trapped in a nightmare she couldn’t escape. My heart broke at the sight of her, this strong, resilient woman who had always been my anchor, now so utterly lost.

Gently, I placed her on the sofa, my hands trembling as I checked her for injuries. That’s when I saw it—a shard of glass embedded in her foot, a small trickle of blood staining the floor. She hadn’t even noticed. The pain in her eyes was far deeper than any physical wound.

“I am sorry, biwi jaan, if it hurts,” I whispered, my voice thick with emotion as I carefully removed the shard, doing my best not to cause her any more pain.

But as she hissed, the sound was like a dagger to my heart, reminding me that this was only the beginning. The physical pain was nothing compared to what was coming.

How could I have let this happen? How could I have let her find out this way? The weight of my guilt threatened to drown me, but I forced myself to stay strong, for her sake.

She needed me now more than ever, even if she didn’t realize it. But what would she do when she learned the full truth? When she found out that the man she had trusted, the man she had married, was tied to the death of her father?

I couldn’t bear the thought of losing her, of seeing the love in her eyes turn to hate. But I knew there was no escaping it now. The truth was out, and all I could do was brace myself for the fallout.