Ruhi's patience had worn thin. She paced her room, her phone clutched tightly in her hands. Abhi hadn't answered a single one of her calls. Not a text, not even a sign that he'd read them.
Panic curled in her chest. She couldn't lose him. Not after all the effort she had put into securing a place in his life.
She threw on a jacket and grabbed her car keys. If he wouldn't come to her, she'd go to him.
---
Meanwhile, Abhi sat in his family's study, staring at the engagement papers in front of him. His father's voice droned on about family reputation, about how the Malhotras were the perfect match. But Abhi wasn't really listening. His mind was elsewhere-on Ruhi's betrayal, on Ishika's words from the night before, on the emptiness settling inside him.
"...So, what do you say, Abhi?" his father asked expectantly.
Abhi looked up, his expression unreadable. "I need time."
His father's lips pressed into a thin line. "Time won't change reality."
Abhi exhaled. "No, but it might help me accept it."
Before his father could respond, a servant knocked on the door. "Sir, Miss Ruhi is here."
Abhi's jaw tightened.
His father frowned. "Send her away."
"I'll handle it," Abhi said, standing up.
---
Ruhi's eyes lit up as she saw him step outside. "Abhi! Finally, I-"
"What are you doing here?" His voice was cold, distant.
Ruhi faltered. "You weren't answering my calls. I-I needed to see you."
"There's nothing to talk about."
She grabbed his wrist, desperation flashing in her eyes. "Abhi, you're misunderstanding everything. Whatever you heard-it's not like that."
He pulled away, his expression unreadable. "I heard enough."
Tears welled up in her eyes. "You love me, don't you?"
Abhi stared at her for a long moment before responding. "Maybe I loved the person I thought you were."
Ruhi felt the ground shift beneath her. "You don't mean that."
Abhi didn't respond. He just turned and walked away, leaving her standing there, shattered.
And for the first time, Ruhi realized-this time, she had truly lost him.
---
Abhi didn't stop walking until he reached the other side of the estate. His mind was a storm, but he had no room for doubts anymore. The weight in his chest felt different now-not the suffocating kind, but something almost liberating.
He pulled out his phone and dialed a number he never thought he would.
Ishika answered on the second ring. "Abhi?"
"I need to talk," he said, his voice steady.
She was silent for a moment before responding. "Meet me at the café near the golf course. Fifteen minutes."
Abhi closed his eyes for a second, inhaled deeply, and made his way there. He was finally ready to face what was next.
...to be continued...